EDDIE HENDERSON

The end of Herbie Hancock's Mwandishi-era team lineup is officially an Eddie Henderson album due to Eddie's leadership (initiative, funding, and role as principle composer), and it's another great one. (The next of Eddie's album's, 1975's Sunburst, again has a great lineup of young and seasoned jazz musicians--including Bennie Maupin and George Duke--but there is a radical shift in musical styles toward a more radio- and sales-friendly "smooth" or "funky/disco" jazz fusion that became popular in the mid-70s.) Recorded in San Francisco in October of 1973, the album wasn't mastered and released until 1974--long after Herbie had called it quits on the head-in-the-clouds, atmosphere- exploring Mwandishi septet. (Herbie recorded his first album with a new funk/R&B lineup of four in September, 1973. The album, Head Hunters, was released on October 13 or October 26 [depending on sources] to become the biggest selling jazz album of all-time--until George Benson's Breezin' laid claim to that title in 1976.) How the recording sessions for Inside Out happened after Herbie had dismantled the Mwandishi septet and after he had already recorded his new pop-oriented album is a mystery to me. If any one out there knows how this happened, please let me know!

1. "Moussaka" (8:59) Patrick Gleeson and Bennie Maupin get first crack at opening this album: it sounds like the real- time sounds of a sunrise. At the end of the first minute Buster Williams' bass and Bill Summers congas start us off on a journey across the desert but then we slow way down as if to examine the scenery from some carapace high up above the desert floor. But then at 2:40 the journey recommences--exactly the same way it began at the one minute mark-- this time allowing Eddie time to solo with his muted cornet. Then Herbie gets a turn in the fifth minute with his Fender Rhodes. Such a nice Caravanserai groove going beneath it all. Eddie retakes the reins with a muted flugelhorn at 5:30. A second track is given to Eddie for the intermittent dipersal of flourishes from his unmuted trumpet until at 7:30 that instrument takes the lead where he is joined by a legion of other horn and wind instruments (Obviously Eddie, Bennie, and Patrick have become enamored of multi-track overdubbing.) (18/20)

2. "Omnipresence" (2:14) another display of circling instruments that sounds/feels like the presence of something. The two drummers are busy as Eddie and the rest fill the cauldron with more ingredients in order to make the soup. (4.375/5)

3. "Discoveries" (5:08 ) multiple horns are tracking while Buster and the drummers are providing a kind of DEODATO version of "A Love Supreme" but then things veer right and we've got a more train-like cannonball racing downhill so that Bennie's clarinet, Herbie's clavinet and Fender Rhodes, Patrick's burbling saw synths, and Eddie's trumpets (muted and unmuted) can weave their off-set flourishes of melody. Very interesting and progressive. The music on this album is definitely exploring new, expanded ideas of what is linear and how melodies can be delivered by all of the instruments of a large ensemble while being out of sync with one another. I like this one more for its innovation than its engaging qualities. (8.875/10)

4. "Fusion" (3:33) a veritable continuation of the previous song (there is no break between the two) sees a shift in the rhythm track coming from both the bass and drums. Over the top Eddie, Bennie, and Herbie manage the melody delivery with subtle collaboration and admirable discipline. (8.875/10)

5. "Dreams" (7:21) drums and bass going rogue while the lead instruments hold the melody together simultaneously and smoothly. Interesting! The recording and engineering is so perfect: with every subtle sound captured and balanced gently into the mix. I can't recall hearing a jazz album on which each song's soundscape is so egalitarianly distributed. Rather amazing. And beautiful! (14/15)

6. "Inside Out" (9:25) It's Buster again to lead the way out of the gates. Drummers and clavinet follow as Eddie's horns and Bennie's tenor saxophone start their own journeys. Clavinet gets a little "me" time before multiple horns give a loosely banked MILES-like pepper spray--a pattern of delivery that Eddie continues to reinforce with his own first foray as sole soloist. This is a really fun song to listen to while paying attention to any and every one of the individual musicians--listening for their subtle expressions of unrepressed individuality. In the sixth minute Bennie gets the second extended solo with his tenor sax. I like the relaxed length of times given between soloists. Herbie's wah-ed Fender Rhodes gets the next solo, filling the eighth minute. Bennie and Eddie come squawking out of the pond like two geese (or more as each is given multiple tracks) to try to cut Herbie off but Herbie just continues on with both his Fender Rhodes soloing and his clavinet (multi-tracked or played simultaneously?)Very cool song to listen to over and over. (19/20)

7. "Exit #1" (2:54) the bookend opposite of the album's opening four minutes: this must be the sunset. Perfect! (5/5)

Total Time: 39:34

The music on this album is so much more experimental, feeling innovative on several fronts, than any of the previous Mwansishi-era albums. While not as melodic, the weaves are incredibly complex for the fact that it feels as if each individual musician has been set loose on his own path and journey with the same map and destination but with the freedom to follow their own independent paths and means to get there. It's really a breath-taking and marvellous to watch (and listen). If this isn't the peak of the experimentalism that was the spirit and intent of the Mwandishi albums, then I don't know what is.

A/five stars; musically this may be a minor masterpiece but to my ears there are developmental things going on here that, for me, proclaim an evolutionary jump in the progress of jazz-rock fusion--a jump that is in direct opposition to the pervasive tendency toward favoring smooth audience accessibiliity over mathematical and creative exploration and experimentation.

4.5 stars. It seems like everyone wants to compare this to Henderson's debut "Realization" which is one of those "Mwandishi" offshoots and a challenging masterpiece to say the least. This is Eddie's fourth studio album from 1976 and it's melodic and often very Miles-like. I love how samey the music is here, it's not in a hurry and there is so much going on most of the time. Julian Priester adds his trombones to the proceedings. We also get soprano sax, bass clarinet and flute. Add some tasty electric piano, clavinet and synths. Mike Clark does most of the drumming but Billy Hart plays on the closer. Congas and percussions and how about Paul Jackson on bass. I just can't get enough of this album.

I love the chilled sounds on the funky opener "Inside You" with those spacey synths and upfront bass as Henderson plays over top. "Nostalgia" is another highlight. That bass intro that actually continues throughout is so cool. Some sparse horns and electric piano as beats and cymbals help out. "Dr.Mganga" is an interesting title but Mganga is the name Eddie took when with Herbie's bunch and of course Henderson is a Doctor hence the title. What a song though. So much going on and I can't get enough of that electric piano. How about that trumpet! "Dark Shadow" ends it and it opens with bass clarinet as percussion sounds and atmosphere help out. Trumpet joins in too as this plods along and that bass clarinet continues almost non stop.

For me this album is all about the mood and "sound". Interesting to have so much going on at often a mid to slow pace. I'm just fascinated with this one.

A fine if somewhat Jazz-Fusion album. "Sunburst" favors a distinct soul/funk flavor over more chops oriented Fusion. But don't let that fool you, this line up is chock full of that era's heavyweight Jazz musicians. George Duke, Alphonso Johnson and Julien Priester to name a few.

As stated previously, the emphasis is on funk beats, but they are often accented with spacey, psychedelic tinges. Henderson displays a heavy Miles Davis influence, particularly when adding effects to his lines. His cleaner sounds also hint at Freddie Hubbard as well. Maybe, it's because I am a bassist but Alphonso Johnson is really on fire on this session as well. The title track finds Johnson on electric bass and working in tandem with Buster Williams on upright. Their exchanges are really excellent, impressive yet tasteful.

This is really great stuff, but not one to go to for really fiery soloing. This is atmospheric with great, head bobbing grooves. Highly recommended.

Recorded in the Winter of 1973 (February 27 & 28), this was recorded with Herbie Hancock's sitting Septet before its disbandment.

1. "Scorpio-Libra" (11:12) opens immediately with a funky Isaac Hayes "Shaft"/Bitches Brew pretentiousness that is immediately winning due to its cocky arrogance. It's spacey yet still jazzy, free form but mapped out, and full of musicians sounding like they're really having fun. Patrick Gleeson's play on synths and organ sounds so loose and liberating and I LOVE the two drummers! Billy and Lenny both bringing their best, playing with and off of one another. Herbie, of course, is so solid on the Fender Rhodes but he's mixed a little too far into the background (until his solo in the seventh minute). And Bennie Maupin and Eddie just playing their hearts out. Great stuff! (18.5/20)

2. "Mars in Libra" (8:40) sounds very much like the same foundation as the previous song with much wilder performances from the soloists, more dynamic and independent energy from the drummers. Space music in which the pioneers are exploring deep dimensions of the universe. I can tell the boys are having their fun but I personally find that I'm kind of done with Buster Williams' bass line that's holding it all together. Then it all just kind of ends: no ceremony or gravitas just ... done! Weird. (17.5/20)

3. "Anua" (8:30) opens with bass and drums, long-sustained flue and keyboard notes with crazy-wind synth sounds flying around just beneath the surface. Eddie's muted and unmuted horn joins in, takes the lead as the band solidifies its support beneath. It's a beautiful weave of full whole-band chords with incredible leadership from Buster Williams' double bass. The dreaminess of the foundational music reminds me of Freddy Henderson's Love Connection a few years down the road as well as many of the Crusader's Joe Sample's and Huber Laws' solo albums from the time. Beautiful stuff that could easily exist without the soloists on top--thought there are some dreamy solos in the seventh and eighth minutes. (despite the drums getting a bit drowned out by the cymbal play). (19/20)

4. "Spiritual Awakening" (2:33) synth-generated "water"/"bird" noises over which Eddie ejaculates his horn and riffs while the rest of the band just floats and flit in and out of the sonic field. (4.375/5)

5. "Revelation Realization" (8:00) really smooth night groove from the bass with double horn tracks on top and the two drums and keys pushed way down in the mix. I know this gives the listener much greater access to the fine bass and horn play, but then we have to listen that much harder to pick up the nuances of the two amazing drummers. Fender Rhodes and Bennie Maupin's bass clarinet get brought forward somewhere in the third minute. Everybody (except Pat Gleeson's continued synth play with constantly panning water and wind sounds) is contributing some truly beautiful melodies. So nice. The dénouement is long (almost 2:30) and a bit too drawn out for my tastes. A weird but, at the same time, wonderful song. (13.75/15)

Total Time: 38:55

I know that one of the reasons I like this album and its successor, Inside Out--as well as the last two of the Mawndishi albums, Crossings and Sextet--is due to the presence and influence of synthesizer expert Patrick Gleeson. Patrick's contributions to Lenny White's Venusian Summer--making that five out of the twop 30 albums in Classic Era Jazz-Rock Fusion--make me think that his genius plays no small factor in my coming over to Jazz-Rock Fusion 1972-75.

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of spacey jazz-rock from the Mwandishi lineup.

A former alumni of both Herbie Hancock and Pharoah Sanders, trumpeter Eddie Henderson belongs to that small group of first-rate performers who lit up the early part of the 1970's with their quicksilver fusion of jazz and rock. Essentially in the same stylistic mould as Billy Cobham, Lenny White, Miles Davis and Hancock, Henderson issued his first solo album, 'Realization', in 1973 before subsequently enjoying a steady stream of work over the next three decades as both main-man and side player. However, for the best of Henderson as a solo performer look no further than his stellar 1975 album, which blends funky rhythms, spacey fusion soundscapes and classic jazz-rock ingredients into a refreshingly upbeat whole. Featuring a slightly more commercial sound than Billy Cobham's first two LP's but still firmly rooted in the classic 1970's fusion style, 'Sunburst' treads a slick line between attention-grabbing funk strut and progressive-tinged space-bop, the album gradually moving through from the playful opener 'Explodition', to the beautiful galactic swirls of 'Involuntary Bliss', the dense, star-kissed synth-jazz of the title-track, and eventually, to the blissed-out psych- fusion of album highlight 'Galaxy'. The longer 'Sunburst' plays, the deeper into progressive territory you get. As a result, 'Sunburst' proves a dazzling slices of early-seventies fusion, both for the jazz-funk crowd and all you lovers of Miles Davis and McLaughlin's Mahavishnu crew. Certainly up there with the likes of 'Spectrum', 'Big Fun' and 'Crossings', 'Sunburst' may well be the peak of Henderson's impressive career. The only problem? At the time of writing, 'Sunburst' isn't available on CD. Pity. STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2013

Urban space funk fusion

In keeping with my recent crush on all things Mwandishi, I thought it was about time Eddie Henderson received his fair slice of the pie. I think it rather strange, that albums such as Sextant and Crossings are held in high esteem - both of them ornamenting the top 20 of the fusion chart, when Realization, whilst still boasting the same players ie Herbie Hancock, Billy Hart, Bennie Maupin, Pat Gleeson, Buster Williams, and Lenny White - gets next to nothing in terms of marketing. The fact of the matter is, that just like many other people who visit the forum here, I too learned of this album through Greg(Logan. The man with a thing for Sean Connery in red leather), who has been promoting this record ever since the battle of Waterloo.

For those of you who are into the Mwandishi sound, that is highly experimental fusion not unlike that you'd encounter on a Miles Davis album from around the same time, then you should be placing your order of this one right now. Realization is undeniably part of the big powerful and abstract boom of skilled jazz musicians breaching out in whatever psych/funk/rock constellation that sounded good to them. It's deep jungle music this - it throws you into the hot perspiring trance mode - jigging, swaying, bouncing and bobbing. Especially on this very release, you get the gist of what Herbie later on would crystallize in form of Head Hunters. The funky feel just shines through - making Realization one of the more easy approachable Mwandishi albums - at least according to my ears. Though not entirely funk per se, the way the drums and bass intertwine, compliment each other and just flat out zoom, writhe, contort and heave the actual rhythm side of things is downright masterly.

The trumpet of Henderson is easy recognisable. It stutters majestically on top of the proceedings - cockadooodling wildly over the music like an inspired rooster at sun-dawn. All through Realization the trumpet is never far away, either spreading some light whispering notes over loosely played electric piano bits - or up front in your face pachyderm warning calls. Teamed up with a definitively more spacey expression than Maupin's Jewel in the Lotus - much credited to Gleeson's murky and worming electronics, Realization roams an altogether different part of this band's explorations. It isn't as avant guarde as the former though, which again points towards my initial thoughts about Realization: This one should indeed be a no-brainer, if one is considering checking out a Mwandishi record. It is by far the most welcoming of the lot - even more so than Crossings.

If any of you people should feel interested in trying out fusion with a distinctive spacey funk vibe to it - one that is performed by some of the most gifted musicians, then Realization is an easy bet. I listen to it whilst driving, chilling, making dinner, working out - or just when I'm making my way down the streets of the city, highly intoxicated by the wondrous kick I get out of this urban jungle music flowing through my body, all the while I'm sniffing in the cool of the night, the smell of gasoline - bobbing along to the city beat like a real life McCoy hooked on jazz rock and the starry night city groove.

'Sunburst' is Henderson's third album and the first that he released after the 1972 'Mwandishi' sessions that led to his first two albums. The line-up still features various members from the Mwandishi line-up, bar notable absentee Herbie Hancock. The music is quite different though. The year is 1975 and fusion had lost much of its edge and experimentalism, and as a result lost much of it appeal for me.

This album largely follows the main taste of the day, with funky fusion and shorter 'catchy' compositions, at least compared to the free-jazz based improvisations and psychedelic sound of the early 70's. There are still some traces of Henderson's earlier spacey sound, the title track and 'Galaxy' are excellent examples. Also his emotive trumpet playing remained intact. But the main part of the album can be put in the section 'energetic funk fusion with brilliant musicianship'. And by brilliant musicianship I never mean dazzling solos or 'speed of light' finger exercise, but rather the concentrated and dynamic interplay that the band achieved here. Some of the tracks weigh a bit too light for me though, and despite their obvious qualities, I can go without easier going pieces like 'Hop Scotch' or 'Involuntary Bliss'.

I believe this is a very good album from its era but compared to Henderson's previous album I will need to settle for 3.5. Recommended if you want a more accessible introduction to Henderson's superb trumpet playing.

Henderson's second solo album was recorded in October 1973, only half a year after his brilliant "Realization". The line-up remained unchanged but for the drum position, this time occupied by Eric Gravat and Billy Hart. The rest of the band are his Mwandishi cohorts, Herbie Hancock included.

The music is still of the psychedelic experimental kind but the change in drummers brought in more groove. At times the rhythms almost sound like 90s drum&bass dance music. Henderson's trumpet is the main soloing instrument and it transports these intricate break-beat rhythms to higher, almost spacey realms. The dazzling opener is a perfect representative of the new style and one of the most accomplished pieces of the album.

The second half of the album starts with the more experimental "Dreams", a more free-jazz inclined piece that provides a welcome variation to the more accessible and funkier material around it. The word "funky" must be taken with a grain of salt though, don't expect the heavily syncopated rhythms of the title track in a club near you any time soon.

I must admit I had neglected this album at first; it is issued on 1 CD with the dazzling "Realization" and after hearing that masterpiece I rather choose for a bit of silence rather then another 40 minutes of just slightly less amazing material. But that's not fair, it's entirely excellent in its own right.

— First review of this album —

Eddie Henderson's tribute to one of his strong influence - trumpeter Lee Morgan. All the team is of highest quality,sound is pure acoustic, and compositions are played not too far from originals.

What means - excellent jazz band plays hard-bop and post-bop jazz and it sounds almost like it would be year 1965, not 1995. Very few soul elements added don't change the sound radically.

It's not easy to speak about such release there - even according to modern jazz standard (for 1994, year of release) such music should be tagged as vintage. For PA, pure acoustic post- bop is far from any relation with jazz fusion at all.

So - album obviously for jazz lovers only. But if you like such music - this release is really good!

Eddie Henderson's solo debut was excellent fusion album, one between best that genre releases of all time. Two years (and one album) later recorded " Sunburst" is really good album, but not on the same league.

Some line-up changes happened; there is no more Herbie Hancock on board (he is replaced by very capable keyboardist George Duke, but not the same league as well). Between other newcomers you can find Julian Priester on reeds and new electric bassist Alphonso Johnson. Still a very "star" line-up!

Music there is similar to their debut, but main (and important) change is funky rhythms. For sure, it was common trend in early 70-s, and Eddie Henderson's record isn't exception. But as result they loosed spacey and slightly psychedelic atmosphere for the favor of funk (same happened with Hancock's solo albums as well). But with that changes music missed part of its magic, became possibly more accessible, but not such excellent. Somewhere on second album's part you will hear even openly cheesy compositions!

Good album, but far from excellent debut and strong second album! My rating is 3+.