The State of the Tenor, Vols. 1 & 2

The State of the Tenor, Vols. 1 & 2
Live album by Joe Henderson
Released	1986
Recorded	November 14–16, 1985
Genre	Jazz
Length	105:53
Label	Blue Note
Producer	Stanley Crouch, Michael Cuscuna
Joe Henderson chronology
Mirror, Mirror (1980) The State of the Tenor, Vols. 1 & 2 (1986) Evening with Joe Henderson (1987)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[2]

The State of the Tenor, Vols. 1 & 2 is a live double album by the American saxophonist Joe Henderson, that was released on Blue Note records in 1986. The album features Henderson in a trio with Ron Carter on bass and Al Foster on drums, recorded live at the Village Vanguard. The recording was originally issued on two separate LPs.

Reception[]

Allmusic awarded the album with 4.5 stars and its review by Steve Huey states: "It is not only a fine trio outing, but a series of performances in which Henderson strips songs to their essence, turning them into his own vision."^[3] The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings includes the album in its suggested “core collection”.^[2]

Track listing[]

1. "Beatrice" (Sam Rivers) – 5:48
2. "Friday the 13th" (Thelonious Monk) – 8:25
3. "Happy Reunion" (Duke Ellington) – 8:39
4. "Loose Change" (Ron Carter) – 7:04
5. "Ask Me Now" (Monk) – 6:06
6. "Isotope" (Joe Henderson) – 10:01
7. "Stella by Starlight" (Victor Young, Ned Washington) – 10:18
8. "Boo Boo's Birthday" (Monk) – 7:19
9. "Cheryl" (Charlie Parker) – 7:41
10. "Y Ya la Quiero" (Henderson) – 6:43
11. "Soulville" (Horace Silver) – 5:38
12. "Portrait" (Charles Mingus, Silver) – 7:05
13. "The Bead Game" (Henderson, Lee Konitz) – 9:45
14. "All the Things You Are" (Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerome Kern) – 9:00

Personnel[]

• Joe Henderson – tenor saxophone
• Ron Carter – bass
• Al Foster – drums

References[]