BOOKLET

 

reviewby Scott Yanow

Tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson’s debut as a leader is a particularly strong and historic effort. With major contributions made by trumpeter Kenny Dorham, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Butch Warren, and drummer Pete La Roca, Henderson (who already had a strikingly original sound and a viable inside/outside style) performs six generally

memorable compositions on this CD reissue. Highlights include the original versions of Dorham’s “Blue Bossa” and Henderson’s “Recorda Me.” It’s highly recommended.

Performance

Kenny Dorham – trumpet

Joe Henderson – tenor saxophone

Pete La Roca – drums

McCoy Tyner – piano

Butch Warren – double bass

Page One is the debut release by American jazz tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson. It features some of Henderson’s most appreciated pieces such as “La Mesha”, named after Dorham’s daughter, and “Out of the Night”, originally written in 1957. The front cover lists “Joe Henderson/Kenny Dorham/Butch Warren/Pete La Roca, etc.”. Only McCoy Tyner’s name is absent. Bob Blumenthal explains, in his 1999 liner notes, that Tyner had just signed with Impulse!, so this first Blue Note appearance was not very adherent to the contract.

All Music describes the album as a “particularly strong and historic effort”.  According to All About Jazz, Page One, which introduced the Jazz standard “Blue Bossa”, is still one of Henderson’s “most critically acclaimed albums”.  PopMatters, by contrast, prefers later works, indicating in one review that Page One “has the careful feel of a leader’s first session”. The album was identified by Scott Yanow in his Allmusic essay “Hard Bop” as one of the 17 Essential Hard Bop Recordings.

The album was first re-released on CD in 1988 by Blue Note and has been in print consistently since.

Released 1963

Recorded June 3, 1963

Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs

Genre Jazz

Length 41:54

Label Blue Note

BST 84140

Producer Alfred Lion