Porgy & Bess (Joe Henderson album)

Occupation

Porgy and Bess is a jazz album by Joe Henderson, containing the music of the eponymous opera by George Gershwin under the musical direction of Bob Belden and was included in the Avatar Recording Studios in New York City from 25 to 28 May 1997. It was released in the same year at Verve Records and was the last album of tenor saxophonist before his death in late June 2001.

The album

Porgy & Bess album by Joe Henderson continued the series of tribute albums continues, according to Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn (1991 ), for which he won the Grammy Award, and So Near, So Far ( Musings for Miles ) ( 1992) and Double Rainbow: The Music of Antonio Carlos Jobim (1995). Connected to the success of these productions the sixty-year saxophonist was now possible to hire well-known musicians for his projects; for the Gershwin project took Henderson guitarist John Scofield, who had also participated in his Miles Davis Tribute, the rhythm section consisted of Dave Holland on bass, Tommy Flanagan on piano and Jack DeJohnette on drums. The trombonist Conrad Herwig added brass section about the swinging arrangement of I Got Plenty of Nothing. Another teammate was the vibraphonist Stefon Harris. In two titles left Henderson singers participate in the project; Chaka Khan in the jazz standard Summertime, and Sting in It Is not Necessarily So

Title list

  • Joe Henderson - Porgy And Bess ( Verve 314539046-2 )

Reception

Many critics compared Joe Henderson Porgy & Bess - adaptation with the previous version of Miles Davis and the Gil Evans Orchestra in the year 1956. 's Bill Board noted in its annual review, the question Can this stood alongside the interpretations by Pops & Ella and Miles? Yes!

According to Leo Stanley, who excelled in Allmusic the album with four ( out of 5) stars, keep Joe Henderson Asaption of Porgy and Bess, the high level of his previous albums for Verve. Henderson makes Gershwin's music alive with subtle beauty and dignity. Although Henderson's Porgy and Bess the same origin as Miles Davis ' legendary version of the opera, but it had an original sound, the less the orchestration support like the Miles Davis classic. Although the album was not flawless - instead of increasing the music on the other hand, guest posts, the singer Chaka Khan and Sting terminate this moment and draw attention to themselves - nevertheless is a " valuable addition of Henderson's catalog. "

Jason Laipply especially praised the role of Joe Henderson in All About Jazz:

Limiting the author criticizes the sounding too much like fusion guitar John Scofield and Stefon Harris ' "lounge - sounding " vibraphone what wegführe from "romantic" core of the material. Although the author did not want to complain about the non-traditional instruments, sounded several parts of the album but too much Smooth Jazz. Although Henderson's game satisfactorily, the album could not not bear comparison with the Porgy & Bess versions of Louis Armstrong / Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis / Gil Evans and even Oscar Peterson.

Bill Bennett raised in Jazz Times Joe Henderson's apparent ability to have established themselves in the music scene, which means to have put together such a phenomenal group as a bandleader. Is also mentioned Tommy Flanagan's elegant play, especially its wonderful echo of the Gil Evans arrangement of Summertime, and praises Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette how they breathe rhythmically the interpretations of Gershwin classics life. Chaka Khan will deliver a " wonderfully restrained " reading of Summertime, " which bubbles over it before feeling." Mention is Sting's trouble with the theatrical nature of It Is not Necessarily So, what was probably the hardest part when distilling an opera. In summation, then: how suite it is!

Richard Cook and Brian Morton rated the album with only three ( out of four) stars and noted caveat that music is a "sort of elephantine grace " and have nothing here is what Henderson would not have done better in other cases already. Therefore, it is a real shame that this was his last work before his death in 2001.

Record label Genre Singing Don Sickler So Near, So Far (Musings for Miles) Summertime (song) Ira Gershwin Porgy and Bess (Miles Davis album) Jazz fusion JazzTimes Richard Cook (journalist) Brian Morton (Scottish writer)
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