The Big Band Music of Joe Henderson
Greenville Jazz Collective
Event Types: Music
Jul 27, 2025 8:00 PM — Jul 27, 2025 10:00 PM
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Greenville Jazz Collective
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If there will ever be a “Mt. Rushmore” for great modern tenor sax players, there’s a strong case for Joe Henderson to be part of it. However, Joe doesn’t have the same level of awareness as his fellow influential tenor sax giants John Coltrane and Wayne Shorter. And even for those who know of Joe, few people know about his important big band leadership in the 1960s.
The Greenville Jazz Collective strives to present music consistent with its educational mission – to share music that needs to be heard. And so, Music Director Shannon Hoover has assembled a program of music to shine a spotlight on Joe Henderson, his compositions, and specifically his big band music. Fronting the Greenville Jazz Collective Big Band and stepping into the giant shoes of Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone will be Matt Olson and Peter Dimery.
The program will feature three views of his music. The big band will play a few arrangements of Joe’s music by other arrangers, showing how more current musicians look back on his great compositions and build upon them. Secondly, because Joe was known especially for his small group playing (he played on almost 30 recordings in the years 1963-1968), we will feature a small group playing his tune Black Narcissus.
But the highlight will be the big band playing the five arrangements (that have been published and are available) played by his 1960’s big band, some arranged by Joe Henderson himself! His 1960s band included the cream of the jazz world playing in New York at that time, and along with Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, Charles Tolliver, and Duke Pearson blazed the path for the modern big band jazz played now.
Simply put, you won’t be able to hear a program of Joe Henderson’s important big band music this year in New York, Chicago, or (according to Google) anywhere else…except here in Greenville, at Centre Stage Theatre on July 27 at 8pm. And if you miss it…it could be years before you could hear it live…anywhere.
