Joe Henderson
Tenor Sax Solo on
Straight Life

About

Joe Henderson's tenor sax solo is the first of four solos on this recording. Set in F at a relaxed 100 BPM with a funk feel, Henderson opens the solo section on tenor saxophone with coiling, angular lines that push against the groove. Henderson's tenor saxophone work reflects a balance of technical fluency and melodic storytelling, building intensity through the course of the improvisation. This title track is an extended funk-jazz workout that became one of the defining recordings of the jazz-funk crossover era.

Joe Henderson was 32 to 33 years old at the time.