Black Is the Color

Joe Henderson was in a very experimental frame of mind on this 1972 album. He normally stuck to just the tenor saxophone, but here he plays soprano, flute, alto flute, and even percussion. The core backing band includes George Cables on electric piano, Georg Wadenius on guitar, Dave Holland on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on piano, but Ron Carter adds extra electric bass on two tracks, Airto Moreira and Ralph MacDonald contribute percussion here and there, and David Horowitz adds eerie synths throughout. The opening “Terra Firma” and the third track, “Foregone Conclusion,” are high-energy funk jams, while the closer, “Current Events,” is an abstract showcase for Horowitz’s synths; he creates a storm of sound around Henderson, who responds with short, jagged phrases and fiery outbursts (sometimes overdubbed against himself) as Holland’s bass provides a rubber-band core.