(1994) Chuck Henderson - Black Issues ***

 

With: Chuck Henderson (soprano saxophone), Mal Waldron (piano on #5,#6,#7), Raoul Walton (bass), Fred Braceful (drums)
Record date: April, 1994

Now when I first heard the name Chuck Henderson, I thought to myself: I've got to know that guy. Is he some session musician I have totally overlooked in my music collection. He's got a real jazzy name, that's for sure. But he is a pretty obscure figure only recording one sessions as a leader (this one) and appearing on a dozen other albums by musicians that were active on the German jazz scene (including Embryo). For this album he collaborates with other artists from that scene: the great Fred Braceful on drums, who also played on Mal's 'Spanish Bitch' and 'The Call' albums and bassist Raoul Walton who really has played all kinds of music. Mal was already living in Brussels at the time but was of course a well known jazz resident in Munich. He appears only on a few tracks.

So what does this group sound like and what to expect: it's mostly accessible and pretty funky modal jazz. Henderson isn't the most advanced or challenging player but he does a pretty fine job. His composition 'Realising The Difference' has this nice funky feeling with a grooving Raoul Walton on bass. Also the remake of Duke's 'Caravan' is a creative one and makes one laugh with it's repeating bass loop. Mal makes his first appearance on 'Protect the Innocent Pt.2'. The repetitiveness of the music works out pretty well for him and he plays a nice solo part. He mostly just does his thing. The title track is the best one on the disc. It has a more jazzy feeling and Mal's solo is excellent with some good old fashioned backing by Braceful's pushing drums. Henderson's soprano skills sound a little limited here. You want him to 'go out' and explore but he stays mostly on common grounds. On 'Boo Blue' Henderson takes a bluesy duet with Mal. The closing composition is a solo statement by Henderson. It's a nice and thoughtful way to close this record off.

All in all this is an enjoyable effort and an interesting collaboration. But the music isn't very special and fails to make a real lasting impression. Mal's role is limited to a few appearances and a small solo here and there. The cd is not the most easy one to obtain. It's good sound wise, contains some nice photographs of the group plus some thank you words by Henderson. There's also a Japanese inlay in mine which seams to contain some more information. Nice to have but in no way essential.