Both trumpeter Eddie Henderson and drummer Mike Clark were members of Herbie Hancock’s band when he plugged in back in the 1970s. This reunion also includes all star vets Kenny Barron on piano, alto saxist Donald Harrison and bassist Gerald Cannon. The music is hard bop comfort food-sounds and vibes that the present generation seems to be incapable of replicating but is on the fingerprints of everyone of Henderson’s generation. Is anyone paying attention?
The rhythm team is like a V8 engine as Clark lays down a relentless beat on the aptly titled title track, with blue tones by Henderson and Harrison chugging on the tracks, while the calypso’d “Cook’s Bay” has Barron delivering a classy and glassy piano intro. Likewise, Cannon thunders out a line on the boogalooing “Boom” and the team bops and stomps for Henderson’s warm horn on “Flight Path”. The leader shows his big sound on a gorgeous “It Might As Well Be Spring” and does an aria with Barron that would rival anything by Puccini on the gorgeous duet on the closing “Smile”. If it was as easy to perform as it is to hear, why can’t anyone else do this?