Joe Henderson was a special friend. He was one in a million both as a musician and as a human being. We played together many times and there was always some magical experience that would happen musically and personally. I remember when we played the concert from which this CD is taken. He came to me in my dressing room and said, "Charlie, let's play something free like you did with Ornette." Remembering that up to that point in time I had only experienced playing chord changes with him, I answered, "Joe, are you sure you want to do that?" And we answered, "Yeah! Chords and key signatures are just excess baggage, let's throw them overboard." The result is found in the interplay between Joe, Al, and I in my composition, "In The Moment". Joe's genius will be felt in this art for eternity. "Hey, Joe niec talkin' to ya!" -Charlie Haden |