Be Cool

Put veteran trumpeter Eddie Henderson with master pianist Kenny Barron and New Orleans-bred alto saxophonist Donald Harrison, and the music will go deep. Bassist Essiet Essiet and drummer Mike Clark also bring versatility and momentum to a varied set, including Henderson’s transformation of “After You’ve Gone” (a Swing Era burner) into a lush ballad and John Coltrane’s “Naima” into a bright waltz. With Miles Davis’ “Fran-Dance” and Woody Shaw’s “The Moontrane,” Henderson honors fellow trumpet greats in compelling style.

"With its sweet mix ballads and bop, BE COOL proves to be, for the moment, Henderson's best." -- Mike Jurkovic, All About Jazz, 7 July 2018 "A textbook on how a band should, and could sound if everyone is on the right page and attitude...This album is a timeless work of art. Hang it up on your wall!" -- George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly, 21 May 2018 *** Before he walks out the door on his way to a gig, Eddie Henderson always gets two words of advice from his wife: be cool. The legendary trumpeter has taken that mantra to heart with his album "Be Cool," which shows just how hot cool can get. Of course, if you're going to be cool it helps to surround yourself with the coolest of the cool, and Henderson has done just that: his smokin' quintet also features saxophonist Donald Harrison, pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Essiet Essiet, and drummer Mike Clark. Together, the band conjures smoldering funk, lush ballads, broad-shouldered swing, and bristling bop -- in all, a prismatic display of the many facets of cool. Henderson asks the same of his sidemen; hence, Barron's uncharacteristically funky "Smoke Screen," which opens the album on a lively note. "Usually you don't hear Kenny playing funky like that," Henderson says. "He's a consummate pianist and a consummate trio player, but he really rose to the occasion on this Horace Silver-type tune." From now on, Eddie Henderson has a ready response whenever his wife chimes in with her regular reminder. With scintillating interpersonal chemistry, tasteful but captivating soloing, and a stellar melodic sense, one spin of this album is enough to prove that Henderson has taken the words "Be Cool" deeply to heart.