So Near So Far

So Near So Far

One of the most effective tributes ever recorded, this session matches Joe Henderson's tenor with three brilliant former Miles Davis sidemen--guitarist John Scofield, bassist Dave Holland, and drummer Al Foster. While these musicians were associated with Davis during his later electronic years, the session's inspiration is clearly from the trumpeter's great acoustic career. It includes little-heard pieces like "Swing Spring," from 1954, and "Circle," from 1966, as well as masterworks such as "Miles Ahead", "Milestones," and "Flamenco Sketches" from the intervening classic period. Heard at his best here, Henderson is a stunning improviser, combining a relaxed, almost offhand flow with frequently surprising melodic and rhythmic turns, developing an intriguing multidirectionality in his solos. While Davis has been one of the most imitated of musicians, there's nothing derivative about this tribute, which garnered 1993 Grammy Awards as both Best Jazz Instrumental (individual or group) and Best Jazz Solo (instrumental) for Henderson's serene work on "Miles Ahead." The CD is unquestionably a group accomplishment, though, with intense yet restrained work from Scofield (his comping here sometimes suggests the master, Jim Hall) and bristling interplay in the rhythm section. <i>--Stuart Broomer</i>