LORI BELL QUARTET

RECORDA ME: REMEMBERING JOE HENDERSON

Independent Label

Lori Bell, C flute/alto flute/composer; Josh Nelson, piano; David Robaire, bass; Dan Schnelle, drums.

Lori Bell has consistently produced amazing music over her decades-long career.  She is an accomplished composer, arranger, educator, and musician who has made her mark in jazz playing the flute.  This tribute recording grew out of her admiration for the iconic tenor saxophonist, Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937, to June 30, 2001).

Bell has picked eight Henderson compositions to expand upon.  Dan Schnelle is featured on “Inner Urge” boldly showing his drum skills that sparkle as brilliant as the spotlight.  Bell takes a different path on this tune, modernizing the pretty piece with Schnelle’s drums infusing a surprising nod to the Hip Hop genre.

In the 1950s, Joe Henderson was very active in this journalist’s hometown of Detroit, Michigan.  I wonder if the talented Ms. Lori Bell knows that while Henderson was attending Wayne State University, he studied flute and bass.  It was later that he developed his skills on saxophone under the tutelage of Larry Teal.  Some of his college comrades were Donald Byrd, Barry Harris and Yusef Lateef.  I bet, since Joe Henderson was also a lover of flute, he would have enjoyed this Lori Bell homage to his music and legacy.

Bell opens her album with “Isotope,” a tune Henderson recorded in 1964 on his album, “Inner Urge.”  His drummer was Elvin Jones, with McCoy Tyner on piano and Bob Cranshaw manning the bass.  Bell has contracted Josh Nelson on piano, David Robaire on bass, and Dan Schnelle on drums. She introduces this tune with her a ‘Capella flute skipping across space.  Enter Schnelle on drums and after a short and happy introduction, Nelson and Robaire join the duo.  Nelson has a piano conversation with Bell’s flighty flute. They sound like two souls speaking joyfully to each other.  The Henderson ‘breaks’ in his arrangement are evident during Bell’s performance. However, Lori is a fluid improviser who creates her own mood and mastery during this creative production.

“On this recording I have tried to pay homage to his (Henderson’s) musical acumen and articulate imagination.  Each arrangement is tailored for the timbre and range of the flute, an unusual instrument to represent Joe Henderson as, unlike the majority of sax players, he rarely played it in public and was not known as a doubler.  Joe was an exceptional jazz saxophonist and to my heart and mind, a persuasive composer besides.  I’ve always admired his artistry and the way he crafted his songs.  His unique chord progressions, and use of the major7th #11 on several tunes, are compelling to me,” says Bell in her press package.

Bell takes a more Avant-garde approach to Henderson’s compositions, with her flute leading the band like a determined sea gull.  She dives and dips across space, with Nelson often following her lead and repeating Bell’s creative melodic phrases on piano. While playing the composition, “A Shade of Jade” both instruments sound like birds playfully cruising across the sky.  This tune was originally released by Joe Henderson on Blue Note Records with an all-star group including Curtis Fuller, Bobby Hutcherson, Cedar Walton, Ron Carter and Joe Chambers.

Bell’s ensemble sounds more modern jazz and less Straight-ahead, until they play “Out of the Night.”  That’s when they capture the straight-ahead jazz-groove I enjoy so much. To my ears, that one captures the heart of Joe Henderson.  Soaked in minor blues, they attack the mood and the moment, led by a tenacious, solid bassline played by Robaire.  When Lori enters on flute, she is bebop magnificent, creative, and awe-inspiring.   Lori is followed fearlessly by Nelson’s impressive piano solo.  At this point, I am completely hypnotized by the Lori Bell Quartet and impressed by their own sense of artistry.

On “Black Narcissus,” Nelson sets the mood beautifully, stroking the piano keys with sensuous arpeggios.  This song was originally on Joe Henderson’s “Power to the People” album that featured Jack de Johnette, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Mike Lawrence.  Lori Bell brings her alto flute to the party, and it’s warm and comforting as she caresses the Henderson melody.

Bell has penned one original composition for this album tribute titled “Outer Urge” that explores various tempos, moving fluidly from 4/4 to 7/4 and then skipping to 5/4. The final tune and the title tune remind this listener of Joe Henerson’s powerful and popular recording that almost every jazz band has played at one time or another.  “Recorda Me” is re-harmonized by Bell, using Henderson’s original bass line and repurposing the tune to feature Lori’s own sense of improvisation and creativity.

This is an adventurous project that both stimulates and inspires.  While Bell tributes a great master of the past, she also spotlights herself, a young mistress of the future. This album will be available April 19, 2024 and, if you’re in the Southern California area her CD release party will take place at Sam’s First on April 25^th, in Los Angeles near the LAX airport.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Buy Us a Cup of Coffee!

Join the movement in supporting Making a Scene, the premier independent resource for both emerging musicians and the dedicated fans who champion them.

We showcase this vibrant community that celebrates the raw talent and creative spirit driving the music industry forward. From insightful articles and in-depth interviews to exclusive content and insider tips, Making a Scene empowers artists to thrive and fans to discover their next favorite sound.

Together, let’s amplify the voices of independent musicians and forge unforgettable connections through the power of music

You can donate directly through Paypal!

Subscribe to Our Newsletter