[TR24][OF] Eddie Henderson (with Gary Bartz, George Cables, Doug Weiss, Carl Allen) - Collective Portrait - 2015 (Post-Bop, Contemporary Jazz)

Collective Portrait, Henderson’s 22nd solo album and second for Smoke Sessions, features a frightfully strong band of players whom Henderson has known for years: pianist George Cables and alto saxophonist Gary Bartz along with the rhythm section of bassist Doug Weiss and drummer Gary Allen. Unlike most Smoke Sessions release, this set of 10 tunes was recorded in the studio rather than at the label’s jazz club in New York City.

Much of Herbie Hancock’s influence can be found in the album’s arrangements -- as on the Sextant-influenced rumble of Eddie Henderson’s “Sunburst” -- and the “collective” nature of the Davis’ best recordings underpins the equanimity evident throughout the proceedings. “Sunburst” is certainly a highlight, Henderson’s round tone at times soaring, at times subtle while Cables romances the harmonies.

Another Henderson tune, “Dreams,” follows “Sunburst” and is girded by Weiss’ four note opening bass figure and Cable’s intuitive chordal flourishes. The communal spirit of the band shines here, as Bartz and Henderson’s interplay opens the door to their individual solo expressions. A pair of Cables originals get readings here: “Morning Song,” which Cables wrote in Henderson’s living room and first recorded with him in 1977 (on Coming Through), is a sunny delight that brings a lighter touch to the performance, with Weiss and Allen playing their parts a little closer to the chest; “Beyond Forever,” which also first appeared on Coming Through, is also a light-hearted number, fueled by a pulsing cross-stick figure that Allen delivers with delicate energy.

Cables’ experience playing with Freddie Hubbard inspired their cover of the trumpeter’s “First Light,” which offers a rock steady groove over which Bartz, Henderson and Cables (this time on piano) all offer formidable solos. Jimmy Heath’s “Ginger Bread Boy” finds the band in a boppish mood, using the Miles Smiles version as a launching pad for their own approach.

The Roman Klun/Paul Stache production, recorded live to ½” analog tape at New York City’s Sear Sound Studio A is, as they’ve done in the past, as pure and well-heeled as any recording from the legends at Blue Note or Red Lion, a pure canvas on which Henderson and company paint a marvelous picture. Smoke Sessions continues to produce great music and this record is as good as they’ve done so far. (Michael Verity, jazz.about.com)