It is time for William Randall Henderson (1926-2016), artistically known as Bill Henderson, to receive much wider recognition as one of jazz’s leading male singers. From 1952, slowly but surely, Bill’s rich singing voice and personality style drew him into the hearts of the public in his native Chicago. He could sing with equal grace and conviction a tender ballad, a stomping blues, a semi R&B tune, show tune, novelty tune, or whatever he chose.
Encouraged by pianist Billy Taylor, Bill went to New York in 1957, and in the tough field of jazz vocalists, he gradually rose above the rest. In 1958, he first recorded a single with the Charlie Rouse group and shortly thereafter he teamed up with Horace Silver for the now classic recording of “Señor Blues.” It was a jukebox hit, and as Bill said, “that’s when it all began.”
In June 1960, Louise Davis Stone in the The Citizen Call, praised Henderson with these words: “One night at the Half Note, Bill Henderson took the mike with the Cannonball Adderley Quintet and set the place afire with ‘Moanin’’ —I’ve been a fan ever since. There’s a naked sexuality, plus an element of sincerity, that makes his voice one of the most significant voices in the business.”
This 2-CD set compiles the first recordings that Bill Henderson made for the Riverside, Blue Note, and Vee Jay labels between 1958 and 1961. Always surrounded by excellent musicians, Henderson indisputably demonstrates in these sessions that he owned an impressive vocal instrument and knew how to use it.
—Jordi Pujol
Tracklist
Total time: 157:20 min.
CD 1
01. Busy Signal (Bill Henderson) 3:07
02. How Long Has This Been Going On (G.& I.Gershwin) 2:35
03. Señor Blues (Horace Silver) 6:15
04. Ain't That Love (Ray Charles) 2:45
05. Angel Eyes (Dennis-Brent) 3:27
06. Ain't No Use (Wyche-Kirkland) 2:41
07. Willow Weep For Me (Ann Ronell) 3:25
08. Free Spirits (Norman Mapp) 2:52
09. Free Spirits (Norman Mapp) 2:35 [+]
10. Joey, Joey, Joey (Frank Loesser) 4:45
11. Bye Bye Blackbird (Dixon-Henderson) 3:03
12. Sweet Pumpkin (Ronnell Bright) 3:01
13. Sweet Pumpkin (Ronnell Bright) 2:59 [+]
14. It Never Entered My Mind (Rodgers-Hart) 5:47
15. Love Locked Out (Arlen-Koehler) 4:41
16. My Funny Valentine (Rodgers-Hart) 4:30
17. Moanin' (Timmons-Hendricks) 2:42
18. Moanin' (Timmons-Hendricks) 2:31 [+]
19. This Little Girl Of Mine (Ray Charles) 2:40
20. Bad Luck (Dinah Washington) 3:38
21. The Song Is You (Kern-Hammerstein II) 2:44
22. You Make Me Feel So Young (Myron-Gordon) 3:10
23. Without You (Don Newey) 2:25
CD 2
01. Sleepy (Bobby Bryant-Oscar Brown Jr.) 2:43
02. I Go For That (Loesser-Malneck) 3:53
03. Sleepy (Bobby Bryant-Oscar Brown Jr.) 2:22
04. Never Kiss and Run (J.LaDrue-R.Dononcin-B.Engvick) 3:46
05. Sleepin' Bee (Capote-Arlen) 4:26
06. Don't Like Goodbyes (Arlen-Capote) 3:06
07. Old Country (Adderley-Lewis) 3:42
08. Slowly (P.D.) 2:05
09. Opportunity (Oscar Brown Jr.) 2:58
10. Never Will I Marry (Frank Loesser) 3:54
11. My How The Time Goes By (Coleman-Leigh) 4:26
12. Hooray For Love (Arlen-Robin) 3:27
13. Skylark (Carmichael-Mercer) 2:32
14. Royal Garden Blues (C. & S.Williams) 2:33
15. Twelfth Of Never (Livingston-Webster) 3:26
16. Love Is A Bug (Specs Powell) 2:40
17. Bewitched (Rodgers-Hart) 2:39
18. The More I See You (Warren-Gordon) 2:28
19. I Can't Give You Anything But Love (McHugh-Fields) 3:46
20. Accentuate The Positive (Arlen-Mercer) 3:19
21. Yes Indeed (Sy Oliver) 3:34
22. Please Send Me Someone To Love (Percy Mayfied) 4:44
23. Sweet Georgia Brown (Bernie-Pinkard-Casey) 2:43
24. Am I Blue? (Akst-Clark) 2:52
Album details
[+] Alternate takes
Sources CD 1:
Tracks #1 & 2, from Riverside single R-45-612
Track #3, from Blue Note single 45-1710
Tracks #2 & 4, from Blue single 45-1727
Tracks #4 & 7, from Blue Note 45-1728
Tracks # 8,10,11,12,14-17,19-22, from the LP “Bill Henderson Sings” (Vee Jay VJLP-1015)
Tracks #9,13,18 are alternate takes
Sources CD 2:
Tracks #4,5,7,11,15,17,18,19,23,24, from the LP “Bill Henderson” (Vee Jay VJLP-1031)
Tracks #2,3,6,10,12,13,14,16,20,21,22, from the LP “Please Send Me Someone To Love” (Vee Jay VJS-3055)
Tracks #1,8,9, not issued on LP
BILL HENDERSON, vocals accompanied by
CD 1
CHARLIE ROUSE Quintet (#1-2): Julius Watkins (frh), Charlie Rouse (ts), Hank Jones (p), Wilbur Ware (b), Philly Joe Jones (d).
Recorded at Reeves Sound Studios, New York City, April 1958
The HORACE SILVER Quintet (#3): Donald Byrd (tp), Junior Cook (ts), Horace Silver (p), Gene Taylor (b), Louis Hayes (d).
Recorded at Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, N.J. June 15, 1958
JIMMY SMITH’s Trio (#4-7): Jimmy Smith (org), Ray Crawford (g), Donald Bailey (d).
Recorded at Universal Recording Corp., Chicago, October 26, 1959
RAMSEY LEWIS Trio (#8-16): Ramsey Lewis (p), Eldee Young (b), Isaac Holt (d).
Recorded in Rome, March 26, 1959
Jazz Octet Arranged and Conducted by BENNY GOLSON (#17-23): Booker Little (tp), Bernard McKinney (tb, euphonium), Yusef Lateef (ts), Wynton Kelly (p), Paul Chambers (b), Jimmy Cobb (d).
Recorded at Universal Recording Corp., Chicago, October 27, 1959
CD 2
BOBBY BRYANT Octet (#1-2): Bobby Bryant (tp), Benny Powell (tb), Billy Mitchell (ts), Frank Wess (ts, arr), Charlie Fowlkes (bar), Gildo Mahones (p), Bob Cranshaw (b), Al Duncan (d).
Recorded at Universal Recording Corp., Chicago, January 7, 1960
THE MJT+3 (#3): Willie Thomas (tp), Frank Strozier (as), Harold Mabern Jr (p), Bob Cranshaw (b), Walter Perkins (d).
Recorded at Universal Recording Corp., Chicago, August 29, 1960
Orchestra Arranged and Conducted by JIMMY JONES (#4-7).
Recorded at Universal Recording Corp., Chicago, December 5, 1960
Orchestra Arranged and Conducted by RICHARD EVANS (#8-9).
Recorded at Universal Recording Corp., Chicago, December 5, 1960
Orchestra Arranged and Conducted by THAD JONES (#10-12): Nat Adderley, Clark Terry, Snooky Young (tp); Jimmy Cleveland, Benny Powell, Bill Hughes (tb); Marshal Royal (as); Billy Mitchell, Frank Foster, Frank Wess (ts); Charlie Fowlkes (bar); Tommy Flanagan (p); Freddie Greene (g); Milt Hinton (b); Elvin Jones (d).
Recorded at Universal Recording Corp., Chicago, December 19, 1960
TOMMY FLANAGAN Quartet (#13-16): Tommy Flanagan (p), Freddie Green (g), Milt Hinton (b), Elvin Jones (d).
Recorded at Universal Recording Corp., Chicago, December 20, 1960
New liner notes by Jordi Pujol
Original recordings produced by Orrin Keepnews (CD1 #1 & 2), Alfred Lion (CD1 #3-7), and Sid McCoy (CD1 #8-23; and CD2 #1-24)
This CD compilation produced by Jordi Pujol
© 2023 by Fresh Sound Records
Mono / Stereo · 24-Bit Digitally Remastered
Blue Moon Producciones Discograficas, S.L.
Press reviews
"Bill Henderson (1926-2016) was a legendary figure in Los Angeles during his final 50 years who sang in clubs and had acting roles in films and television. He always had a friendly and very musical voice and can be compared in his style to Joe Williams and Ernie Andrews although he also displayed his own musical personality.
Born in Chicago, it was not until he was 31 that he moved to New York and started becoming well-known. Henderson’s recording of “Señor Blues” with the Horace Silver quintet became a hit in 1958 and led to him becoming a fulltime singer.
This two-CD set, with the exception of six titles made in 1952 with the Jackson Brothers Orchestra, has all of the singer’s early recordings. The first two songs were made for Riverside, and there are five songs (“Señor Blues” and four numbers with organist Jimmy Smith) that were cut for Blue Note. Otherwise all of the music is from sessions for the Vee Jay label including six “bonus” cuts not on the original LPs.
Henderson already had a mature and very recognizable sound, swinging all the way including on the occasional ballads. Along with those mentioned, the supporting cast includes such notables as the Ramsey Lewis Trio, an octet led by Benny Golson that includes trumpeter Booker Little and tenor-saxophonist Yusef Lateef, the Bobby Bryant Octet, the MJT + 3, a quartet with pianist Tommy Flanagan, the Eddie Higgins Trio, and a few large orchestras. In all, there are 47 selections on this definitive twofer.
Henderson would soon record an album with the Oscar Peterson Trio and become a member of the Count Basie Orchestra for two years before moving to Los Angeles. The performances on Señor Blues still sound fresh and lively today and show that Bill Henderson was already a musical giant during his earlier period."
—Scott Yanow (June, 2023)
Los Angeles Jazz Scene
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"I was able to see vocalist Bill Henderson (1926-2016) many times in the LA jazz club scene, and was always 1) impressed at how impeccable each set would be in terms of delivery and style 2) looking around and wondering why he’s not a bigger figure in the music scene.
This two disc collection will make both thoughts come to your attention as well. Yes, he had a kind of hit with a vocal rendition of Horace Silver’s “Senor Blues” (which is included here), but for the most part he’s been overlooked so much that he’s actually better known for his acting career, which included a role in Billy Crystal’s City Slickers.
His Midwestern drawl is an asset here, adding a bit of sardonic wit to his delivery of “Busy Signal” with an all star team of Charlie Rouse/ts, Hank Jones/p, Wilbur Ware/b and Philly Joe Jones/dr. A session with B3er Jimmy Smith’s Trio has him shuffling on “Ain’t That Love” and deeply blue on “Angel Eyes”. He’s adept at gospel teamed with Ramsey Lewis Trio on “Free Spirits” and is absolutely riveting on “Joey, Joey, Joey”.
Larger ensembles like octets conducted by Benny Golson or led by Bobby Bryant have Henderson holding his own with Booker Little/tp, Yusef Lateef/ts, Wynton Kelly/p, Jimmy Cob/b, Paul Chamber/b, Frank Wess/ts, and Benny Powell/tb for a wild “This Little Girl Of Mine” and a fun “Bad Luck”, wile giving a great into to “Sleepy”. He even shines with a full orchestra with oboes, harps and strings for a clear “Never Kiss and Run”, and an aria of “Don’t Like Goodbyes”.
His acting skills come out when backed by Thad Jones’ orchestra on “Never Will I Marry” and My How The Time Goes By” and sparkles on “Skylark” with Tommy Flanagan/p, Freddie Green/g, Milt Hinton/b and a tasty Elvin Jones/dr. This guy fits every role given him here. You’ll be won over by him, easy.
The liner notes and studio sessions are well served here as well, giving great insight to an overlooked master."
—George W. Harris (March 27, 2023)
https://www.jazzweekly.com
