Joe Henderson Sextet - The Kicker

Tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson had carved out a reputation recording on a number of classic sessions for Blue Note records when he was signed by the fledgling Milestone records in 1967. The versatile Henderson would prove to be a workhorse in the Milestone studios over the next decade, but his debut, The Kicker, was an auspicious first album for his new connections. At the time Henderson had been working in a cooperative with trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and drummer Louis Hayes, and Hayes was the drummer on The Kicker. Veteran bassist Ron Carter and the talented pianist Kenny Barron completed the rhythm section, while trumpeter Mike Lawrence and trombonist Grachan Moncur joined Henderson on the frontline. Henderson wrote several songs, including the title track, for the album. --John Swenson Amazon.com

good, if not excellent, date

I always consider this album is overrated. Henderson blows OK with familiar licks. But he does not extend enough, both in time and in creativity. Most songs are less than 4-5 minutes.
I would rather recommend Tetragon for Milestones date or any blue note dates.
September 26, 2004

The Kicker

This album is great for Joe's arrangement of "Without a Song" using Coltrane changes in the A section. I think the only detractors are the trombone (often out of tune) and some of the horn parts in the arrangements can be a little crazy sounding. Joe plays his [butt] off as always and the rhythm section is an all star cast (Kenny Barron, Ron Carter, Louis Hays) If you are a Joe Henderson fan you should probbably have this one. July 21, 2001

Kickin' it with The Kicker

I stepped into Millenium Music in Durham, NC one day and I saw on the jazz preview rack The Kicker, so I popped on the headphones...and boy was I in for a treat! It's a real chill album, maybe not as deep as some other more widely publicized and praised jazz albums, yet the album doesn't get half the recognition due to it. It's exciting in some parts, yet has a wonderful chill value all throughout the album; songs that stood out for me included "Without a Song", "Nardis", and "O Amor Em Paz". This album is even great for those just getting their feet wet in jazz, it doesn't take a great depth of appreciation for jazz to fall in love with this wonderful CD (as I proved with one of my friends). So for avid and not-so-avid jazz fans alike I highly recommend this album for your jazz collection. August 19, 2000

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