Eddie Henderson Quintet

*PLEASE NOTE: All 7PM and 9PM shows at Smoke are Dinner Shows $25 | $40 | $50 | $55 Eddie Henderson – trumpet Donald Harrison – alto saxophone, except Sat Wayne Escoffery – alto saxophone, Sat only Peter Zak – piano Nat Reeves – bass Mike Clark – drums “His musical wisdom, gleaned during decades spent on the best jazz bandstands, informs every unerring note.” – Downbeat Trumpeter Eddie Henderson leads a spectacular quintet of close collaborators with alto saxophonist Donald Harrison, pianist Peter Zak, bassist Nat Reeves, drummer Mike Clark, and tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery on Saturday only. It has been an important year for Henderson: He was the subject of a compelling biographic documentary of his incredible life, Eddie Henderson: Uncommon Genius and he released an acclaimed new album in 2023, Witness to History, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of his 1973 recording debut as a leader, Realization. Henderson’s “deft feel and plush sound made him a central figure in the worlds of jazz-funk and hard-bop in the 1970s,” according to The New York Times. The Chicago Reader adds, “His progressive, assured, and imaginative improvisations roll out in a glorious sun-splashed tone… he seems to dance through his solos, balancing his quick clockwork technique with bursts of bluesy soul.” The eternally youthful Henderson has proven again that he is still making some of the most important music of his career into his 80s.