Eddie Henderson Quintet “Uncommon Genius” Premiere Celebration

*PLEASE NOTE: All 7PM and 9PM shows at Smoke are Dinner Shows Eddie Henderson – trumpet Donald Harrison – alto saxophone George Cables – piano Gerald Cannon – bass Lenny White – drums “His musical wisdom, gleaned during decades spent on the best jazz bandstands, informs every unerring note.” – Downbeat Trumpeter Eddie Henderson and his quintet celebrate the February release of a new film documenting his incredible life, Eddie Henderson: Uncommon Genius. He also released an acclaimed new album in September, Witness to History, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of his 1973 recording debut as a leader, Realization. Joining Henderson for these special performances is a spectacular quintet of his closest collaborators: Alto saxophonist Donald Harrison, pianist George Cables, bassist Gerald Cannon, and drummer Lenny White. 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.