JOE HENDERSON — The Elements (feat. Alice Coltrane) (review)

JOE HENDERSON — The Elements (feat. Alice Coltrane) album cover Album · 1974 · Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
4.5/5 ·
Sean Trane
From Henderson’s Milestones discography, there is little doubt that his most adventurous album is the one he made with Alice Coltrane - for which he’s played on her Daoud album – and there is little doubt about its nature when seeing the album and track titles. Apparently, while reaching the mid-70’s, Henderson went spiritual, and maybe a bit psychedelic. The line-up is quite a stellar one, not only featuring the headlining Alice & Joe, but the afore-mentioned Haden and Leon Chancler, though lesser-known Michael White on violin, Ken Nash on percussion (and the odd flute and spoken text and Indian percussionist Oshun complete the roster.

The mood is explorative and modal throughout the four elements , and much of the exotic feel is given via Alice’s usual tambura, harmonium and harp, but Nash and Oshun’s percussions give the whole thing a very worldly sonic aura, but it is White’s violin that add that extra touch of originality. The opening 11-mins Fire is a fast-paced affair, and probably the most standard affair on the album, despite the presence of the harp and violin. The following 10-mins Air is a much more reflective mood sometimes bordering on the dissonant, but it’s got Trane’s shadow all over it. Over the flipside, the 7-mins+ Water is the most eastern piece, because Alice’s tambura sets the tome from note 1, and despite the slight dissonance, Haden strikes a variant of the ALS bass line. The closing 13-mins Earth is the slowest-paced and most-modal piece of the album, but also the most psychedelic and hypnotic and features a soft-spoken chant.

If Columbia has developed into the 70’s master label (and my personal fave) of JR/F, Milestones is certainly not far behind in a slightly different genre of fusion and sometimes strikes me the successor of the Impulse label of the 60’s. Of course, Alice’s presence on Elements gave the album an edge that no other Henderson wax slice could compete with in this writer’s opinion.
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