Joe Henderson was encouraged by his parents and older brother James T. to study music. He dedicated his first album to them "for being so understanding and tolerant" during his formative years. Early musical interests included drums, piano, saxophone and composition. According to Kenny Dorham, two local piano teachers who went to school with Henderson's brothers and sisters, Richard Patterson and Don Hurless, gave him a knowledge of the piano. He was particularly enamored of his brother's record collection. It seems that a hometown drummer, John Jarette, advised Henderson to listen to musicians like Lester Young, Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon and Charlie Parker. He also liked Flip Phillips, Lee Konitz and the Jazz at the Philharmonic recordings. However, Parker became his greatest inspiration. His first approach to the saxophone was under the tutelage of Herbert Murphy in high school. In this period of time, he wrote several scores for the school band and rock groups.
By eighteen, Henderson was active on the Detroit jazz scene of the mid-'50s, playing in jam sessions with visiting New York stars. While attending classes of flute and bass at Wayne State University, he further developed his saxophone and compositional skills under the guidance of renowned teacher Larry Teal at the Teal School of Music. In late 1959, he formed his first group. By the time he arrived at Wayne State University, he had transcribed and memorized so many Lester Young solos that his professors believed he had perfect pitch. Classmates Yusef Lateef, Barry Harris and Donald Byrd undoubtedly provided additional inspiration. He also studied music at Kentucky State College.
Shortly prior to his army induction in 1960, Henderson was commissioned by UNAC to write some arrangements for the suite "Swings and Strings", which was later performed by a ten-member orchestra and the local dance band of Jimmy Wilkins.
He spent two years (1960–1962) in the U.S. Army: firstly in Fort Benning, where he even competed in the army talent show and won the first place, then in Fort Belvoir, where he was chosen for a world tour, with a show to entertain soldiers. While in Paris, he met Kenny Drew and Kenny Clarke. Then he was sent to Maryland to conclude his draft. In 1962, he was finally discharged and promptly moved to New York. He first met trumpeter Kenny Dorham, an invaluable guidance for him, at saxophonist Junior Cook's place. That very evening, they went to see Dexter Gordon playing at Birdland. Henderson was asked by Gordon himself to play something with his rhythm section; needless to say, he happily accepted.
Although Henderson's earliest recordings were marked by a strong hard-bop influence, his playing encompassed not only the bebop tradition, but also rhythm & blues, Latin and avant-garde as well. He soon joined Horace Silver's band and provided a seminal solo on the jukebox hit "Song for My Father". After leaving Silver's band in 1966, Henderson resumed freelancing and also co-led a big band with Kenny Dorham. His arrangements for the band went unrecorded until the release of Joe Henderson Big Band (Verve) in 1996.
From 1963 to 1968, Joe appeared on nearly thirty albums for Blue Note, including five released under his name. The recordings ranged from relatively conservative hard-bop sessions (Page One, 1963) to more explorative sessions (Inner Urge and Mode for Joe, 1966). He played a prominent role in many landmark albums under other leaders for the label, including most of Horace Silver's swinging and soulful Song for My Father, Herbie Hancock's dark and densely orchestrated The Prisoner, Lee Morgan's hit album The Sidewinder and "out" albums with pianist Andrew Hill (Black Fire 1963 and Point of Departure, 1964) and drummer Pete La Roca (Basra, 1965).
In 1967, there was a notable, but brief, association with Miles Davis's quintet featuring Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter and Tony Williams, although the band was never recorded. Henderson's adaptability and eclecticism would become even more apparent in the years to follow.
Signing with Orrin Keepnews's fledgling Milestone label in 1967 marked a new phase in Henderson’s career. He co-led the Jazz Communicators with Freddie Hubbard from 1967-1968. Henderson was also featured on Hancock's Fat Albert Rotunda for Warner Bros. It was during this time that Henderson began to experiment with jazz-funk fusion, studio overdubbing, and other electronic effects. Song and album titles like Power to the People, In Pursuit of Blackness, and Black Narcissus reflected his growing political awareness and social consciousness, although the last album was named after the Powell and Pressburger film of 1947.
After a brief association with Blood, Sweat & Tears in 1971, Henderson moved to San Francisco and added teaching to his résumé.
Though he occasionally worked with Echoes of an Era, the Griffith Park Band and Chick Corea, Henderson remained primarily a leader throughout the 1980s. An accomplished and prolific composer, he began to focus more on reinterpreting standards and his own earlier compositions. Blue Note attempted to position the artist at the forefront of a resurgent jazz scene in 1986 with the release of the two-volume State of the Tenor recorded at the Village Vanguard in New York City. The albums (with Ron Carter on bass and Al Foster on drums) revisited the tenor trio form used by Sonny Rollins in 1957 on his own live Vanguard albums for the same label. Henderson established his basic repertoire for the next seven or eight years, with Monk's "Ask Me Now" becoming a signature ballad feature.
It was only after the release of An Evening with Joe Henderson, a live trio set (featuring Charlie Haden and Al Foster) for the Italian independent label Red Records that Henderson underwent a major career change: Verve took notice of him and in the early 1990s signed him. That label adopted a 'songbook' approach to recording him, coupling it with a considerable marketing and publicity campaign, which more successfully positioned Henderson at the forefront of the contemporary jazz scene. His 1992 'comeback' album Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn was a commercial and critical success and followed by tribute albums to Miles Davis, Antonio Carlos Jobim and a rendition of the George Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess.
On June 30, 2001, Joe Henderson died due to heart failure after a long battle with emphysema.
Mirror Mirror
Joe Henderson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can see everywhere I've been
You can drag me down
I'll come right back again
You gotta hold on to every little thing
Every little bag of bones
When the love's gone you shoot from the hip
Love takes your heart away
And gives it back in pieces
I look at myself and say
"I know who to believe in"
Mirror, mirror on the wall
I'm still here, I survived it all
Mirror, mirror, tell me more
If that was love, then love is war
I am gonna fight until I win
Another place in time
I might have given in
You gotta hold on to every little thing
Every little bag of bones
When the love's gone you shoot from the hip
You make or break it on your own
Love takes your heart away
And gives it back in pieces
Now all I have to say
I know what I needed
Mirror, mirror on the wall
I'm still here, I survived it all
Mirror, mirror, tell me more
If that was love, then love is war
Mirror, mirror on the wall
I'm still here, I survived it all
Mirror, mirror, tell me more
If that was love, then love is war
Mirror, mirror on the wall
I'm still here, I survived it all
Mirror, mirror, tell me more
If that was love, then love is war
Mirror, mirror on the wall
I'm still here, I survived it all
Mirror, mirror, tell me more
If that was love, then love is war
Mirror, mirror
Mirror, mirror
Mirror, mirror
The lyrics of Joe Henderson's song "Mirror Mirror" seem to have a deep emotional meaning to them. The song begins with the idea of someone being able to look into the singer's eyes and see everywhere they have been. It can be interpreted as someone who knows the singer inside-out and is aware of every single event that has taken place in their lives.
The next part talks about how someone might try to bring the singer down, but they stand their ground and bounce back. The singer emphasizes the need to hold on to every little thing, every little bag of bones that makes them who they are. The concepts of breaking and making on one's own are mentioned, signifying the idea of the struggle that life can be at times.
Further, there is a reference to love and how it can take away someone's heart and return it in pieces. Yet, the singer knows that they can believe in themselves and the person they see looking back in the mirror. The line "I know what I needed" stands out, indicating that the struggles may have helped the singer better understand their needs.
The chorus repeats the line "Mirror mirror on the wall, I'm still here, I survived it all." It seems to communicate the message of resilience and reminds the listener that they have come far from where they started. The final line of the chorus, "If that was love, then love is war," perhaps touches on the idea that the road to love can be a battle-like experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Look inside my eyes
I want you to see everything that I've been through
You can see everywhere I've been
The pain, struggles and challenges that I encountered in life
You can drag me down
I may fall down, but I won't give up my hope to win
I'll come right back again
I will never give up no matter what struggles I have encountered
You gotta hold on to every little thing
Every opportunity, no matter how small, should be grasped
Every little bag of bones
Every part of us, even the weakest, should be taken care of
When the love's gone you shoot from the hip
When love fades away, we tend to act recklessly and with emotion
You make or break it on your own
Success is up to us, as individuals, to achieve through hard work
Love takes your heart away
Love can impact us deeply
And gives it back in pieces
However, love may cause pain and brokenness
I look at myself and say
I introspect and reflect on my own actions and thoughts
"I know who to believe in"
I decide for myself on who to trust and depend on
Mirror, mirror on the wall
I ask my own self for guidance and consolation
I'm still here, I survived it all
Despite everything, I am still standing and ready for more
Mirror, mirror, tell me more
I want to know more about myself and where I'm currently standing
If that was love, then love is war
Love is not easy and may require significant effort and struggle
I am gonna fight until I win
I will face every obstacle and adversity with a fighting spirit
Another place in time
At another point in life
I might have given in
I may have given up or surrendered
Now all I have to say
My personal opinion or conclusion
I know what I needed
I am sure of what I need to do or have in my life
Mirror, mirror
I am willing to face my own reflection and confront my own thoughts and feelings
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DON DOKKEN, MARK SPIRO, BILLY WHITE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dylan Gatenby
Love this wonderful album. Good compositions featured on this recording from one of the best saxophone players in jazz.
Trusty Machines
Don't you just love music that takes you there? It's beautiful there. Thanks for sharing.
jonbecker03
An all star session. From back in the days when all star sessions were commonplace.
Ronald Unkel
Very, very nice album. Gives me a peaceful feeling. Beaut upload. G’day & Cheers!
jackie hard-bop lady brown
Yeh ! This is nice . G'day and very much happy cheers to you !
jackie hard-bop lady brown
Very nice sophisticated music , but really easy listening , makes me dream about another world rigth now.....superb upload ! Cheers to all romantic nigthbirds .
Imad Traboulsi
Briefly speaking it's the "mistic mood" of that awsome creation.
Ron Carter Bassist
Wonderful.
Marinus Visser
👍👍👍👍🙏
Aplicativos Tim
🎵 💕 ⚘