Archive: Mel Martin Interviews Joe Henderson

A spur-of-the-moment duet: Joe Henderson + 18-year-old Larry Grenadier
at the War Memorial's Green Room, 1986

“What I was developing was a sense of not falling into that habit of playing the same things all the time. We are creatures of habit anyway so its easy to fall into them. You practice early on so that habits don't form which have to be dealt with later, like bad fingerings that you have to clean up later.”

“Teaching allows us to plant some trees, and to keep the art form alive. The information that was passed on to us helped us to enjoy the planet a little more through our music.”

—Joe Henderson

Originally published in The Saxophone Journal, above are two excerpts from saxophone great and Joe Henderson collaborator Mel Martin's interview with the iconic saxophonist and longtime San Francisco resident.

Read the full interview.

Mel Martin opens the 4-night Joe Henderson Hotplate Festival this Thursday (8/14), playing the music of Henderson’s 1963 debut, Page One, a landmark session and a remarkably self-assured first statement from Henderson as a bandleader.

In 2001, right after Henderson passed, Mel Martin filmed footage of vibraphone legend Bobby Hutcherson—a frequent collaborator and dear friend of Joe's—recalling some fond memories, notably a humorous story about giving Joe haircuts.

Learn more about the Joe Henderson Hotplate Festival.