I just got Live/Evil yesterday and Im blown away by the playing Of Henderson . His groove is so deep . And think he's only 19 during the Cellar Doors Sessions. I know Miles kinda stole Henderson from Stevie Wonder. Anyone know how long Henderson played with Stevie or if there aer any vids of them playing together. If anyone has anymore info on Henderson's gear setup or pics of him playing they'd be much appriciated
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Michael Henderson
- Thread starter bassist15
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I am huge Henderson fan too, especially during his solo period. During his solo period, I know used a fretless Alex Axe bass for many of his songs starting with his Going Places CD. In the earlier period, I think he mainly used a P-bass, but I know he used a jazz sometimes too. Nowadays, I believe he uses a Jazz made by Alby Balgochian, the guy who helped design the Skyline DJ4 & DJ5.
Michaels main bass was a Gibson Ripper, natural finish with a black pickguard in the earlier years although he has been known to whip out a Jazz or P from time to time. In the later solo years he played a Jaydee bass. If you can get a hold of the album "Wide Reciever" you can see a great pic of the Jaydee on the back cover. Michael's albums are a bass player's wet dream, he never held back, even when he became ultra popular as just a great vocalists. Most memorable to me was "Starship" on Norman Conner's album, the bass on that one is awesome.
Lo end Punch, I think the bass on the cover of Wide Reciever is an Alex Axe fretless. I no longer have that lp, but I remember the bass being fretless with a circular split pickup. Alex Axe basses weren't common, I think they were made in Detroit, Michael Henderson's home.
BTW, I do remember seeing him with a Gibson Grabber too.
BTW, I do remember seeing him with a Gibson Grabber too.
Lo end Punch, I think the bass on the cover of Wide Reciever is an Alex Axe fretless. I no longer have that lp, but I remember the bass being fretless with a circular split pickup. Alex Axe basses weren't common, I think they were made in Detroit, Michael Henderson's home.
BTW, I do remember seeing him with a Gibson Grabber too.
That might be true and the only reason I thought it was a Jadee is because of the round bridge pieces, wasn't that a Jaydee patent or something?
I barely remember how the Jaydee basses looked. I don't know about their bridges, sorry. I remember Alex Axe, because I remember Henderson thanking them in the Going Places liner notes. I remember how they look from seeing them in Guitar Player ads.
Michael Henderson is one of my favorites. It's funny this came up here because earlier today I was paging through BP magazines and there was a spot on him. At the time (2004?) he was using an Albey Balgochian A Bass with flats and renting amps on the road. . . He said something to the effect that the bass doesn't really matter, that it's the bassist.
This may be heretical to diehard Miles Davis fans, but I think Henderson has never sounded better than he does on Bill Laswell's Panthalassa mixes. I love his playing on Live/Evil and A Tribute To Jack Johnson as well.
This may be heretical to diehard Miles Davis fans, but I think Henderson has never sounded better than he does on Bill Laswell's Panthalassa mixes. I love his playing on Live/Evil and A Tribute To Jack Johnson as well.
I you could get his solo album "In the night time" you might change your mind....it's mind boggling?
Listening to a live boot of Miles from 75 in Philly, Henderson lays down the law, and drives the whole band....
When I was still in High School I wondered in to Wonderland Music on 8 mile and Greenfield in Detroit (long ago closed). Their was this tall Black dude (all black dudes are tall to me I'm 5'8") who was burning it up on a Fender Jazz. He was mostly walking, and so listen-able. I sat and watched him for about an hour, I finally got the guts to ask him some questions and he gave me a ton of pointers on walking and keeping a groove. He was as good of a bass player "chops wise" as any I had ever seen, and I had seen Stanley live by that time. I asked the salesman after who was that dude. We'll it was Michael Henderson. Thru the 90's I use to run into him quite a bit at Jam sessions at Bakers and he was still throwing it down. Haven't seen him as much the last few years. Does anyone know if he still lives in the D?
I agree. Teo Macero would be offended, but Laswell greatly approved the sound of those recordings, especially On the Corner.
Yea your probably right about Laswell , you gotta give Teo alot of credit though . What he was editing music-wise was way ahead of its time . He was only reaslly into jazz and classical , with a classical backround.
-In alot of Miles books they seem to look down upon Michael's lines say he would just stick to one chord most of the song , almost making it sound negative . But his grooves are in no way simple.
-In alot of Miles books they seem to look down upon Michael's lines say he would just stick to one chord most of the song , almost making it sound negative . But his grooves are in no way simple.
Henderson lives in Las Vegas or Phoenix now. I know he has been working in Vegas recently.
I you could get his solo album "In the night time" you might change your mind....it's mind boggling?
+1, I got that album the summer I finished high school and one of my biggest regrets was that I had to work the night he opened for Ashford and Simpson in Atlanta.
I know what you mean. It is sometimes implied that he was not as musically sophisticated as his counterparts in the Davis band because of his R&B background.
Teo's edits are classic no doubt. Chick Corea tells a story about sitting in an office at Columbia and hearing Bitches Brew for the first time. He didn't recognize it at all, but he thought it was great. Laswell definitely understands that music in a way that Teo Macero did not.
Tightbidness , it was acually Joe Zawinul . He said he was a little down about the sessions for the album .Then a couple months latter he was sitting in the office of Columbia and the secretary had some awesome music playing and joe asked her who it was and it turned out to be the album he'd vbeen workin on. Thats how much Teo is a genious
