Joe Henderson is the essence of jazz. He embodies all the elements that came together in his generation: the virtuosity of hard bop and the avant-garde. He can be harmonically abstract and yet keep to the roots. A highpoint in this rather reserved musician\’s life was the Grammy Henderson received in1991 for his album Lush Life. Henderson\’s playing style was influenced by, among others, John Coltrane. The connection is amply demonstrated by Henderson\’s ecstatic, piercing solo on his modally based composition Joe\’s Bolero.