Eddie Henderson, born October 26, 1940, is an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player. Booker Little and Clifford Brown were Henderson’s major influences, as well as Woody Shaw, Miles Davis, Woody Shaw, Clifford Brown, Woody Shaw, and Clifford Brown. Henderson’s mother was a dancer in the Cotton Club. They were known as The Brown Twins because Henderson had a twin sister. They danced with Bill “Bojangles”, Robinson and the Nicholas Brothers. Henderson’s mother was seen sitting on the piano while Waller sang to her in the movie showing Fats Waller performing “Ain’t Misbehavin'”. His father was a singer with Billy Williams and The Charioteers. He was nine years old when Louis Armstrong gave him an informal lesson. As a teenager, he continued studying the instrument in San Francisco. His family moved to San Francisco in 1954. He performed as a young man with the San Francisco Conservatory Symphony Orchestra. He was inspired by Miles Davis’ early fusion work, who was a close friend of his parents. When Henderson was seventeen years old, Henderson met Miles Davis and they played a gig together. After completing his medical education Henderson returned to the Bay Area for his residency and medical internship. This was the break that pushed him into music. The gig was a week long and led to a three year job with Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi group. It lasted from 1970-1973. Henderson also recorded the first two albums under Hancock’s label, Realization (1972), and Inside Out (1973), together with Hancock and Mwandishi. The trumpeter left Hancock to work extensively with Mike Nock and Norman Connors. He returned to San Francisco Bay Area in 1975 and joined Azteca’s Latin-jazz band. He also fronted his own bands. Charles Earland was also a recording partner, and he is known for his 1978 version of “Let the Music Play”. He later led a rock-oriented band in the 1970s. His work with the Herbie Hancock Sextet (1970-1973) earned him some attention, but his own records were considered too commercial. After serving three years in the Air Force and a year at U.C., Henderson enrolled. Berkeley and graduated with a B.S. in zoology in 1964. After graduating from Howard University in Washington D.C. in 1964, he studied medicine. He did not do a residency in psychiatry. However, he still practiced general medicine. From 1975 to 1985, he worked part-time at a small clinic in San Francisco. Henderson stated, “The head physician knew that I was interested in music and hired me with the condition that I could go on any tour I want. They even paid me for my time. He recalled how it was wonderful. I just wanted to make music. In my wildest dreams, I didn’t think I would ever get the chance to play with the big boys. Henderson recorded a number of fusion albums in the 1970s during the disco era. These were later re-released. Two albums were recorded by Henderson on the Blue Note label: Heritage (1976), and Sunburst ( 1975); three for Capitol Records: Comin’ Thru(1977), Mahal (1978), and Runnin’ to Your Love (1979); two for Capricorn Records: Inside Out (1974), and Realization (1973). The single “Prance On”, Henderson’s UK hit, was recorded by Capitol and reached #44 on the UK Singles Charts in November 1978. This track was promoted on the disco/club scene by the newly introduced 12″ vinyl single format. His 1977 single, “Say You Will”/”The Funk Surgeon”, failed to chart in the UK. “Cyclops”, an instrumental LP track, was only released by Capitol. However, it was so well-received that Capitol issued a 12 inch vinyl single featuring both the regular and fast versions. He returned to acoustic hard beat in the 1990s. He toured with Billy Harper in 1991 and also worked as a doctor. Henderson has been playing at festivals in France, Austria and other countries in recent years. In May 2002, Henderson recorded So What?, an album that featured Miles Davis’ tracks. The group featured Bob Berg on sax and Dave Kikoski on piano. Ed Howard was on bass, Victor Lewis on drums, and Ed Howard on bass. In the last few years Henderson’s fusion time has been re-visited in live settings. He played Europe and the UK to positive reviews. His two nights at the Jazz Cafe in London were cited by Blues.
