AT THE LIGHTHOUSE Deluxe Edition to Add Unreleased Joe Henderson Tracks
The quintet featured Woody Shaw, George Cables, Ron McClure and Lenny White, with liner notes by Eugene Holley, Jr.
More than five decades after the Joe Henderson Quintet delivered an electrifying series of performances at Hermosa Beach's The Lighthouse, Craft Recordings announced a Deluxe Edition of the group's 1970 live album, At The Lighthouse: If You're Not Part Of The Solution, You're Part Of The Problem. Arriving November 6, the expanded release returns to the group's storied three-night engagement at the iconic West Coast jazz club, adding a wealth of never-before-released tracks and alternate takes.
At The Lighthouse finds legendary tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson at a crucial moment in his career, leading a formidable young band featuring trumpeter Woody Shaw, keyboardist George Cables, bassist Ron McClure, and drummer Lenny White (with percussionist Tony Waters joining on select performances).
The album will be available as a 180-gram vinyl 3-LP set, a 3-CD set, and in standard and hi-res digital formats. The 3-LP set, pressed at Fidelity Records and housed in a triple-gatefold jacket, contains five previously unreleased tracks, while the 3-CD and digital editions present 12 unreleased selections—ultimately offering a fascinating new glimpse at one of the most adventurous and visionary tenor saxophonists of his era. All formats are mastered from the original analog tapes, and are available to pre-order/pre-save. Offering the first taste of the expanded set is a previously unreleased performance of Woody Shaw's 'The Moontrane,' showcasing the quintet's dynamic interplay, available to stream or download today.
Both physical editions of At The Lighthouse also include new liner notes by DownBeat contributor Eugene Holley, Jr., who draws on firsthand recollections from members of Henderson's Lighthouse band to shed new light on the historic performances, alongside reflections from Contemporary Records producer John Koenig, who assisted with the original Lighthouse recording.
Hailed by Branford Marsalis as 'one of the most influential saxophone players of the 20th century,' Joe Henderson (1937–2001) made his mark as both a celebrated bandleader and an in-demand collaborator who played alongside luminaries like Chick Corea, Alice Coltrane, and many more. Over the course of his four-decade career, the Lima, OH-born musician became renowned for his singular tone, rhythmic ingenuity, and exceptional command of his instrument, moving fluidly between hard bop, modal jazz, and more exploratory forms.
After studying music at Detroit's Wayne State University and serving in the U.S. Army, Henderson moved to New York City in the early '60s and soon earned recognition as a first-rate sideman. While lending his distinctive tenor to recordings by the likes of Horace Silver, Andrew Hill, and Lee Morgan, he embarked on a prolific run with Blue Note Records and released a string of seminal albums including Page One, In 'N Out, Inner Urge, and Mode For Joe. By the end of the decade, after a tenure as a featured member of the Herbie Hancock Sextet, Henderson had entered a new creative chapter and set out to assemble his own group—a turning point that quickly led to the formation of the Joe Henderson Quintet.
Originally released via Milestone Records and produced by label co-founder Orrin Keepnews, At The Lighthouse was recorded in late September 1970, resulting in Henderson's first-ever live release as a bandleader. As a nexus of the West Coast jazz scene, The Lighthouse provided the perfect setting for a band who thrived on the thrilling unpredictability of live performance. 'In front of a crowd, he was a master—a fount of ideas that came rapid-fire, one after the other, spontaneously, taking the music in unexpected directions, and with utter command,' writes Koenig in his accompanying reflection.
With its title taken from the writings of author and activist Eldridge Cleaver (an early leader of the Black Panther Party), At The Lighthouse: If You're Not Part Of The Solution, You're Part Of The Problem arrived as a six-track album in November 1970, encompassing everything from the rhythmically kinetic 'Caribbean Fire Dance' to the dreamlike ''Round Midnight' (Henderson's rendition of the Thelonious Monk classic). In 2004, a rerelease entitled At The Lighthouse augmented the tracklist with additional performances, further revealing Henderson's tremendous gifts as a composer, interpreter, and improviser.
The most expansive document yet of the band's Lighthouse run, the 2026 Deluxe Edition also features never-before-released performances of Henderson's 'Black Narcissus' and White's 'Olive Oil,' alongside the newly available single for Shaw's 'The Moontrane,' as well as alternate takes of 'Mode for Joe' and the title track. Mixed from the original analog 4-track master tapes, the newly unearthed material showcases the collective force of White's muscular drumming, McClure's agile bass work, Cables' atmospheric electric piano, and Shaw's fiery trumpet. Through it all, as Holley writes in his liner notes, 'Henderson's sound is solid, like a laser, slicing through clichéd post-bop with improvisations at the speed of sound, maintaining the sound of surprise, anchored by the gravity of swing.'
Although the Joe Henderson Quintet performed across the U.S. and Canada over the following year, At The Lighthouse proved to be the short-lived ensemble's sole recording. After briefly joining the lineup of the pioneering jazz-rock group Blood, Sweat & Tears, Henderson returned to his own musical pursuits, recording for Milestone throughout the 1970s and experiencing a significant resurgence in the '90s thanks to a series of acclaimed albums released by Verve Records.
By the time Henderson passed away in June 2001, his influence had shaped generations of musicians, cementing his place among the defining tenor saxophonists of modern jazz. At The Lighthouse: If You're Not Part Of The Solution, You're Part Of The Problem now brings listeners closer than ever to Henderson and his band in full flight—capturing an extraordinary group and a pivotal moment in jazz history.
Tracklist
3-LP edition:
DISC ONE:
Side A
1. Caribbean Fire Dance
2. 'Round Midnight
3. Mode For Joe
Side B
1. If You're Not Part Of The Solution, You're Part Of The Problem
2. Blue Bossa
3. Closing Theme
DISC TWO:
Side C
1. Recorda Me
2. A Shade Of Jade
3. Isotope
Side D
1. Invitation
2. Gazelle
3. The Moontrane*
DISC THREE:
Side E
1. Black Narcissus*
2. Olive Oil*
Side F
1. Mode For Joe [Alternate Take]*
2. If You're Not Part Of The Solution, You're Part Of The Problem [Alternate Take]*
3-CD edition:
DISC ONE:
1. Caribbean Fire Dance
2. 'Round Midnight
3. Mode For Joe
4. If You're Not Part Of The Solution, You're Part Of The Problem
5. Blue Bossa
6. Closing Theme
7. Recorda Me
8. A Shade Of Jade
9. Isotope
DISC TWO:
1. Invitation
2. Gazelle
3. The Moontrane*
4. Black Narcissus*
5. Olive Oil*
6. Punjab*
7. Caribbean Fire Dance [Alternate Take]*
DISC THREE:
1. 'Round Midnight [Alternate Take]*
2. Mode For Joe [Alternate Take]*
3. If You're Not Part Of The Solution, You're Part Of The Problem [Alternate Take]*
4. Recorda Me [Alternate Take]*
5. Isotope [Alternate Take]*
6. Invitation [Alternate Take]*
7. Gazelle [Alternate Take]*
Digital edition (standard & hi-res audio):
1. Caribbean Fire Dance
2. 'Round Midnight
3. Mode For Joe
4. If You're Not Part Of The Solution, You're Part Of The Problem
5. Blue Bossa
6. Closing Theme
7. Recorda Me
8. A Shade Of Jade
9. Isotope
10. Invitation
11. Gazelle
12. The Moontrane*
13. Black Narcissus*
14. Olive Oil*
15. Punjab*
16. Caribbean Fire Dance [Alternate Take]*
17. 'Round Midnight [Alternate Take]*
18. Mode For Joe [Alternate Take]*
19. If You're Not Part Of The Solution, You're Part Of The Problem [Alternate Take]*
20. Recorda Me [Alternate Take]*
21. Isotope [Alternate Take]*
22. Invitation [Alternate Take]*
23. Gazelle [Alternate Take]*
*previously unreleased
About Craft Recordings
Craft Recordings is home to one of the largest and most essential collections of master recordings and compositions in the world. Its storied repertoire includes landmark releases from icons such as Celia Cruz, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Isaac Hayes, John Coltrane, John Lee Hooker, Joan Baez, Joan Sebastian, Little Richard, Miles Davis, and R.E.M. Plus, the catalog recordings of celebrated contemporary acts including A Day to Remember, Alison Krauss, Daddy Yankee, Evanescence, Nine Inch Nails, Taking Back Sunday, and Violent Femmes, to name just a few. Renowned imprints with catalogs issued under the Craft banner include Fania, Fantasy, Fearless, HITCO, Musart, Nitro, Panart, Prestige, Riverside, Rounder, Specialty, Stax, Vanguard, Varèse Sarabande, Vee-Jay and Victory, among many others. Craft creates thoughtfully curated packages, with a meticulous devotion to quality and a commitment to preservation—ensuring that these recordings endure for new generations to discover. Craft is also home to the Billie Holiday and Tammy Wynette estates which preserve and protect their respective names, likeness, and music through day-to-day legacy management of these cultural trailblazers.
Craft Recordings is the catalog label team for Concord. For more info, visit CraftRecordings.com.
