If, like drummer Pete La Roca, you are going to record just one album for Blue Note, make it as strong as ‘Basra’. The opener ‘Malaguena’ is a fine modal piece on which saxophonist Joe Henderson blows in Coltrane style. It would not be out of place on Henderson’s own ‘Inner Urge’ set from around the same time. Similarly, La Roca’s ‘Basra’ has that modal feel in combination with a Middle Eastern influence that its title implies. ‘Candu’ is more left-field and flirts with the avant-garde, whilst retaining its coherence. The slowish ballad ‘Lazy Afternoon’ is stunningly beautiful. The album concludes with ‘Eiderdown’, composed by the session’s bass player Steve Swallow. Throughout, pianist Steve Kuhn’s playing is delicate and unobtrusive, whilst Joe Henderson is at the top of his game. Indeed, ‘Basra’ is regarded as one the saxophonist’s best recording dates for Blue Note. La Roca’s drumming is a highlight too and illustrates why he was considered one of New York’s finest session men at that time.
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