ProJazz.net

Sunburst is an album by American jazz trumpeter Eddie Henderson recorded in 1975 and released on the Blue Note label.

Reception

The AllMusic review by Richard S. Ginell awarded the album 4 stars and stated:”Switching over to Blue Note, which was then reaping a fortune with Donald Byrd’s R&B outfit, Eddie Henderson pursued a harder, earthier, more structured, funk-driven sound on his first album, while maintaining some of his marvelously spacier instincts for spice. Henderson continued to keep several components of the Herbie Hancock Septet together, for drummer Billy Hart, bassist Buster Williams, reedman Bennie Maupin, and now trombonist Julian Priester are back. But this time, Hancock is replaced by George Duke, and fusionaire bassist Alphonso Johnson and drummer Harvey Mason (late of the Headhunters) are added — and these switches make much of the difference. Duke is as much of an techie as Herbie was; he delights in flaunting his Echoplex and burbling, shooting, twinkling synthesizer effects. Henderson himself is more into electronic echo and wah-wah effects than before, definitely pursuing the current Miles Davis line but in a brighter, more tonally brilliant manner, and Maupin has many impassioned and creepy (on bass clarinet) moments. The title track, a ruminative Henderson tune with a leaping funk beat, and Mason’s archetypical funk workout “Hop Scotch” are the best cuts.”

Track listing
All compositions by Eddie Henderson except as indicated
“Explodition” (George Duke) – 6:41
“The Kumquat Kids” (Alphonso Johnson) – 4:30
“Sunburst” – 5:49
“Involuntary Bliss” (Alphonso Johnson) – 6:52
“Hop Scotch” (Harvey Mason) – 3:53
“Galaxy” – 6:36
“We End in a Dream” (Bennie Maupin) – 3:11

Personnel
Eddie Henderson – trumpet, flugelhorn, cornet
Julian Priester – trombone
Bennie Maupin – tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, saxello
Bobby Hutcherson – marimba (track 6)
George Duke – electric piano, clavinet, synthesizer
Buster Williams – bass (track 7)
Alphonso Johnson – electric bass (tracks 1–6)
Harvey Mason (tracks 1–6), Billy Hart (track 7) – drums

_________________

Released: 1975
Recorded: March & April, 1975
Studios: Wally Heider, San Francisco, California
Length: 37:32
Label: Blue Note BNLA 464
Producer: Skip Drinkwater