Punjab is a post-bop composition by Joe Henderson, first recorded in 1964 and released on the Blue Note album In’n’Out. The 1964 session features Henderson on tenor sax with Kenny Dorham on trumpet, McCoy Tyner on piano, Richard Davis on bass and Elvin Jones on drums. The tune is played in 4/4 swing in the key of D chromatic and runs about 134 seconds, with a focused solo section that showcases Henderson’s advanced harmonic language. Punjab helped establish Henderson’s reputation for inventive improvisation in the mid-1960s, and it has since appeared in big-band arrangements published by Jazz Lines Publications, reflecting the tune’s enduring appeal beyond the original quartet recording.
