Scar
Studio album by Joe Henry
Released	May 15, 2001
Recorded	The Sound Factory, Hollywood
Genre	Alternative
Length	57:59
Label	Mammoth Records
Producer	Craig Street, Joe Henry
Professional reviews
Allmusic link
Joe Henry chronology
Fuse (1999) Scar (2001) Tiny Voices (2003)

Scar is the eighth studio album by Joe Henry, released in May 2001 on Mammoth Records. It marked another shift in direction for Henry's music, and a foray into the genres of jazz and soul music. The opening track is a homage to comedian Richard Pryor (whom the album is also dedicated to), and according to Henry's essay "The Ghost in the Song," he was "called by a vision" to collaborate with free jazz artist Ornette Coleman. Henry wrote:

“

I had a dream. A "vision," I'm tempted to say. And the vision had a voice, and the voice spoke a word: Ornette. It didn't need to speak the other word, for I knew. I needed Ornette Coleman's musical voice to complete the song with which I was at that precise moment struggling.

”

Henry eventually convinced Coleman to record a solo for the track "Richard Pryor Addresses a Tearful Nation," and also contributed a reprise at the very end of the album as a hidden track.

Another track of note is Stop, a tango originally written by Henry. His wife, Melanie, sent an early demo of the track to her sister Madonna, who re-used the lyrics for Don't Tell Me. Henry often quips during live gigs that "I recorded my version as a tango, and she recorded hers as a hit". Apart from the lyrics, the two songs have nothing in common.

Lizz Wright recorded a jazzy take on "Stop" which she included in her 2005 release "Dreaming Wide Awake".

[edit] Track listing

All songs written by Joe Henry, except where noted.

1. "Richard Pryor Addresses a Tearful Nation" – 6:21
2. "Stop" – 4:40
3. "Mean Flower" – 4:50
4. "Struck" – 5:24
5. "Rough and Tumble" – 4:53
6. "Lock and Key" – 4:46
7. "Nico Lost One Small Buddha" – 3:23
8. "Cold Enough to Cross" – 3:12
9. "Edgar Bergen" – 6:03
10. "Scar" / "Richard Pryor Reprise" (Henry, Coleman) (hidden track) – 14:22

[edit] Personnel

• Produced by Craig Street and Joe Henry
• Recorded and mixed by S. "Husky" Hoskulds
• Recorded between September 7-10, 2000 at The Sound Factory, Hollywood, CA
• Additional recording: September 27-29, 2000 at Sear Sound, New York City, NY
• Engineering assistance by Adam "Hammy" Samuels at The Sound Factory, and by Todd Parker and Aaron Franz at Sear Sound
• Orchestra arranged and conducted by Steven Barber
• Mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound, New York City, NY
• Project coordination by Caroline Sprinkle
• Musicians:
  • Joe Henry – guitar, vocals, keyboards, percussion
  • Ornette Coleman – saxophone
  • Brian Blade – drums, percussion
  • Meshell Ndegeocello – bass
  • David Pilch – bass
  • Marc Ribot – guitar
• Photography: Rosângela Rennó (front cover); Henry Diltz (Richard Pryor, 1968); Craig Street (booklet back cover); Melanie Nissen (additional photography)
• Design by Anabel Sinn
• "Dedicated to the vision of Richard Pryor, the invention of Ornette Coleman, and the memory of Neilo Anthony Ciccone (1925-1999)."