Composer / bassist / jazz educator AL HENDERSON, (MFA Musicology) is well known as both co-leader of the influential group Time Warp and leader of his own quintet. Over the years he has performed as a sideman for jazz artists such as Jane Bunnett, Arnett Cobb, Hank Crawford, Slim Gaillard, Jimmy Knepper, Diana Krall, Flip Phillips, John Tchai, and Eddie `Cleanhead' Vinson.

As a composer, he has created a large and distinctive body of original compositions - pieces which form the bulk of the repertoire of both Time Warp and his own group. In the last few years, people have started to take notice: he has been called "...one of the best writers of jazz music around in Canada," by Ted O'Reilly of The Jazz Scene and in 1995 was both the Jazz Report Composer of the Year and winner of the prestigious SOCAN Award for Original Jazz Composition for the large work "Ellingtonia". His compositions have appeared on recordings by the Al Henderson Quintet, Time Warp, the Al Henderson Quartet, Richard Whiteman, Alex Dean, Don Pullen & Jane Bunnett, and Shox Johnson & the Jive Bombers.

The Al Henderson Quartet was formed in 1993 featuring ALEX DEAN (saxes, oboe, flute, bass clarinet), pianist RICHARD WHITEMAN and drummer BARRY ROMBERG. The band's first recording - Dinosaur Dig (CRST CD103) - was named one of the top three jazz recordings of 1995 by CBC Morningside. In 1998, the band became a quintet with the addition of the internationally reknowned saxophonist PAT LaBARBERA (saxes, flute) to create (with Alex Dean) the uniquely versatile and powerful front line featured on the recording Urban Landscape (CRST CD108). Geoff Chapman has described the band's live performances as "...consistently stimulating...a healthy mix of drive and fascinating adventures..." (Toronto Star) while Mark Miller has called the band ..."a thinking fan's quintet" (Globe & Mail).

As a jazz educator, Al Henderson has taught primarily in the Jazz Programme at York University, Toronto since the early 1980's. Over the years he has taught numerous courses in jazz performance, jazz theory and jazz history. He is presently serving as Director of the York Jazz Orchestra.