Henry Butler Albums (9)
What The Critics Say
This is the first solo album Butler has ever cut, and one has to wonder why. It was cut live at various venues over the last 20 years, and with no liner notes it's impossible to tell if you're listening to the post-Katrina Butler at a club near his new home in Denver, or a New Orleans gig from the mid-'80s, not that you can tell the difference. The strong, rolling left-hand bass rhythms and playful right-hand arpeggios are in evidence in every track. "Orleans Interpretations," an original tune, echoes the Crescent City sounds of fonky jazz, rock, R&B, and second line strut. Butler sings both the bass and tenor parts of "Mother-in-Law." You can almost see him smiling as he launches into a scatted horn solo before taking the tune home. He gives Otis Redding's "Dock of the Bay" a slow, bluesy arrangement that accents the song's heartbroken feeling. He plays solemn left-handed gospel chords and drops in a few devil may care chuckles here and there to relieve his high, moaning vocals. The piano work and bluesy vocal on "You Are My Sunshine" makes it sound like a storm is brewing. Ominous rumbling bass chords compliment the sprinkling rainy right-hand arpeggios that bring the tune to a quiet conclusion. "Tipitina" gets an extended workout that starts slow and builds to a frenzied two-hand attack on the piano's upper registers that has the crowd shrieking and gasping. "North American Idiosyncrasies" closes the set with a slow blues full of rippling right-hand runs. ~ j. poet, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
You kids may not be aware of this, but there was a time when the term R&B stood for rhythm and blues, and described a style of music that was readily distinguishable from the pop music mainstream. Today it seems as if R&B has become a term that describes the race of the performer more than it does the music itself. (A Britney Spears album gets filed under rock and pop, whereas if Beyoncé were to make the same album it would be filed under R&B or soul/hip hop.) Henry Butler comes from a different time and place, and his music is R&B in the old sense -- it rocks, it rolls, it struts, it features the piano prominently, and it's very much based in the blues and the Creole musical traditions of his native New Orleans. Despite one or two minor missteps, Homeland is a hoot and a joy all the way through, from the touchingly sentimental "Way We Loved" through the slightly hokey "Hey Little Girl" right up to the sweet ode to Professor Longhair that ends the program. The album's highlight is a fantastic adaptation of the New Orleans classic "Iko Iko," and its nadir is the overlong one-chord workout "Casino." Highly recommended overall. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
'The Game Has Just Begun'
Release Date 5/7/2002
Tracks 13
Label Basin Street
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What The Critics Say
Henry Butler goes all-out electric on his first Basin Street release, outfitting his rootsy brand of blues-rock with synth textures, keyboard bass, even drum machine on a few tracks. Raymond Weber lays down real drums most of the time; the guitar solos by June Yamagishi and Shane Theriot are often blistering. Artistically, however, the results are mixed. The disc gets off to a strong start with four hard-hitting originals, then loses its way until track eight, a grooving rendition of "High-Heeled Sneakers" featuring Butler's superb piano. But the rock covers ("Great Balls of Fire," "Riders on the Storm") are listless, the pop arrangements ("You Are My Sunshine," "When You Listen With Your Eyes") are middle of the road, and the three electronic mood instrumentals are interesting only up to a point. (A 15-minute question-and-answer session with Butler ends the disc.) This is definitely not the best starting point for anyone new to Butler's music. ~ David R. Adler, All Music Guide
'Blues After Sunset'
Release Date 4/21/1998
Tracks 12
Label Black Top
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What The Critics Say
The line of innovative New Orleans piano players who serve as conduits for fusing genres is continued with this release by Henry Butler. Here he approaches his music for the first time primarily as a blues performer, rather than as a jazz musician playing blues. He is an extraordinary performer who has put together all the years of growing up in the Crescent City, with its diverse musical heritage, his training in piano and voice from the Louisiana State School for the Blind, his continued musical education at Southern University, and the post-graduate work in voice (singing German lieder) at Michigan State, and fused it into one cohesive whole. All the flavors are there and distinct when you look for them, but put together they form a cohesive whole that provokes more thought than the individual parts would. Listen to his terrifying vocals and the support his piano provides for them on his version of "Death Has No Mercy." The tune has always had a chill, but he puts it into another realm that brings up vivid images of the Angels of Death swooping on down. He is joined on several cuts by Snooks Eaglin on guitar and Mark Kazanoff on harmonica, who provide an empathetic support that enhances and helps carry these tunes to further reaches. On "Tetherball," he and Kazanoff play off each other, whirl around each other in an orbit that at times stretches way out there before coming back to this plane at the end of the song, just as the ball rolls up tight against the pole. Henry Butler does it all on this superlative disc -- he co-produced it, wrote eight of the 12 songs, did all of the arranging, and provided vocals and piano. This is a disc that should not be missed at any cost. ~ Bob Gottlieb, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
On some of his recordings, Henry Butler has performed gospel music and/or New Orleans funk, taken soulful vocals, and played some electric keyboard. This trio outing, however, is purely acoustic and mostly in the straight-ahead vein. With assistance from bassist Dave Holland and drummer Herman Jackson (trombonist Steve Turre dropped by to play the romantic melody on "Souvenir d'un Amour"), Butler explores such numbers as "St. Louis Blues," "How Insensitive," "Without a Song," and several of his originals. This is one of Butler's strongest jazz dates and finds him displaying his individuality on basic but viable chord structures. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
'Orleans Inspiration'
Release Date 6/4/1992
Tracks 12
Label Windham Hill
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What The Critics Say
Henry Butler, who had recorded a pair of post-bop sets for MCA/Impulse, switches to New Orleans R&B on this spirited program, cut live at Tipitina's in New Orleans. Assisted by guitarist Leo Nocentelli, bassist Chris Severin, drummer Herman Jackson, and the synthesizer of Michael Goods, Butler puts on a fine show. He plays and sings (in a gospel-ish baritone voice) a variety of originals, plus Leonard Bernstein's "Somewhere," "Goin' Down Slow," and Professor Longhair's "Tipitina's" and "Mardi Gras in New Orleans." ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
'Blues & More, Vol. 1'
Release Date 1/1/1992
Tracks 11
Label Windham Hill
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What The Critics Say
A versatile pianist with a passionate voice, Henry Butler emphasizes the bluesy side of his musical personality throughout this CD of unaccompanied solos. Most of the selections on the date (other than "Down by the Riverside," "That Lucky Old Sun" and "Jamaica Farewell") are his own and Butler puts plenty of feeling and soulful swing into the music. An accessible and generally creative outing. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Henry Butler's second Impulse recording is essentially a post-bop performance. The influence of the pianist's New Orleans heritage (which is partly felt on his version of Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer") and gospel music would be explored more fully in the future. Butler is joined by bassist Ron Carter, drummer Jack DeJohnette and occasionally by clarinetist Alvin Batiste, John Purcell (on soprano, flute, oboe and English horn) and (for "The Entertainer") Bob Stewart on tuba. Butler sings "Music Came," but essentially this is an advanced trio set that shows how fine a pianist he is. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Pianist Henry Butler's recording debut as a leader was also the first record released by the "new" Impulse label. Cut in the mid-'80s when MCA was directly involved with Impulse, the program features Butler with some rather notable musicians -- bassist Charlie Haden, drummer Billy Higgins, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and tenorman Azar Lawrence plus occasional color provided by flutist Steve Kujala and the oboe of Jeff Clayton. Two selections (including "Giant Steps") add a string quartet, and Butler sings "I Want Jesus to Walk With Me." The wide-ranging repertoire (which also has seven diverse originals and the standard "Old Folks") and the inventive frameworks make this a memorable and very successful set. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
