Henry Butler was a remarkable piano virtuoso. Of the pianists I have seen in person, only Chick Corea was better - maybe. Henry could play anything. When I lived in New Orleans I saw him play solo...
Henry Butler was a remarkable piano virtuoso. Of the pianists I have seen in person, only Chick Corea was better - maybe. Henry could play anything.
When I lived in New Orleans I saw him play solo piano sets in the tradition of James Booker and Professor Longhair. I saw him play blues at the Funky Butt, I saw him play funk at Jazzfest, saw him play fusion (including some Chick Corea covers) at the Dragon's Den, and straight ahead jazz at Snug Harbor. After Katrina he moved to NYC and I got a second chance to see him play some more. I didn't even know he was here, but I was out on a date one night, walking through the West Village and saw his name on the poster board outside of the Zinc Bar. I immediately scrapped whatever other plan we had and we watched Henry play instead. That was one of the best dates I ever had!
In the past few years Henry was playing with Steven Bernstein and a group they called the Hot Nine. It covered the full history of jazz and New Orleans music, from Jelly Roll Morton to Professor Longhair to funk and soul and modern jazz, with arrangements built around Henry's playing. He was brilliant as usual, but there is a part of me that felt like he was holding back a little bit, at least compared to what I used to hear him do in New Orleans.
I always hoped to play with Henry some day. I got to open for the Hot Nine at Brooklyn Bowl a couple of years ago. He became friends with my pianist and one night he showed up at a regular jazz gig we do in Manhattan and sat in with the band. But I was out of town - the only one of those gigs I missed in five years. It turned out to be my only chance. So it goes.
Henry Butler was a remarkable piano virtuoso. Of the pianists I have seen in person, only Chick Corea was better - maybe. Henry could play anything.
When I lived in New Orleans I saw him play solo piano sets in the tradition of James Booker and Professor Longhair. I saw him play blues at the Funky Butt, I saw him play funk at Jazzfest, saw him play fusion (including some Chick Corea covers) at the Dragon's Den, and straight ahead jazz at Snug Harbor. After Katrina he moved to NYC and I got a second chance to see him play some more. I didn't even know he was here, but I was out on a date one night, walking through the West Village and saw his name on the poster board outside of the Zinc Bar. I immediately scrapped whatever other plan we had and we watched Henry play instead. That was one of the best dates I ever had!
In the past few years Henry was playing with Steven Bernstein and a group they called the Hot Nine. It covered the full history of jazz and New Orleans music, from Jelly Roll Morton to Professor Longhair to funk and soul and modern jazz, with arrangements built around Henry's playing. He was brilliant as usual, but there is a part of me that felt like he was holding back a little bit, at least compared to what I used to hear him do in New Orleans.
I always hoped to play with Henry some day. I got to open for the Hot Nine at Brooklyn Bowl a couple of years ago. He became friends with my pianist and one night he showed up at a regular jazz gig we do in Manhattan and sat in with the band. But I was out of town - the only one of those gigs I missed in five years. It turned out to be my only chance. So it goes.