I met drummer Henry Conerway III at Newport, where he was part of Jazzmeia Horn’s backing trio. He told me he was releasing a new album in September. A few days later he stopped by WBGO with his bassist Kevin Smith (a friend of Nicole Sweeney) and passed along a copy of With Pride For Dignity. For some reason my eyes immediately fell to the title of the second-to-last track, “The Feel Goods.”
What starts off with pianist Kenny Banks, Jr. — playing a gospel-tinged intro as if to prep you for worship — quickly morphs into an uptempo toe-tapper that (true to the title) will make you feel good! Banks’ piano carries the tune with the ever-present tempo set by Conerway, and solos for Smith and Conerway with some call-and-response mixed in along the way.