Lauren Henderson - LYDIALIEBMAN.COM

Conjuring
Release Date: April 21, 2023
Label: Brontosaurus Records

Vocalist Lauren Henderson's tenth leader date, Conjuring, continues to incorporate themes of magic and mysticism throughout, specifically emphasizing the power of Black American Music and Afro-Latinx experiences, and like her preceding album, La Bruja. Henderson, who identifies as a Black American with vast Caribbean and Afro-Latin roots, has dutifully upheld both Latin music and jazz traditions across her repertoire while carving distinct meaning into her very personal intersection of the two.

Henderson’s enchanting and fervent 10-track collection on Conjuring is supported by first-call accompanists, including Joel Ross on vibes, Eric Wheeler on bass and Joe Dyson on drums, while Gabe Schneider and Nick Tannura divide guitar duties as do pianists Sean Mason and John Chin, all of whom contributed to the lush sorcery on La Bruja and “expertly sustain the appealing Latin jazz-noir mood,” (Alex Henderson, New York City Jazz Record).

Interpretation is essential to Henderson’s adroitness. In a 2020 interview with DownBeat Magazine, she discusses her devotion to the integrity of a tune. Specifically, she feels sensitive to the lyrics of jazz standards. “I don’t feel like I can give a strong interpretation and representation of the song if I can’t find some way of connecting to it.” In a similar vein, Henderson was recognized by Grammy.com last October as one of “10 Jazz Artists Blending And Expanding The Sounds of Latin America.”

This fidelity to tradition, matched with her innately-articulate and warm timbre, distinguishes Henderson’s craft as one that is deeply perceptive and intricately measured. Listeners can sense this precision throughout Conjuring, and especially during Henderson’s selection of reimagined standards, which include “That Old Black Magic”, “Day Dream”, “It’s Magic” and “I Wish You Love.” She opts for subtlety throughout her repertoire, embracing her distinct contralto and hushed tones while exploring her own connection to sounds and ideas that harken back to eras as early as the ‘40s.

Through vigorous multitracking, Henderson’s savvy vocal forays on originals like “Potions” and “Amuleto” showcase the spellbinding qualities of her layered compositions. The lattermost opening at the command of Ross’ ethereal rubato on vibraphone, a fine example of his arresting complexities. Another original, album opener “Spells,” casts an array of magic-related metaphors including the idea of love as flame, reinforced through scintillating rhythmic interplay between Mason, Wheeler and Dyson.

Title track “Conjuring” is a standout for comparable reasons. An illustration of her intriguing yet reticent lyricism, Henderson softly whispers that “in its own way, love’s divine.” Yet even when such lyrics halt, this gentle poeticism is sustained instrumentally, particularly through a mesmeric motif introduced by Mason, which wondrously reverberates later on “Amuleto.”

Traces of reggae punctuate tracks like “Coercion” and serve as a reminder that Henderson is deftly equipped to transpose multiple sonic landscapes at once. That sort of nuance and exploration suffuses every turn on Conjuring, making the vocalist’s latest effort both a scheme of vast musical affections and strong basis for its high rank among the cardinals of modern jazz artistry.

La Bruja
Release Date: July 29, 2022
Label: Brontosaurus Records

Versatile vocalist Lauren Henderson expands her sound on her new album La Bruja. Merging mystical themes with familiar melodies, La Bruja is an embrace of Black American Music, highlighting the Afro-Latinx experience and the resilience of women through a spellbinding, 11-track collection of deftly-composed originals and carefully curated Latin jazz standards.

La Bruja takes its name from the Spanish word for ‘the witch.’ On her ninth release as a leader, Henderson gracefully sets out to reclaim an obsolete term historically with a negative connotation. As the United States reaches an apex of contention regarding women’s rights, Henderson’s empowering venture is a chilling reprisal against the governing of women’s bodies, while remaining a triumphant display of Henderson’s signature nuance and silken vocal palette.

She is joined by frequent collaborators Joel Ross on vibraphone, Nick Tannura and Gabe Shnider on guitar, Sean Mason and John Chin on piano, Eric Wheeler on bass and Joe Dyson on drums. La Bruja features several vigorous renditions of Latin Jazz standards, including “Veinte Años,” “Silencio,” and the vulnerable album-opener “Perfidia,” a lyrical message speaking to the light and darkness of an unrequited love.

Though the evocative recording is titled after a medieval figure, its foundation is rooted in the rich history of the African Diaspora and, more specifically, how enslaved Africans in the Americas have notable connections to witches. Henderson dives deep into her musical influences on La Bruja, melding her originals with standards while honing in on her Panamanian, Montserratian and Caribbean roots as well as her upbringing in New England close to the historic Salem, where The Salem Witch Trials took place. “I was surrounded by stories of Women and Black Americans being persecuted for their beauty and strength throughout history,” Henderson adds.

While studying and living in Mexico, Henderson was introduced to a variety of musical motifs that would become essential to her artistic growth and identity. “Mexico lindo remains a pillar of my artistic development,” she notes. Finding value in the art of the vast region of The Americas as a Black Central American herself, Henderson especially fell in love with Jarocho tracks, which we see a glimpse of on La Bruja’s title track.

Henderson’s array of originals includes the serene “Fría,” a melodic chant calling for a lover to come closer and warm their cold heart. Sustained by a pristine rhythm section, the track weaves Spanish lyrics through an entrancing groove and flow designed to grasp the listener. This past Juneteenth, Henderson released her first original single off La Bruja – “Amistad” – named after a Spanish colonial ship in Cuba known for its revolt of enslaved Africans. The sultry and mysterious tune is a fundamental historical connection to the African Diaspora, as Henderson describes, presenting a blend of genres and sounds while her powerful Spanish lyrics reflect on injustice.

Lauren Henderson’s eclectic compositional expression has anchored her musical output over the years and remained principal in her passage to self-discovery. Now, she shares a new perspective, one that shows listeners how to charter our own strengths and fly above oppression. Told fearlessly, the message behind La Bruja is unapologetically sincere, at times seductive and vulnerable at once.

Musa
Release Date: June 11, 2020
Label: Brontosaurus Records

Acclaimed vocalist-composer and lyricist Lauren Henderson returns with her most personal gesture to date. A multilingual rumination on themes of love and longing, Musa explores existing connections — and creates new relationships — among Henderson’s mingling lineages.

Toward the beginning of the pandemic, the New York artist sought to record an album braiding together traditions that influence her sound. “I wanted my next record to blend jazz, flamenco and Afro-Latinx music” says Henderson, “kind of melding all that makes me me, culturally and musical identity-wise.”

Musa is Henderson's her eighth release as a leader and features eleven tracks of original compositions and vibrant interpretations of standard tunes, including “I Concentrate on You,” “Wild is the Wind” and Valerie Parks Brown’s, “Forget Me.” Layer by layer, the lattermost title — Musa’s first single release — reveals an undercurrent of intensity pervading Henderson’s expression. Through each satin-swaddled lyric, she intuits dynamic tension and release. Her unrelenting awareness serves every dimension of the music. “I love being a musician because we’re always learning and we’re always growing,” says Henderson, who assembled a deft and dextrous outfit to interpret Musa’s range of identity. “Some of these songs blend jazz, R&B and soul; others incorporate flamenco, so I had to ask, ‘Who would be perfect for this record?’”

“This is jazz mastery” — DownBeat Magazine

Core personnel includes Sullivan Fortner on piano, Eric Wheeler on bass and Joe Dyson on drums. When Henderson felt ready to share her music, she went straight to Fortner, her longtime collaborator who has played on all her leader releases since 2011. “Sullivan is the first person I usually go to to share my original music,” she says, “just to get feedback from someone I trust, someone I know will give their honest opinion of what they think about the music.” Following a socially distant duo rehearsal, Henderson set the record dates.

Throughout the recording, Henderson engages a complexity of both musical and cultural identities, allowing them to influence the direction of the music in a head-on and multidimensional way. The sound she sought for each track emerged as bold, textural and authentic. After laying down mixes at Flux Studios in Manhattan — under the direction of studio engineer Daniel Sanint — Henderson sent tracks to extended ensemble members, trumpet player-composer Marquis Hill; electric guitarist Nick Tannura; stage, screen and studio performer Daniel J. Watts; Madrid-based flamenco guitarist Paco Soto; and legendary flamenco percussionist Sabu Porrina. “Paco is an amazing flamenco guitarist,” says Henderson, who met the Spanish artist when she spent a semester abroad in Spain. The two developed a friendship and creative partnership via Instagram, “Like a lot of other millennials [laughs].”

“Somewhere between a comforting whisper and a cogent declaration” — The New York Times

“As a composer, I really want to honor honesty and integrity,” says Henderson. “As a vocalist, it’s my responsibility to deliver a story to the listener and share my interpretation of the story. I just try to be kind of simple with my compositions and let things breathe. It’s been such an honor — and a blessing — to work with the people I’ve been able to call because they add so much life and their own voice to the music.”

Wheeler casts vivid shadows of tension and tenderness on “La Marejada” as Soto’s guitar radiates across Henderson’s melodies and interludes. Full of grace and syncopation, “Luz” features signature interplay between Henderson and Fortner buoyed by Dyson’s nuanced and reflexive touch. “Wild is the Wind” reveals the impact of intimacy — contemplative, purposeful and engaging a conflux of time feels. The album’s sole English-lyric original “Leeward” presents a hymn to the enduring nature of love. Hill’s lustrous conversational melody and moments of self-talk call and response serve the mood’s surrender. Porrina joins the ensemble for the album’s title track, providing textural dimension and resonating authenticity.

Composing for her own sound has taken Henderson on a journey of self-discovery. She found her shy disposition could become the focal point of her music — the most intimate aspect of her expression. “I’m not a belter,” says Henderson. “It’s more nuanced. While intensity is a powerful tool that we can use in a beautiful way and in a positive way, I can be more private at times, and I think I bring some of that to the stage. I’m so grateful for people who take the time to listen. I’m saying more with less and people have to listen to be able to receive it.”

Classic Christmas
Release Date: November 13, 2020
Label: Brontosaurus Records

Critically acclaimed vocalist, arranger, and musical impresario Lauren Henderson ushers in the holiday season with her newest recording Classic Christmas. This four-track EP finds the “vibrant star singer” (Downbeat Magazine) updating and reimagining a collection of time-tested holiday gems in the company of a top flight rhythm section: pianists Issac Wilson and Sullivan Fortner, bassist Eric Wheeler and drummer Allan Mednard.

The songs on Classic Christmas are personal favorites of the singer that have been recontextualized to fit the modern climate. The project opens with Rodgers & Hammerstein’s classic “My Favorite Things”, fit with a modern lyrical update that speaks to inclusivity, intersectionality and representation. As a black woman, and a member of the Afro-LatinX community, Henderson uses her art to share her experiences, and address concerning issues. “On “My Favorite Things”, I saw an opportunity to reflect my culture and the social climate in the United States by modifying the lyrics,” she said. This approach is also applied to the third track - a haunting rendition of “Once In Royal David’s City” that has been altered to highlight the strength of women and promote gender empowerment. Nestled between those is “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”, which showcases the stunning interplay of the ensemble, and closing out the set is a stirring duet with oft-musical partner Sullivan Fortner on “What A Wonderful World”, a song Henderson hopes “will touch people's souls, especially as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The Songbook Session
Release Date: April 24, 2020
Label: Brontosaurus Records

Lauren Henderson's sixth musical alliance with pianist Sullivan Fortner is The Songbook Session. A collection of jazz and Latin jazz standards, this self-produced record paints a story that reflects Henderson’s vast cultural influences - on The Songbook Session, Henderson uncovers the layers of her diverse background in English, Spanish and Portuguese. With the release of this nine-track collection, Henderson and Fortner - a revered duo with over a decade of musical collaboration - continue to mature and develop their collective and respective voices with bassist Eric Wheeler, long time collaborator of Henderson's and Allan Mednard, an expressive and inventive drummer and percussionist. Each of the reimagined arrangements of these classic gems - including “Day By Day”, “Sabor A Mi”, “People Will Say We’re in Love” and “Besame Mucho” - are courtesy of Henderson and Fortner.

JOSE PRUÑONOSA
MÁS JAZZ DIGITAL
Seguramente detrás de esta aceleración no tan solo está la creación y difusión de su pequeño sello discográfico Brontosaurus Records, sino también la labor de un gran equipo comercial encabezado por los productores: Michael Thurber y el nominado a los Grammy y ganador de un Emmy Mark Ruffin, productores de Alma Oscura y Ármame respectivamente, trabajos estos que claramente marcan el despegue en la carrera de Lauren Henderson, quien en este nuevo lanzamiento del 2021 ha sabido combinar el jazz cosmopolita y sofisticado de la “Gran Manzana” con la esencia del jazz latino de raíces y el “toque español” o Spanish Tinge de Juan Tizol. Para leer mas presione aquí.