Here's what critics have said about
Chasing Grace
the second CD release by The Henrys
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Don Rooke's mostly instrumental combo balances profound roots sensibilities with a restless, open-ended spirit. Rooke's main instrument is a Kona, a Weissenborn-like instrument from the 1920s. His touch is immaculate, his tone drop-dead gorgeous. Rooke sometimes evokes Jerry Douglas's perfection, Ben Harper's funk, Bob Brozman's liquid vibrato and Dave Tronzo's intensity, yet his unique voice never loses its focus as the group veers across genres. The smoky-toned electric work of co-guitarist Monte Horton is a perfect foil for Rooke's singing slide, and the rhythm section is equally formidable. Deep music from deep players - and a field day for tone fiends."
Joe Gore,
Guitar Player, November 1997
Translation from German review:
"The Henrys from Toronto are a quartet which presents its musical work mainly in instrumental form. Since their debut album
Puerto Angel they've remained true to their collective goal. Music without image, without forced stylishness and mixed together in front of the homey fireplace. Henrys chief Don Rooke is a master of the kona (a Hawaiian slide guitar with an unusually clear tone) who used to back up a friend, vocalist Mary Margaret O'Hara, during many a concert.
Working with the Henrys was just a small step for her. She sings without words, but is able to hit the most amazing sequences of notes. Her vocal chords must be made out of pinkish marshmellowy stuff, so smooth, sweet and humorously does she work her way along the songlines of the Henrys' material. Like a "Fieldmouse" hunting for "Social Piranhas". Guest trumpeter Michael White makes his muffled horn sound like an oboe. The whole thing could be adequately described as Country-Blues-Ocean-Jazz-Improvisations for never-shot movie scenes that are projected at our ears rather than our eyes.
Because of their originality, The Henrys are a relief for souls that are fed up with pop music. Contrary to what the album's title suggests, they don't need to chase after recognition or even grace. With music that can safely be heard in bars, bedrooms, during breakfast or in cars, this wonderful quartet from Canada should entertain us as often and long as possible. On "Avenues of Forgiveness" there's a "Mouse in Sheep's Clothing" - be honest, where else can you find this?"
Gitti Golden,
Rolling Stone, Germany
November 1996
Translation by Ton Maas
"How can Toronto's finest lounge-lizard instrumental band follow up last year's debut, "Puerto Angel"? Simple - with an album that stretches their musical adeptness and boundaries still further...Plenty more of the sinuous slide guitars and torque-wrench tight rhythms that are easy to listen to but a long, long way from Easy Listening...The compositions and playing are impeccable...Make this one of your essential albums."
"Musically, The Henrys arrive at a strange hybrid, an almost ambient concoction of swinging jazz, country and blues, tinged by flickering neon. David Trevis's near dub bass pours out like hot tar...The Henrys seem to have cultivated a completely new genre."
Martin Longley, Q Magazine, London, U.K., October 1996
"Pop by any of the Henrys' live sessions and you're bound to be treated to a set of edgy instrumental ambience, blurring demarcation lines between jazz, dustbowl twang and sun-baked Hawaiian blues. All the parts appear to be in place on Chasing Grace... There is an unfaltering sense of ease with which Don Rooke guides the sessions, juggling kona, acoustic, lapsteel, National and Hawaiian King guitars with relentless creativity. And each of Rooke's compositions are impeccably arranged and tastefully played, with the guitar/bass/drums configuration augmented by trumpet, keys, and conch shell and with Mary Margaret O'Hara providing occasional flutters."
Matt Galloway, NOW Magazine, Toronto, Canada,
October 1996
Translation from Italian review:
"... The Henrys, a quartet that mixes instrumental intuitions a la Ry Cooder with jazz grace notes reminiscent of Bill Frisell. The first CD of the Henrys, "Puerto Angel", was a curious mixture of sounds, halfway between a solar atmosphere and moments of pure improvisation, and the band, now five in number, has always been under the leadership of Don Rooke.
Rooke is a little genius, playing the Hawaiian guitar and giving an exotic touch to his compositions. Mary Margaret O'Hara flanks the band with jazz vocalization (the Henrys don't sing), and gives more body to a sound already full and unusual by itself.
And below more translation from the same review, but this time by a sentence structurally-challenged - but very game - Alta Vista software translation package.
At times this thing gets downright Biblical.
http://babelfish.altavista.digital.com/cgi-bin/translate?
(Thanks to Barry Grosman for sending it to us.)The original Italian is further below:
Strange creature Mary Margaret O' Hara, great talent but absolutely schivo personage, musician outside from every classification and, exactly for this, unclassifiable.
She has recorded a single disc, ' Miss America' (than just some month it makes and be reprinted in USA from the Koch), but in by now far away 1988, then and passing.
Then, two years ago, and riaffacciata timidly to the ribalta like voice added in the strange within of ensemble a Canadian one, The Henrys, a quartet that fray instrumental intuitions to the Ry Cooder with fraseggi jazzistici that recall Bill Frisell.
An anomalous group, than ago from sonorous column to pieces teatrali, than is exhibited very of shaves from the alive one: and it is them, in some song.
At least we still know that there and.
The first disc of the Henrys, ' Puerto angel', was curiossima a mixture of sounds, one via of means between solar atmospheres and moments of pure improvisation and the band, then a quintetto, it was always under the leadership of Don Rooke, but with he there were Kim Ratcliffe, Paul Pasmore, Howard Gaul and Victor Bateman. Hour the things radically are changed, not in the sound pear tree, and, together to Rooke, we have Monte Horton, David Trevis and Michael Billard: two guitars, a bottom and one battery.
Rooke and a small genius and sound the hawaiiana guitar, giving cosi an exotic touch to its compositions: Mary Margaret O' Hara flanks the band with vocalizes jazz (the Henrys does not sing), and renders piu a full and curious sound however gia of for if same carposo.
Listened to the splendid and solar 'Avenues of forgiveness', seems an extracted brano to force from an old vinile of Ry Cooder, with the guitar that converses with one percussion (the sound of the battery and similar to that one of Keltner) and Mary who gorgheggia on the bottom. The disc is opened with a brano that solletica immediately the curiosito one, 'Social piranhas': a bugle jazzy and a hardened battery, a liquid guitar leaves endured the sign and Mary free Margaret its voice: the song, free from any tie, is born from the pure improvisation but and a pleasure for our orecchie.
'Din of inequity', still the bugle to leave the sign (Michael White), therefore Rooke and the other guitar (Monte Horton) to punctuate the melodica part: between jazz, simple jazz, and contemporary music.
Of ' Avenues of forgiveness' gia we have maginificato the qualita one, but there and of the other: up the friselliano time of ' Sawchuk head', ' Bait + switch' (with O' Hara), ' Joe Batt' s arm' pure atmosphere.
Therefore 'conclusive Agony aunt' in which Don Rooke it leaves to fly its hawaiian king guitar, 'Die fieldmouse' (always with Mary Margaret) exercise jazzy a lot refined in order to end with 'Chump changes', 'Rash' and 'the Sweet daddy siki' and ' To mouse in sheep' s clothing'.
A various disc, between jazz and improvisation, creative music and folk: a disc however always gradevole, to play to late hour, even with beautiful book in hand and a gustoso scotch in the other.
A nocturnal and winter disc that listens to all of a breath and extension absolute intelligence of Don Rooke and creative its ensemble.
"Strana creatura Mary Margaret O'Hara, grande talento ma personaggio assolutamente schivo, musicista fuori da ogni classificazione e, appunto per questo, inclassificabile.
Ha inciso un solo disco, 'Miss America' (che proprio qualche mese fa e stato ristampato in Usa dalla Koch), ma nell'ormai lontano 1988, poi e scomparsa.
Poi, due anni fa, si e riaffacciata timidamente alla ribalta come voce aggiunta nell'ambito di uno strano ensemble canadese, The Henrys, un quartetto che mischia intuizioni strumentali alla Ry Cooder con fraseggi jazzistici che richiamano Bill Frisell.Un gruppo anomalo, che fa da colonna sonora a pieces teatrali, che si esibisce molto di rado dal vivo: e lei sta li, in qualche canzone.
Almeno sappiamo che c'e ancora.
Il primo disco degli Henrys, 'Puerto angel', era una curiossima mistura di suoni, una via di mezzo tra atmosfere solari e momenti di pura improvvisazione e la band, allora un quintetto, era sempre sotto la leadership di Don Rooke, ma con lui c'erano Kim Ratcliffe, Paul Pasmore, Howard Gaul e Victor Bateman. Ora le cose sono radicalmente mutate, non nel suono pero, e, assieme a Rooke, abbiamo Monte Horton, David Trevis e Michael Billard: due chitarre, un basso ed una batteria.Rooke e un piccolo genio e suona la chitarra hawaiiana, dando cosi un tocco esotico alle sue composizioni: Mary Margaret O'Hara fiancheggia la band con vocalizzi jazz (gli Henrys non cantano), e rende piu carposo un suono comunque gia pieno e curioso di per se stesso.
Ascoltate la splendida e solare 'Avenues of forgiveness', sembra un brano estratto a forza da un vecchio vinile di Ry Cooder, con la chitarra che dialoga con una percussione (il suono della batteria e simile a quello di Keltner) e Mary che gorgheggia sul fondo. Il disco si apre con un brano che solletica immediatamente la curiosito, 'Social piranhas': una tromba jazzy ed una batteria indurita, una chitarra liquida lascia subito il segno e Mary Margaret libera la sua voce: la canzone, libera da qualunque vincolo, nasce dalla pura improvvisazione ma e un piacere per le nostre orecchie.
'Din of inequity', ancora la tromba a lasciare il segno (Michael White), quindi Rooke e l'altra chitarra (Monte Horton) a punteggiare la parte melodica: tra jazz, semplice jazz, e musica contemporanea.
Di 'Avenues of forgiveness' abbiamo gia maginificato le qualita, ma c'e dell'altro: l'up tempo friselliano di 'Sawchuk head', 'Bait + switch' (con la O'Hara), 'Joe Batt's arm' pura atmosfera.
Quindi 'Agony aunt' in cui Don Rooke lascia volare la sua hawaiian king guitar, 'Die fieldmouse' (sempre con Mary Margaret) esercizio jazzy molto raffinato per finire con 'Chump changes', 'Rash' e le conclusive 'Sweet daddy siki' e 'A mouse in sheep's clothing'.
Un disco diverso, tra jazz e improvvisazione, musica creativa e folk: un disco comunque sempre gradevole, da suonare a tarda ora, magari con bel libro in mano ed un gustoso scotch nell'altra.
Un disco notturno ed invernale che si ascolta tutto d'un fiato e mostra l'assoluta intelligenza di Don Rooke e del suo ensemble creativo.
Paolo Caru, Buscadero Magazine, Italy, October 1996
CHASING GRACE ('96), DESERT CURE ('98) • The Henrys
Oh, baby, every once in a while you run into something really special. These two blessed discs by this apparently alien outfit from Toronto defy, decry, and refry description.
Our story begins with the irrefutable genius of leader and slide player Don Rooke. Mostly he plays an antique slide guitar called a Kona. He calls it "...a rare acoustic instrument with unique tonal purity. Konas were manufactured out of Hawaiian koa wood in the 1920's. It is played slide style, flat, with a small steel bar." In this case, when you're Don Rooke, it is played with sheer genius. He is the musical equal of slide masters Ry Cooder and David Lindley, as well as the phenomenal Dave Tronzo and Indian wonder V.M. Bhatt. His haunting compositions leave few genres untapped, combined and turned out like reversible flowers.
Along with the Kona, Don also uses a Weissenborn, National Tricone, and Hawaiian King guitars, and cuts the occasional acoustic track. The fretting guitarist is the graceful, the eloquent Monte Horton, a superb and very original player, first rate ensemblist. Producer John Sheard contibutes masterfully and essentially on keyboards, standing out memorably in select moments when called upon. David Trevis on bass and Michael Billiard on drums are an inspired, flawless rhythm section, a composer's dream. Michael White plays beautiful trumpet and conch shell, sparingly used. Special guest Mary Margaret O'Hara on vocals, she's simply amazing. Microtonal, sings in tongues, oblique and omnipresent, looming in the studio corners. Truly rare.
These landmark records of (mostly) instrumental genius cannot be found in stores, but can be purchased from the artist Don Rooke at their website. I am hard pressed to find words adequate to their level of artistry, but am conversely pleased to be able to offer our readers a chance to listen instead, to tracks jazzmospheric and sometimes lethally funky, sample a couple from each record on the listen page. Incredible acts unknown, thugs rule. What a world. • FG