We're from Toronto. Sometimes we get carried away (literally) to do gigs in such exotic locale as: The Hague, Vancouver, Austin, New York, New Zealand, Amsterdam ... even Wakefield, Quebec. Mostly we work around home. Although guest musicians sing and play violin, trumpet, conch shell, organ and other oddball things on The Henrys' CDs, in concert performances are as an instrumental quartet.
Henstory: We played around Ontario and Quebec for 10 years, with concerts here and there including a duet with V.M. Bhatt at Harbourfront in Toronto, a shared bill with the great Dave Tronzo; the NXNE festival a few times, a jazz fest or two, and a house gig at Ted's Collision and Body Repair, where we slugged it out every Sunday for a year and a half. Lots of others gigs. Further afield: 1996 Vancouver Folk Festival and the 1997 SXSW fest in Austin (see back issue #9 for the Texas dirt); The Bottom Line in NYC (pix). New Zealand in Jan '99 for a gig at the infamous (just ask Costello) Sweetwaters Festival (pix); North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague, July '99.
The Henrys' sound is characterized, in part,
by the tone of an old guitar called a Kona.
The Kona is an acoustic slide instrument
made out of Hawaiian koa wood.
They were manufactured in Los Angeles in
the 1920s by a luthier/polygamist named
Herman Weissenborn. The instrument is
traditionally played slide style, flat in the lap,
with a small steel bar.At least that's how we use it.
CD 1, Puerto Angel, was released independently
in Canada in June 1994. Joe Reilly at Ottawa Express Magazine called it the number one CD of the year.
As well as the instrumental core, guests on that record include Michael White (trumpet), Hugh Marsh (violin) and the singer Mary Margaret O'Hara.
Later, England's Demon Records (R.I.P.), which boasted
Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe on its board of directors,
heard the record and released Puerto Angel in Europe.
Q Mag gave it a 4-star review. Mojo called it "a delight
on numerous levels, sprightly, balming, edgy and eclectic."Thom Owens, All Music Guide: "The Henrys' debut album, Puerto Angel, is an impressive, unpredictable record that blends together a variety of roots musics -- blues, country, folk, worldbeat -- into a unique, entirely original fusion. It's evocative, occasionally haunting, but the overriding emotion is joy -- music this original is something to celebrate."
Soon after, Bar/None Records from Hoboken, NJ got on the band's wagon and released the CD in North America, in a misguided attempt to make their fortune.
"The Henrys play classic Americana," said Ink Magazine from Georgia, "wonderfully arranged, sharply talented and springing from the sheer joy of playing. In a time where most see 'roots rock' as a return to simpler folk forms, the Henrys distinguish themselves by adding flourishes that accentuate and decorate the music into something extraordinary. Subtle and immersive."
CD 2, Chasing Grace, 1996. Produced by John Sheard, this disc has some keyboards, conch shell, more M.M. O'Hara and other stuff too: "Sinuous slide guitars and torque-wrench tight rhythms. The compositions and playing are impeccable. Make this one of your essential albums," said Folk Roots Magazine from the U.K. (Chasing Grace reviews). Few people did.
Thom Owens, All Music Guide: "If anything, the Henrys' second album Chasing Grace is an even better record than its predecessor, Puerto Angel. The band's sound is gelling -- even guest Mary Margaret O'Hara fits into the picture, since her wordless voice is used as an instrument, not a lead -- and the result is a seamless fusion of blues, folk, and country that sounds like nothing else. "
England's Norfolk and Suffolk Preview said, "In a time when so many artists are trying to sound original, diverse and experimental, The Henrys just seem to be light years ahead." And in Germany, Rolling Stone mag said, "The Henrys are a relief for souls that are fed up with pop music." Few people were.
CD3: There's no distributor for our 3rd CD Desert Cure, except in Italy: Venus Records. In the rest of Europe our old label Demon Records sold itself to some other company which cared not about things Hen.
Still, onward, upward and off to Holland we soldiered, like so many Canadians before us.
"Is there such a thing as tropical noir? Fretwork of the first order, well worth seeking out." Joe Gore, Guitar Player
"Lethally funky." (Puremusic)
CD4: In early summer 2002, as you've undoubtedly noticed, we had a fourth child: Joyous Porous. Why, we're just as galldarn proud of this little upstart as we were of the other three delinquents. We hope you agree. You can vote with your feet by slipping over to the maplemusic site and gittin' yerself a cd or two. We even did a gig to support the cd, a review of which is eminently readable here.
- a pic
- an article
- another article , and another
- a review
- At a very relaxed pace we maintain an emailing list* about the comings and goings of the group, back issues of which are posted. Anyone interested is welcome to receive this monthly - just send email saying you'd like to sign on.
*(Note: We had an email list, but we also had a computer meltdown - you could actually smell the acrid electric fire within - and lost said precious mailing list, among much else.
If you want to be on it, or stay on what once was, or even start the damn thing, please
mail us and we'll rebuild that massive database one mo' time.)
