CORY HENRY IS ON A PILGRIMAGE
HAVING A CAREER THAT HAS HAD HIM PLAYING PIANO FOR KENNY GARRETT AND KEYBOARDS FOR SNARKY PUPPY, HENRY HAS RETURNED TO THE ROOTS OF NOT ONLY JAZZ, BUT TO MUSIC, BUT TO LIFE ITSELF, WORSHIP OF GOD.
WHILE SHOWING THAT HE KNOWS HOW TO HAVE A GOOD TIME WITH HIS FUNK APOSTLES, AND HAS THE HEART OF A ROMANTIC AS WELL, HIS MOST RECENT ALBUMS HAVE BEEN A REFLECTION OF HIS DEVOTION TO GOD.
HAVING GROWN UP IN THE CHURCH, HENRY IS AT BOTH FAMILIAR TURF HERE, BUT ALSO ON NEW GROUND, WANTING TO TAKE HIS MUSIC TO THE STREETS, NOTABLY THE JAZZ CLUBS OF AMERICA.
I RECENTLY CAUGHT HIS SHOW AT THE SUN ROSE IN WEST HOLLYWOOD, AND WAS NOT ONLY FASCINATED BY THE SUCCESSFUL TIGHTROPE ACT OF SWING AND SANCTIFICATION, BUT WAS DEFINITELY READY FOR CHURCH THAT SUNDAY.
WE HAD A CHANCE TO CATCH UP WITH MR. HENRY, WHO WAS AS ENGAGING AND INVITING AS HIS MUSIC.
I’VE NEVER BEEN TO A CONCERT BEFORE WHERE THE ARTIST PAID FOR EVERYONE’S PARKING!
(laughs) You’ve got to make sure that everyone has been taken care of, man! From the top to the bottom
WHAT IS YOUR LATEST PROJECT?
It’s a residency that I’m building once a month in LA and New York. It started in LA on Easter Sunday, and it was a huge success at The Miracle Theatre. We’re doing it again June 29
It’s been a blessing. I also released a single this year that was released on Valentine’s Day, titled “Let’s Go Fall In Love”. I’m releasing a new single this month called “Watches Over Me”, a song I wrote the day before the Palisades fire
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First, I’m not preaching; I’m making music, and I let the music do the talking.
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WAS YOUR RECENT CONCERT AT THE ROSE A HINT OF WHAT YOUR RESIDENCY IS GOING TO BE LIKE, IN THAT VARIOUS GOSPEL GUEST COME UP AND JOIN YOU TO SING AND TESTIFY?
Absolutely. That was like what we’re doing.
SO, HAVING GROWN UP IN THE CHURCH AND PERFORMING GOSPEL MUSIC, HOW DO YOU MAKE MUSIC THAT PREACHES NOT “SOUND PREACHY”?
First, I’m not preaching; I’m making music, and I let the music do the talking.
I’m not being “religious”; I’m not having dedicated altar calls and all of that extra stuff that happens at church. If you want that, you can get that from any church on a Sunday morning, and that’s cool.
What I’m promoting is something a little different. It’s about the power of God through the gift of music.
We take it for granted, but it was God’s idea how music and sonics move people, words aside. The words are like the caviar, or the icing on top of the cake for the uplifting of the soul and the spiritual context, which I do to keep there in making spiritual music and creating a spiritual space
That’s why I’m doing it now more than ever before in my life.
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“What I’m promoting is something a little different. It’s about the power of God through the gift of music”
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BEFORE THIS, YOU PLAYED WITH KENNY GARRETT AND THEN SNARKY PUPPY. WAS THERE SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED TO YOU THAT MADE YOU TURN INTO THIS DIRECTION?
No, I’ve been wanting to do this since I was a kid
Most people don’t know this, but as a kid I had my own gospel based group. I was 15 years old, and it was called “God’s Chosen”. I wrote all the songs, and we were working around the Tri-State area, booking gigs and everything. I’ve always wanted to do my own gospel thing.
Growing up in church, I always involved with the ministry of music. I was able to call the shots and make arrangements
So, I’ve always wanted to do it; it just seemed like the right time to finally do it more passionately with the time that I have
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“it was God’s idea how music and sonics move people, words aside. The words are like the caviar, or the icing on top of the cake for the uplifting of the soul and the spiritual context, which I do to keep there in making spiritual music and creating a spiritual space”
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WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM YOUR EARLY DAYS WITH SAXIST KENNY GARRETT?
One of the biggest things that I learned from him was that there is no note that is out of bounds
I used to watch him play this song “Wayne’s Thang”, and the song is mainly a four chord groove, and he’d play it for thirty minutes! 523
He’d just solo over and over with different phrases and it was some of the greatest music that I ever heard.
I asked him ‘How are you doing this?”
He just said that there’s no note that is out of bounds, and once you find the mode, you can play anything over it. He’d find these modes that were just so beautiful, playing them in five different keys at a time. I’d watch and think “Wow”
I learned a lot how to solo from him. I learned the best of improvisation from watching him do it every night.
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“One of the biggest things that I learned from (Kenny Garrett) was that there is no note that is out of bounds”
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HOW ABOUT SNARKY PUPPY? WHAT DID YOU GLEAN FROM THAT EXPERIENCE?
I’ve never seen a band of people care about music as much as they did, to the point where they were willing to give up everything.
When I first started in the band I watched them live in three hotel rooms with twelve people. ***The music was so killing that nobody was trying to rise above the other; they just cared about the music. They really strove for excellence.
So, when I started my band, I took what I learned from them and implemented it in my own band, from the standpoint of grassroots of not having much financial stability but believing in the music and coming together for that purpose
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“I’ve never seen a band of people care about music as much as (Snarky Puppy) did, to the point where they were willing to give up everything”
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YOU’VE PLAYED WITH A LOT OF GOSPEL SINGERS LIKE YOLANDA ADAMS AND KIRK FRANKLIN. IS THERE A TENSION OFTWO WORLDS, AS IN PERFORMANCE WHEN THE FINANCIAL CAREER BISECTS WITH DEVOTION TO GOD
I personally believe that it is all one thing
I grew up all my life. At one point I stopped going to church for a very long time
When I was away from church I learned some things, and found out some things about myself that I never thought I would, to be totally honest.
The moment that I started really listening to some of my favorite artists like Ray Charles and ***Aretha Franklin, people who kept the music at the front along with the spirituality, mixing the gospel with the secular, I realized that this is what I am here for.
Music is a gift from God. Period.
So, as long as you’re playing the music with good intent, no matter the form of the music, it’s doing well
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“So, as long as you’re playing the music with good intent, no matter the form of the music, it’s doing well”
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I BRING THIS UP BECAUSE I’M SURE YOU’VE SEEN ONE MOMENT SOMEONE IS TRASH TALKING WITH A POTTY MOUTH, AND THEN SUDDENLY THEY JUMP ON STAGE AND SING PRAISES TO JESUS.
The Scripture does say something about of the soul we speak, be it positive and negative. It’s all going to be there; it’s all going to be mixed together, just like life
Some people just don’t know how to control themselves. There’s nothing wrong with making ****music about your life or life style. Music is about reaching people, and you have to be honest with who you are. I’ve been doing that my entire career.
Before I released my “Church” record, I made several “secular” and jazz albums all being things that I’ve dealt with in my life, so I feel that it’s ok to talk about it. Things like love, breakups.
That’s what church is all about, too. You’ve got to speak to people on the level that they are going through so that you can communicate to them so that they understand it and get it.
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“That’s what church is all about, too. You’ve got to speak to people on the level that they are going through so that you can communicate to them so that they understand it and get it”
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ARE THERE ANY CHRISTIAN BOOKS, OR BOOKS IN THE BIBLE THAT HAVE REALLY HELPED YOU ON YOUR PATH?
***The most inspirational things that I get come from King David. I’ve been thinking a lot more about him than I have before, even when growing up in church.
His life was so ornate, and I see a lot of parallels in my life with his.
I was with my grandma yesterday. I’ve been playing since I was two years old or younger, and we were talking how David’s music was so calming to King Solomon. It can be that powerful. I feel that some time in my life, if it hasn’t happened already, I can be put into a situation where I can see miracles like that happen through my music.
I don’t have any Christian authors that have guided me. I’m about to pick up a book that a friend, who’s a gospel artist and pastor sent me that I need to read. It’s about praying the right way. I need to get into that
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“The most inspirational things that I get come from King David. I’ve been thinking a lot more about him than I have before, even when growing up in church.
His life was so ornate, and I see a lot of parallels in my life with his”
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DO YOU HAVE ANY SPIRITUAL OR MUSICAL GOALS?
My musical goal is to continue to put out life-changing music, the best music that I can put out
Attached to that is to do these residencies that I’m now putting together. It’s the closest thing to church that I’ve felt since I’ve been going to church
IS THAT WHY YOU PLAY THE HAMMOND ORGAN? FOR THAT “CHURCH” SOUND?
No, I just grew up with the organ in my house. I love it; I feel that the organ is the most soulful instrument that there is
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“It’s the closest thing to church that I’ve felt since I’ve been going to church”
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AND YOU PLAY IT LIKE ART TATUM AND OSCAR PETERSON
Absolutely. I used to listen to them every day
DO YOU GO TO CHURCH WHEN YOU COME TO LOS ANGELES?
I do frequent a church, and I’ll give a shout out to my boy, Bishop Ulysses Hendersonj, at 33rd Emmanuel Church of God in Christ
BEING A MUSICIAN. ARE YOU ABLE TO SUBJECTIVELY ENJOY WORSHIP MUSIC, OR DO YOUI CATCH YOURSELF ANALYZING IT?
I used to analyze in church, but I don’t do that anymore. I play to the Spirit. I barely analyze anything anymore; I’m trying to be a student.
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“I used to analyze in church, but I don’t do that anymore. I play to the Spirit. I barely analyze anything anymore; I’m trying to be a student”
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LIKE ALL PILGRIMS, CORY HENRY IS ENCOURAGING US ALL TO BE FAITHFUL ON OUR WALKS. OR, MAYBE YOU DON’T EVEN REALIZE THAT YOU ARE ON A JOURNEY. YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE OF IT, BUT YOU ARE ON ONE. MAYBE HENRY’S MESSAGE WILL HELP YOU RE-EVALUATE IT.