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Henry Butler: Homeland

By C. Michael Bailey
April 14, 2004
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Henry Butler's last recording was a bit of an eclectic affair. The Game has Just Begun, Butler's debut on New Orleans? Basin Street Records, contained a gumbo of Southern music with a cover of "Riders on the Storm" to boot. Butler's new offering, Homeland, is a throwback almost to the Swing Era, judging by the disc?s opening piece, "Jump to the Music." "Jump" is the key operative. Butler?s piano on "Jump To the Music" recalls Jay McShann and a whole other musical period - the Swing Era. Or really, better yet, Louis Jordan and jump blues.

It is Butler's piano playing that is the centerpiece of this recording, and his instrumentals are the most engaging of the songs. "Henry's Boogie" simply rocks, as does "the Game Band Strut" and "OS7.0," though these latter two pieces are more complex than twelve simple bars. Vocally, Butler runs the gambit from lowdown ("Jump To The Music" and "Casino") to tender ("The Way We Loved" and "I Stand Accused"). Homeland is much more satisfying than The Game Has Just Begun. His band is tauter and more seasoned and his rhythms are sure and expansive.

Visit Basin Street Records and Henry Butler on the web.

Track Listing

Jump To The Music; Henry?s Boogie; The Way We Loved; Homeland; Hey Little Girl; Casinl; Some Iko; The Game Band Strut; I Stand Accused; OS7.0; You Can?t Beat My Love; Ode To Fess.

Personnel

Henry Butler

piano

Henry Butler- B3 organ, piano, keyboards, synths, vocals; Vasti Jackson- guitar, background vocals; Nick Daniels III- bass, background vocals; Raymond Weber- drums, background vocals.

Album information

Title: Homeland | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: Basin Street Records

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