 Bruce HenryİAndrea Canter Perhaps the most easily identified male voice in Twin Cities Jazz, Bruce Henry recently relocated to his home town of Chicago. Fortunately he left behind ongoing projects and gig dates that have brought him back throughout the summer and fall. This weekend Bruce will appear at two of his favorite haunts, the Dakota Jazz Club (October 16-17) and Times Bar and Café (October 17), both in Minneapolis. Bruce Henry “possesses a three and one-half octave range, a pure voice with versatility and depth that few can match” (CD Baby). Born in West Point, Mississippi, Bruce moved to Chicago as a young child and was already singing in the family’s Baptist church by age 5. His pianist father immersed young Bruce in the music of Basie and Ellington. Although initially studying classical music at the Chicago Conservatory of Music, his love of improvisation led Henry to the music of Nina Simone, Al Jarreau, and John Coltrane. Absorbing eclectic styles of vocals and composition while touring the world, Bruce has garnered a large following in France and the Far East, and has been heard live on the BBC as well as on movie soundtracks. Over his career, Bruce has performed on such exotic and legendary international stages as the Malate in Manila, the Klezmer Festival in Israel, Le Bilboquet in Paris, the WhitBread in London, the Coconut Grove in Miami, the Waldorf Astoria in New York, and Grand Wailea in Maui.
 Bruce HenryİAndrea Canter It was natural that Bruce Henry would extend his social passions to his music. “All the way through my twenties, my music had a political/spiritual bent to it, especially my religious music. You have to keep in mind that during my formative years, Medgar Evans, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and the Anti War movement were major influences in contemporary culture. There were also many performers seek to create conscious music during this time period. People like Marvin Gaye and socially conscious artists John Coltrane and Nina Simone were major influences. Over the years I have sought to find outlets for this expression.” One of Henry’s early outlets was the African American Cultural Center. “In 1979 I was the music director of the African American Cultural Center of Minneapolis, where I founded the AACC Ensemble. The AACC Ensemble featured Black consciousness music and poetry.” And in the past few years, Henry has found a new outlet for socially conscious music through the Freedom Train Ensemble, a multimedia troupe with a mission of sharing African American music and history with all people through song, dance and spoken word. This is one project that keeps Bruce connected to the Twin Cities!  Katie GeartyİAndrea Canter Private and public gigs have brought Bruce Henry “home” to Minnesota this fall, and this weekend finds him doing back to back club dates: On Thursday (7-11 pm) and Friday (7-10 pm), October 16-17, Bruce performs at the Dakota Jazz Club in downtown Minneapolis. He’ll be backed by his “regular’ band featuring Bryan Nichols on piano, Jay Young on bass, Kevin Washington on drums, Darryl Boudreaux on percussion and Brandon Wozniak on saxophone. For the Friday sets, he’ll be joined by special guest, vocalist Michelle Denise. Friday night, he’ll be on the run to the Times Bar and Café for a 10 pm – 12:30 am show with popular vocalist Katie Gearty, a member of Freedom Train and a fast-rising star in her own right. This is a rare opportunity to hear this duo preside over the Times’ dance floor! The Dakota Jazz Club is located at 1010 Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis; www.dakotacooks.com. The Times Bar and Café is located at 201 E. Hennepin Avenue just north of downtown Minneapolis; www.timesbarandcafe.com. Keep up with Bruce Henry at www.bruceahenry.com
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Thursday, 08 January 2009
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