Henry Butler
Encyclopedia
Henry Butler is an American
jazz pianist
.
He is known for his technique and his ability to play in many styles of music. Referred to by Dr. John
as "the pride of New Orleans", Butler is his generation's representative in the Crescent City's lineage of piano players such as Professor Longhair
, James Booker
, Tuts Washington
, and Jelly Roll Morton
.
Butler has recorded for several record label
s, including Impulse, Windham Hill, and Basin Street Records.
Blinded by glaucoma
since birth, Butler has not stopped pursuing photography
as a hobby; some of his photographs have been shown in galleries in New Orleans. Butler is a 1974 graduate of Michigan State University
and received the MSU Distinguished Alumni Award in 2009.
Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina
, Butler left New Orleans and relocated to Colorado
. Butler now resides in New York
as of September 2009.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazz pianist
Jazz piano
Jazz piano is a collective term for the techniques pianists use when playing jazz. The piano has been an integral part of the jazz idiom since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Its role is multifaceted due largely to the instrument's combined melodic and harmonic capabilities...
.
He is known for his technique and his ability to play in many styles of music. Referred to by Dr. John
Dr. John
Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jr. , better known by the stage name Dr. John , is an American singer-songwriter, pianist and guitarist, whose music combines blues, pop, jazz as well as Zydeco, boogie woogie and rock and roll.Active as a session musician since the late 1950s, he came to wider...
as "the pride of New Orleans", Butler is his generation's representative in the Crescent City's lineage of piano players such as Professor Longhair
Professor Longhair
Professor Longhair was a New Orleans blues singer and pianist...
, James Booker
James Booker
James Carroll Booker III was a jazz, New Orleans rhythm and blues and soul musician born in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.-Biography:...
, Tuts Washington
Tuts Washington
Isidore "Tuts" Washington was an American Louisiana blues pianist, who exemplified the New Orleans rhythm and blues style, also made famous by musicians such as Professor Longhair....
, and Jelly Roll Morton
Jelly Roll Morton
Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe , known professionally as Jelly Roll Morton, was an American ragtime and early jazz pianist, bandleader and composer....
.
Butler has recorded for several record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s, including Impulse, Windham Hill, and Basin Street Records.
Blinded by glaucoma
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an eye disorder in which the optic nerve suffers damage, permanently damaging vision in the affected eye and progressing to complete blindness if untreated. It is often, but not always, associated with increased pressure of the fluid in the eye...
since birth, Butler has not stopped pursuing photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
as a hobby; some of his photographs have been shown in galleries in New Orleans. Butler is a 1974 graduate of Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
and received the MSU Distinguished Alumni Award in 2009.
Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
, Butler left New Orleans and relocated to Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. Butler now resides in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
as of September 2009.
Discography
- Fivin' Around (1986)
- The Village (1988)
- Orleans Inspiration (1990)
- Blues & More (1992)
- For All Seasons (1996)
- Blues After Sunset (1998)
- The Game Has Just Begun (2002)
- Homeland (2004)
External links
- Official website
- Culture Catch Music Salon & Dusty Wright Interview with Henry
- Bonnaroo Interview with Henry by Ellen Mallernee
- Le ShowLe ShowLe Show is a weekly syndicated public radio show hosted by satirist Harry Shearer.The program is a hodgepodge of satirical news commentary, music, and sketch comedy...
interview: