Crossover London pianist Ashley Henry releases debut full-length ‘Beautiful Vinyl Hunter’

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Crossover London pianist Ashley Henry releases debut full-length ‘Beautiful Vinyl Hunter’

London pianist and composer Ashley Henry has been making a name for himself since his debut Jazz Re:freshed label Five EP release back in 2016. Since then, he has released another solid EP (Easter EP), and contributed to both Makaya McCraven and Zara McFarlane’s latest recordings. Now he has released a brilliant new major label full-length album titled Beautiful Vinyl Hunter.

Heavily influenced by Herbie Hancock, Common, Leslie Thompson, Abbey Lincoln and others, this 15-track recording incorporates a wide array of sounds and genres, fusing together jazz, hip-hop, grime, broken beat grooves, and soulful melodies.

The album also features a number of high-profile guests, including vocalists Judi Jackson and Milton Suggs, trumpeters Kenyon Harold and Theo Croker, drummers Makaya McCraven and Moses Boyd, Manchester rapper Sparkz, UK saxophonist Binker Golding and others.

Some of my favorite highlights include Henry’s instrumental version of Solange’s “Cranes (In The Sky)”, the uptempo track “Battle” featuring Goldings and Moses, the head-nodding jazz groover “Pressure,” the mid-tempo “Introspective” featuring some incredible trumpet solos from Croker, and the hypnotic jazz-funk cut “Dark Honey” featuring some hard-hitting drum rhythms from McCraven.

With Beautiful Vinyl Hunters, Henry showcases his highly diverse and virtuosic abilities as both a pianist and a composer, continuing to show why the London pianist is one of the most notable jazz artists of his generation.