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Ashley Henry - How important it is to be yourself

Christof Thurnherr03-19-20253 min. read

He is at the heart of the British scene, but always in touch with tradition and current developments on the other side of the Atlantic. For Ashley Henry, the connection between his own music of today and the jazz of yesteryear is no contradiction.

Throughout the history of jazz, Britain has always been a place where something special has developed. As British scene expert André Marmot details in his book "Unapologetic Expression", British jazz is an echo of its specific cultural past, resulting in new forms with a clearly recognisable sound.
«"I am not really interested in whether I play British or American jazz"»
Ashley Henry
As plausible as this thesis may seem, the benefits of placing too much emphasis on a transatlantic divide are questionable. Much more exciting are the examples in which tradition and a very personal history stand side by side on an equal footing. "I am not really interested in whether I play British or American jazz," explains pianist Ashley Henry. "Of course my music sounds like where I come from. But what really interests me is what someone is expressing with their music. In that respect, the similarities are more important than the differences".Henry's personal history is distinctly British as well as diasporic and specifically black. He was inspired to become a musician by the wave of new British jazz in the late 1980s. He grew up with Caribbean music, was interested in the sound of the street and attended a course at the Royal Academy of Music. He entered international competitions and was discovered by Silvertone, a subsidiary of Sony Music. His first EP was followed a few months later by 'Beautiful Vinyl Hunter', which received its first international acclaim. "The whole thing developed quite organically: it just happened, without much effort. I think you can hear that in my music.The fact that his path to international fame took him through the USA was of secondary importance to him. "It was about the environment and the fact that I was able to play with the musicians I liked - both from the UK and elsewhere".His early collaborators included Terence Blanchard, Jean Toussaint, Robert Glasper and Makaya McCraven, all representatives of an American but at the same time young and open scene. More important than geographical or socio-political origins was the basic musical understanding - black music. "No matter how the music expresses itself today - be it hip-hop, jungle or grime - it all comes from the same source: blues and soul. If it sounds different today, it's just a different interpretation of the same sources. It's obvious with jungle: it's nothing more than souped-up soul.
«"Dizee Rascal was far more important in my personal journey to becoming a musician than all the giants of jazz"»
Ashley Henry
But understanding the history of the music is not the only important thing. Equally important is the fact that jazz is about self-expression. Interestingly, Henry discovered this not in jazz but in grime. "Dizee Rascal, whose record 'Boy in the Corner' was far more important in my personal journey to becoming a musician than all the giants of jazz. It wasn't the style or the sound, it was the message. That record instilled in me the importance of expressing myself."There is not much grime, jungle or hip-hop in Henry's music today. Instead, you can hear soul and R'n'B in his songs. And even a bit of traditional jazz, as in his cover of Nina Simone's "Mississippi Goddam". "Wow, yeah, that wasn't obvious to me ... I was asked to cover the song for a TV series. At first I was reluctant because there are some songs that don't really add anything. But over time I realised that what Nina Simone sings is still true - especially for the situation in the UK.Jazz has always been a music with room for all kinds of stories. It is a music of contact and mutual exchange. And the more equally all kinds of influences are represented, the more exciting the result will be.Christof Thurnherr, jazz'n'moreThis article appeared in the March/April 2025 issue of jazz'n'more magazine. More info & subscriptions: jazznmore.ch

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