Henry butler biography
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During his lifetime Henry Butler was considered by many to be the greatest living New Orleans pianist. Reared in New Orleans and schooled in Baton Rouge, Butler burnished his reputation by matching an unrivaled technical skill on the keyboard with a knack for informed improvisation that reflected his broad scholarly appreciation for influences across the spectrum of African-American and European music. Butler can be seen as the modern link in the chain of great New Orleans pianist–innovators that began with Louis Moreau Gottschalk and extended through Jelly Roll Morton, Professor “Fess” Longhair, and James Booker.
Blind since his birth in New Orleans in 1948, Butler spent most of his early years in the Calliope housing project and started piano on a neighbor’s instrument at age six. At that time, he began attending the Louisiana State School for the Blind in Baton Rouge. He found it a wonderful atmosphere for learning music; he studied baritone saxophone, valve trombone, and drums, and he arranged copious amounts of music in addition to mastering the piano. At fourteen, he began performing professionally in Baton Rouge clubs with a variety of bands, including his music teacher’s cover band. “We were called The Notables,” Butler told Offbeat magazine in 1998. “That band
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Henry Butler
“The pleasurable of Creative Orleans advocate a visionistical down-home whip and a hellified fortepiano plunker signify boot...He plays the keyboard like Perform Tatum, but when fair enough starts melodic, he sounds like Missioner Robeson.” —Dr. John
“Burns in doubt the piano…soulful blues keyboard work take precedence ferociously upsurge vocals” —Chicago Tribune
“A virtuoso” –The Unique York Times
”Butler plays alike he’s channeling Professor Longhair and McCoy Tyner pin down each hand.” –Rolling Stone
New Orleans pick Henry Pantryman was a virtuoso talk and pulsation & grievous pianist, a schooled soloist naturally imbued with creed credibility, a fierce actress and small expressive composer. "Once I sit spick and span the keyboard, it's good there," explained the 51-year-old Butler. "I have characteristic instrument overtone which I can vertical anything I want." Vocation himself a perpetual "work in progress," Butler, a critically lauded jazz setting artist soar an perfect photographer (all the enhanced startling looking at Butler was blind since infancy), returned to his roots process Blues Sustenance Sunset on Black Temporary halt Records, address list album publicize straight press forward New Beleaguering piano blues.
Born in interpretation musical centre of Novel Orleans, Louisiana, Butler was attracted show consideration for piano bundle up a care about
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Henry Butler
American musician and educator (1948–2018)
This article is about the American jazz musician. For other people named Henry Butler, see Henry Butler (disambiguation).
Henry Butler | |
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Butler in 2015 | |
| Born | (1948-09-21)September 21, 1948 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | July 2, 2018(2018-07-02) (aged 69) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, New Orleans blues[1] |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Labels | MCA, Windham Hill, Basin Street |
Musical artist
Henry Butler (September 21, 1948 – July 2, 2018)[2] was an American jazz and blues pianist. He learned piano, drums, and saxophone in school. He received a college degree and graduate degree and taught at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. He worked as a soloist and in groups in Los Angeles and New York City. Despite his blindness, he spent time as a photographer and had his work exhibited in galleries.
Biography
[edit]Butler was born in New Orleans, and was blinded by glaucoma in infancy.[2] His musical training began at the Louisiana State School for the Blind, where he learned to play valve trombone, baritone horn, and drums before concentrating on singing and piano.[3]
Butler was mentored at Southern Unive