Cory Henry Explores Faith and Hope on Powerful New Album “Church”
Cory Henry, a multi-instrumentalist with a strong foundation in Brooklyn’s Black church tradition, brings his virtuosity and faith to his powerful gospel album, “Church.”
Year: 2024
Genre: Gospel, Funk
Run Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes, 23 Tracks
I knew Cory Henry was the man I’d been waiting for since he gave that mind-blowing solo on Snarky Puppy’s “Lingus”. I went on a deep “funk-joy” journey with the solo. Since then, I’ve been keeping up with Cory, a funk organist, pianist, and keyboardist who is also quite prolific.
Since the amazing age of two, Cory has been playing the organ and entertaining audiences worldwide with his musical performances. With roots in Brooklyn’s black church tradition—a city that has produced many gifted people — you should be aware that this album's melodic structures, harmony, and compositional techniques will be incredibly rich and flavorful, combining elements of jazz and funk.
Former Snarky Puppy Core member and multiple award winner Cory Henry went solo in 2018 and has since released incredible works. Cory has shown himself to be a superb jazz and funk composer, regularly releasing amazing music, even though, like many others, I first questioned whether he could succeed outside of Snarky Puppy.
It’s quite obvious Cory Henry took a trip back to his gospel roots in the sprawling yet deeply satisfying album "Church." Packed with a high-energy tempo, an uptempo, and rich black harmonies, “Church” is a vibrant celebration of hope, faith, and worship. While the album’s length looks quite unusual in today’s music scene, each track is carefully written, arranged, and produced—I mean, you can hear the intentionality behind every note played and sung.
“Amazing Grace," featuring Marie Henry, launched us into the musical journey and universe of Cory’s brilliance. The track is an improvisation and reharmonization of the popular hymn “Amazing Grace,” performed in a funk style with the Hammond organ weeping across the bars. This unexpected twist sets the tone for the album, a genre-bending exploration of faith expressed through music. You could feel the high-energy praise sound across the first five tracks, “Amazing Grace," “Praise God," “I Get Joy," “Joy Reprise," and “Musicians Praise,” setting the theme and idea of hope and joy that the album carries.
Track six, "Prayer," takes a beautiful detour into black worship territory. The soulful vocals and call-and-response elements evoke a feeling of intimacy and reverence. Despite this shift, the jazz influence remains present throughout the album, evident in the sophisticated chord changes and improvisational flourishes on the organ, keyboard, and guitar. This balance between high-energy praise and introspective moments creates a well-rounded worship experience that reflects the multifaceted nature of God—the calm and fierce Spirit.
One of the tracks that stands out for me is the 10th track, “Go Down,” which has an underlying synth pad that sets the atmosphere, creating a more contemplative soundscape. Cory Henry’s baritone gives me so much soothing and tranquility. The addition of backup singers chanting “underground” adds a layer of mystery and a sense of community, drawing the listener into a deeper reflection on their faith. “Go Down” stands out for its duality in themes, which for me is the tension created by the instruments and the calmness painted by the vocals.
The 13th track, “Offering Song Address,” and the 14th track, “Offering Song,” are connected contextually. Cory was imitating a black church offering time, which represented the 13th album as the pastor’s call to offer, which is the shortest track in the album, and the 14th track as the offering session, which flows with a black gospel praise session.
The biggest feature of the album, “He Touched Me,” with Kim Burrel, is the one that resonates with me the most. This jazz ballad begins with a lush introduction played on a Hammond organ by Cory Henry. Picture a scene in your mind where Cory’s fingers glide across the keys of the Hammond organ, creating suspensions, jazzy harmonies, tensions, and resolutions that drown you in an ocean of sonorous beauty.
What comes next is Kim Burrel taking us on a jazz voyage. She isn’t just singing; she is holding our hands while she takes us on a trip. As usual, Kim’s mastery of intricate riffs and runs can be heard on all bars. The connection between the organ and the powerful vocals makes this track stand out. It’s not just a combination of crotchets and quavers on the staff, it’s a conversation between the singer and the melancholic organ. The use of jazz elements, like the riffs and runs, adds a layer of sophistication and complexity to the song. It’s not just a simple ballad; it’s a work of art.
The overall idea is that “Church” represents a complete black church service, taking us through the musical voyage of the beginning, to the praise and worship session, to the offering session and benediction. It’s a full experience and a true definition of the black gospel genre. I like the fact that, despite being a musically technical album, the spirituality and meaning aren’t lost in the sea of its technicality.
However, I must say that this album might not appeal to folks who aren’t into gospel or those who are into gospel but not into black gospel.
The overall feel of "Church" is modern and energetic, yet still deeply reverent. The music doesn’t shy away from experimentation, but it always stays true to its core message of faith and hope. This album is sure to resonate with listeners who appreciate innovative takes on traditional themes.
You can stream “Church” on Spotify
