Ashley Henry

British jazz keyboardist Ashley Henry is an acclaimed performer, known for a sonically ambitious blend of jazz and R&B. He is influenced as much by artists like J Dilla and Stevie Wonder as he is Herbie Hancock and Thelonious Monk. Since emerging on the London scene in the 2010s, he has worked with artists like Zara McFarlane, Moses Boyd, and Anthony Joseph. He gained widespread acclaim with his genre-bending 2019 album, Beautiful Vinyl Hunter, which featured guests like Keyon Harrold and Makaya McCraven. Founding his own Royal Raw Music label, he delivered 2024's Ashley Henry, collaborating with Theo Croker, Aja Monet, and others. Born in 1991 in South East London, Henry was raised in a musical family and started taking classical piano lessons at around age six. He participated in competitions early on and by his teens was already learning his favorite pop songs by ear. It was during this period that he attended the BRIT School and in 2011 enrolled at Leeds College of Music where he got heavy into jazz. He eventually graduated with a Yamaha Jazz scholarship and returned to London to pursue his post-graduate studies at the Royal Academy of Music. Gigs followed, and soon he was collaborating with a bevy of British jazz musicians, working on projects with Zara McFarlane, Anthony Joseph, Luke Flowers, Moses Boyd, and Jean Toussaint, among others. As a leader, he made his debut with 2017's 5ive, an acoustic quintet date. He returned the following year with the Easter EP, featuring his more eclectic R&B- and electronic-influenced RE:Ensemble. In 2019, Henry gained yet wider attention with his album Beautiful Vinyl Hunter, further blending jazz and R&B traditions. It also featured guest spots from equally genre-bending contemporaries including Keyon Harrold, Makaya McCraven, Theo Croker, and Binker & Moses. Critically acclaimed, the album was nominated for BBC 6 Music’s Album of the Year and earned Henry a slot opening for Christine and the Queens on tour. In 2023, he launched his own Royal Raw Music label in partnership with Believe International and delivered his third full-length, 2024's eponymous Ashley Henry. Once again, it featured contributions by several guests, including Croker, Aja Monet, Judi Jackson, Mak., and Binker Golding. ~ Matt Collar