Steven Bernstein and the Hot 9 | Manifesto of Henryisms
(Community Music, Vol. 3)
(Royal Potato Family Records)
When composer/slide trumpeter and long-time Levon Helm sideman Steven Bernstein first saw New Orleans maestro Henry Butler in 1984, he had no idea how much of an effect Butler would have on his life. But if you were lucky enough to catch the late pianist live (I did) or hear his eclectic sound on record, you’d understand. Bernstein’s brave quartet of 2022 releases includes Manifesto of Henryisms, and the title fits just right. The disc, which again pairs Bernstein with a band the duo founded, nods to Butler’s protean influence but is not held hostage by it. It is a trip straight back to the Congo Square sounds that inspired both men; heavy with the funk of the Big Easy in all the greasy ways that Buddy Bolden, Jelly Roll Morton, King Oliver, and Louis Armstrong implied. From “Black Bottom Stomp” to “Dippermouth Blues,” this is the old-school strut refashioned for today.
This article appears in November 2022.
