“Boogie Till I Die”, the new solo piano album from Henri Herbert, is an intoxicating ode to a truly original American art form.
Always thinking and experimenting with the form, Henri is not content standing still. “I like trying to push it forward,” he notes. “For me, it’s mainly about the groove, trying to find new ways to play that beat, new rhythms that are still exciting, finding elements that have not been pushed forward and bringing them out.”
Combining new originals with re-imaginations of songs by everyone from Duke Ellington to Oscar Peterson to Muddy Waters and more (including a duet with keyboard legend Chuck Leavell), Herbert’s musical galaxy is ever-expanding while orbiting around a boogie-rooted sun.
“You look at guys like John Lee Hooker and Lightnin’ Hopkins; they took boogie and explored it and took it somewhere else; it’s that rhythmic pulse that I find exciting. I want to take it back to its roots but keep exploring.”
Across its 11 tracks, the album taps into an array of moods from a barrelhouse stomp to straight-up blues, and cinematic jazz to the very roots of rock and roll. Herbert’s soul and passion for the music are evident in every song. With an ear to the past and an eye to the future, Boogie Till I Die is a reaffirmation of the lasting power of boogie-woogie and a bold statement that the music has many uncharted waters to still conquer.