The Revival Has Begun!
Even Cory described the venue as the most beautiful venue he has performed at on this current tour! The Union Church in North London is such a landmark both from the outside and inside. The experience started from the queue outside with the usual chitter-chatter in anticipation of what we could imagine to expect. It was a tricky one because I’ve heard him play with different groups such as with Jay White, his good friend, with his band The Funk Apostles and most famously, with the multiple Grammy Award winning group Snarky Puppy. Luckily, directly behind us were Americans who were fortunate enough to have had the ‘Cory’ experience in New York and were quick to assure me that it’ll be an experience like none other!
Expecting to see at least a 4 man band, I must admit, I was slightly disappointed to see only Cory Henry and a drummer by the name, Taron Lockett (who also had the privilege to be the drummer for Prince shortly before he passed) hit the stage. Then the music started.
Suffice to say that any iota of disappointment was thrown right out of the window! Boy did Cory make that organ speak, groove, beat, sing and much more. It's amazing to think all that could be done from just one instrument. The amazing thing was the chemistry between Cory and Taron. Simply seamless. It had a jam session feel to it, only that it was more like a ‘perfect’ jam session. Very impromptu, personal and involving. It had everything from popular church songs that everyone knew, like ‘Amazing Grace’, classics like Bill Wither’s ‘Lovely Day’, jazz standards like ‘Spain’ and ‘Giant Steps’ to an original and one of the crowd's favourites ‘NaaNaaNaa’ (the song that never ends!). The twists and spins he put on the arrangements, coupled with the choice of modern synth sounds used, ensured the audience (which had a surprising mix of old, young, professionals etc) were off their seats and captivated by each rendition.
It all came to an end with a standing ovation that seemed to go on forever, even after Cory and Taron had gone backstage. The rousing applause had no intention of dying down and after a good few minutes they were back on stage and performed an emotional tribute to Prince. A fitting end to the night.
The Revival continues…
P.S. Did I mention Cory can sing? Well, take it from me, he can SANG!
