Lauren Henderson, /producer; Joel Ross, vibraphone; Sean Mason, piano; Jonathan Michel, bass; Joe Dyson, drums/percussion.
Joe Dyson’s percussion licks open the first tune on Lauren Henderson’s new album as her smokey, seductive voice sings “Fuego.”
Henderson has added the vibraphone of Joel Ross to the mix and the instrument adds a friendly brightness to her warm vocals.
songwriter I have been reviewing for several years. On this album, she has penned songs that trace her mixed ancestry, whose roots span Panama, Montserrat, and the Caribbean.
However, she was raised in North America, releasing a slew of well-produced albums. Henderson has always included music
with lyrics sung in both English and Spanish.
The title of the vocalist’s recent album is “Sombras.” That translates to ‘shadows’ in English. Lauren feels this title evokes the idea of her ancestry being the shadows of herself.
It becomes a metaphor describing her present actions and self-awareness as a light in the visible world. Her genealogy is the unspoken and hidden force that drives her forward, with all its beautiful intricacy and shadowy mystique.
Musically, the body of work presented on Sombras stands as a triumph of expression and concept. The lyrics, all of which are original, encompass two languages—English and Spanish which symbolically represent the wealth of influence the African Diaspora has had on Henderson through her family tree and on the wider creative world.
These impassioned lyrics are set with an intentionally specific orchestration of vibraphone, piano, bass, and drums, lending each song a mesmerizing sonic palette.
What Henderson presents is not merely an album; rather, Sombras stands as a testament to the power of an idea brought to life.
By asking a bold question, Henderson engendered an answer that is as variegated as the array of cultures into which she delves. With scintillating passion, Sombras oscillates mesmerizingly between the sunlight and shadows of identity as Henderson depicts the formation of the person and soul.