Unmistakably jazz with a strong dose of rock experimentalism and down-tempo post rock jams, Japan's Henrytennis is indeed the "progressive/rock/jazz" band they profess to be. Formed in 2002, the band has only released a single album thus far. Perhaps this famine of material is the result of the several line-up changes (and the unfortunate loss of Chie Takizawa's voice and flute) the band has already undergone. Another reason could be that they are simply a live band focusing on live shows.
While on tape they do have the air of a band a bit more used to free-form expression, their sole album Eight Rare Cases does contain a lot of well developed moments. While you may not see it in their various live clips, they at one time seemed to have a more vocal slant, featuring dual male and female leads. The songs on the album are blissed-out and hazy, with swinging underpinnings and a smokey atmosphere. More twee-pop than jazz or rock, they are fleshed out with plenty of tiny xylophones and reverbed-out Rhodes-esque keys and guitars. These softer tracks are surrounded by more frenetic instrumental songs. While not in the same league as the much heavier Downy or sgt., they do at times come close, providing a softer alternative. Instrumental bands like Miaou and Mono also come to mind, though Henrytennis is definitely the more jazz influenced of the bunch.
The band seems to be very active in the live scene, even playing shows in New York. They host their own regular showcase called "Fuck Up My Underground Era" featuring a huge range of bands like Audio Safari, Gutevolk and Miaou. They obviously have their ear to the ground and a broad range of skills to draw from. Here's to hoping they manage to keep the band stable enough to release more material. It might also be nice if they brought the dual vocal style back as well, as it serves to really set them apart from the crowd. Just a friendly suggestion. The world could always use more pretty songs like "Landmachine."
"The Electronic Flute" - Live 2005 (Original line-up)
Official Site
MySpace (English)
MySpace(Japanese)
Members:
Yoshihito Okumura - Guitar
Yoshinari Kishida - Drum
Takeshi Horikoshi - Bass
Akihiko Ando - Saxophone
Toshiaki Sudo - Instruments
Koji Ueno - Nordlead2
Releases:
Eight Rare Cases 2006
Live 2008
Live 2008
Live 2008
Live 2008
