Buffalo Rising
By Susan Marie
"Sometimes, everybody's getting in my mind / Oh Lord, I can't break through this time / sometimes, there can be no reason or rhyme / for the things I cannot rewind."
"Smoke," the first tune on Free Henry's! new release, "Summers On Neptune," embodies everything currently void in the music industry. Poetically, artistically, and lyrically, "Smoke" is radio ready. "When you're there you know / you gotta swim towards the waterline / scrape for the waterline / swing on a vine to a canopy / it cannot be these senses around." Press play and listen to "Smoke" when defining perfection.
"Summers on Neptune," produced and arranged by Free Henry!, is an 1o track masterpiece recorded at Introspec Studios. Featuring the finest Visual Art Design of Michael LaDuca, (The Corporate Jesters, Inc), mastering by Audio Magic Studios (Mike Rorick) in Buffalo, NY, and guest saxophonist, Nate Feder. The entire CD is 100% USA made down to the recycled paper and plastic. Photography credits include: Matthew Buckley and Ryan Richards, (Richards also engineered and mixed), causing this entire release to be created by Buffalo based business and artists.
Free Henry! Is made up of Bob Buckley: vocals, lyrics, acoustic guitar, piano / Derek Presti: bass guitar, piano / Alex Foote: electric/acoustic guitars, piano and Pat Mannella: drums and percussion. Free Henry! has begun a revolutionary intensity redefining rock and roll, jazz, blues and pop. They take what was, create what needs to be, melding that into their own sound.
"Sailboat Senses" is intuitive and cohesive. "Spirits are so high, and we're walking through the next day / we're searching for a brighter way to get a little bit more sunshine / and all of these good people have an open invitation to this happy conversation." Bob soars with a spectral vocal range while Pat is driven with his military-neo rock percussion. Alex just makes his Fender wail with a groovy wah wah rock pop retro that compliments Derek on his jazzy back beat bass lines that bring them all full circle.
Listen to a live one-hour interview with the band on Think Twice Radio. The 2009 Buffalo Music Awards has nominated Free Henry! for Best Original Rock Band and Alexander Gavin Foote for Best Original Guitarist, vote here. Summers On Neptune", the 2009 release by Free Henry!, is available now available here. And go here for a free mp3 download of "Sailboat Senses". Free Henry is in constant flux.
They have performed with The Guess Who, Rusted Root and most recently in NYC. They are positive, uplifting, raw honest energy and continuously seek new places, cities and musicians to perform with and at. Every tune on "Summers On Neptune" is fantastic. Like every single song on this CD, each member of Free Henry! holds a gift, a surprise, insight and God given talent. Free Henry! may stand side by side, but each of them, like their songs, are complete, a work of art, divine.
