Phil Henry (Photo by Allison Henry)
Henry describes the festival — during which he was joined by Gary Moon on djembe, foot-operated tambourine, shakers and vocals — as “a very intimate, personable [one], where artists, presenters and folk fans mingle easily and naturally, and everyone, together, makes a magical weekend of music.”
A performing songwriter for close to a decade “mostly in obscurity, trying to hone my writing and performance skills,” Henry sings what he refers to as funky, folk-pop acoustic originals that reflect the aspirations and realities of his small-town upbringing. He grew up in Saranac Lake, nestled in New York’s Adirondack Mountains.
Although Henry professes to have begun writing songs there about escaping small-town life and considered a move to big-city music markets after graduating from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, he wound up teaching middle school students in Ticonderoga, New York, while performing in local pubs and coffeehouses. Henry now teaches K-12 music in another small town, West Rutland, Vermont. Although he loves his job “and, for now, the security of public school employment,” it does affect his ability to tour, except in the summertime. “Sometimes I think this holds me back a little,” he acknowledges. “I don’t get the chance to be in front of many audiences, at least out of my immediate locality.”
However, Henry – who also was a Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Finalist last year and took top honors in the 2005 SolarFest Singer-Songwriter Contest — continues to develop his own catalog of music. In 2007, he released his fourth and most recent recording. Entitled Folk 2.0, the five-song EP features contemporary arrangements of a few traditional American folk songs. Henry is currently at work on a brand new CD of original tunes — including the two that won the contest, “My Old Heart” and “WQRZ” – that is slated for release in the fall.
Henry has been heavily influenced by contemporary folk singer-songwriters like Peter Mulvey, Richard Thompson, and especially, Richard Shindell. “I love the way Shindell’s tunes are sung from a character’s point of view, and more and more my stuff takes that approach,” says Henry. He cites a radio station DJ in “WQRZ,” a heart transplant recipient in “My Old Heart,” and a bank robber in “Hold Up” as examples.
A half-dozen of Phil Henry’s songs are currently streaming on his website (www.philhenryband.com). A live performance at the Budgiedome, recorded very late one evening atop the hill at the 2008 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, can be found in the website’s Bootlegs section.
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