Henry J2 – Fill Me

Henry J2
Fill Me
Platinum New Alpha Records 2009
www.myspace.com/henryj2

Chicago’s Henry Johnson II, aka Henry J2, is a triple-threat: musician, singer and songwriter. His music falls squarely within the category of urban contemporary with touches of jazz, soul and R&B. Henry J2 reminds me a little of cutting-edge artists Claude Deuce of Detroit and fellow Chicagoan Aaron Sledge (without the rapping).

Fill Me, Henry J2’s full-length project, is tuneful, captivating and hard hitting musically. That’s no surprise when you consider that Henry is equally at home on keyboards, horns and wind instruments, and is assisted by top-shelf musicians such as Michael Weatherspoon on drums and Joey Woolfalk on guitar. The background vocalists include Maurice Griffin, winner of the 2007 GMWA Gospel Treasure and a finalist on BET’s “Sunday Best” competition.

Henry has a confident, muscular tenor and delivers a gospel ballad such as the title track with great earnestness. There’s not a dud track on the album; even the introduction is far more interesting than most project intros because it establishes the CD’s overall mood in its first few seconds. “Celebrando” is an example of the album’s musically-rigorous compositions, with Weatherspoon thumping out complex polyrhythmic lines like a 1970s fusion drummer.

The album is also a family affair, as Henry’s brothers – Dr. Chaun and Pastor Chris – and wife Loretta contribute prelude narrations to songs. Mother Carolyn joins Henry on the album’s sole traditional workout, “Joy Down in My Soul.”

One could justifiably accuse me of favoritism in this review because my late wife was Henry’s high school choir director. I remember Henry J2 back in the day, accompanying a female quartet and harmonizing with them on the St. James Choir of Detroit’s classic “I Really Love the Lord” (I have a cassette recording of that performance somewhere). But that is not the case: I was extremely impressed by the musical confidence of Fill Me on its own merits. As with Aaron Sledge’s self-produced debut, it deserves greater attention.

Four of Five Stars

gPod Picks: “Celebrando,” “Fill Me,” and “Joy Down In My Soul.”