A La Madrugada

Lauren Henderson is a jazz and latin jazz vocalist and composer from Massachusetts. Henderson's Caribbean and Latin Heritage are central themes in her original music and performance. In 2011 she released her first debut album, Lauren Henderson. The record was recorded almost immediately upon her arrival in New York City after graduating from Wheaton College (Massachusetts) where she was inspired by her masterclasses with Paquito D'Rivera and Take 6. She created the hour long recording with her close friend, Sullivan Fortner (pianist and composer under Impulse! and member of the Roy Hargrove Quintet), Ben Leifer (bass) and Jesse Simpson (drums). The original intent of the recording was to help Lauren ease into the competitive New York Jazz Scene and increase her work as an artist. The quartet recorded classics by noted composers like Duke Ellington, Hoagy Carmichael, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Rogers and Hart. After the work was shared with colleagues and fellow musicians, it was reviewed by various publications, including DownBeat Magazine, JazzTimes and All About Jazz. which is available on iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby and is accessible as a Pandora.com station. Henderson's eclectic vocal influences and style spreads across genres. Her Afro-Latin influence aids her in producing a distinct yet versatile sound. Lauren's diverse musical background is rooted in jazz and expands to rhythm and blues, latin, soul, gospel, classical, fusion, neo-soul, pop, nuevo-flamenco and many other forms. Beginning piano lessons at the age of 7 and singing in church and school choirs, molded her into the growing and developing musician she is today. She has composed, performed, studied and directed music in the United States and internationally and is currently incorporating the influences of her travels to create a second record. Currently based in New York, She has performed at various clubs and participated in workshops around the city including: Millesime of the famous Carlton Hotel where she has a Thursday Night Residency. She has had the opportunity to study with legendary and influential musicians like Barry Harris at the Barry Harris Workshop and Grammy Nominated Vocalist, Jane Monheit. Having earned college degrees in both Music and Hispanic Studies, Lauren continues to combine her love for music and culture. While living in Puebla, México she studied the traditional music of the Yucatán and popular music throughout the country at Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. Through her international piano and voice studies, she worked on developing her musicianship. In Córdoba, España she studied flamenco and the similarities it shares with jazz. An avid nuevo-flamenco listener, Lauren often quotes the new and popular sounds of various countries while nurturing the roots of classic forms. Her new unreleased recording features Sullivan Fortner on piano ( Impulse - Universal Music Group Artist and member of the Roy Hargrove Quintet and current finalist in the American Pianist Association 2015 Jazz Competition), Ameen Saleem on bass (Recording Artist and Member of the Roy Hargrove Quintet), Louis Fouche on alto saxophone (Member of Eddie Palmieri Afro-Carribean Sextet, Recording Artist and collaborator with Christian Scott), Jonathan Powell on trumpet (Member of Eddie Palmieri Afro-Carribean Sextet, Arturo O'Farrill's band and Grammy Winning Album, and voted "Best Latin Jazz Trumpeter" 2009 by Latin Jazz Corner), Riley Mulherkar on trumpet (Member of Julliard, named "Rising Jazz Artist" by Wynton Marsalis) and Jeremy Bean Clemmons on drums and percussion (Award Winning Producer and prior member of Grammy Nominated, Andy Bey's Quartet, Member of Soul Understated).