Ashley Henry

Considered one of the best young jazz musicians in the United Kingdom while in his twenties, Ashley Henry was born in November of 1991 in South London, England. A talented pianist who graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in 2016, he competed in the internationally renowned Unisia International Piano Competition that year in South Africa. An eclectic performer, he credited a diverse range of artists as inspiration including Queen singer Freddie Mercury, the hip-hop outfit Digital Underground, and fellow pianist Abdullah Ibrahim. In 2017 he established himself as a musical director at a pair of famous London jazz venues, Jazz Café and Ronnie Scotts. As industry awards and nominations started to flow his way, he released his debut album, 2019’s Beautiful Vinyl Hunter. The fifteen-track album earned rave reviews for its ability to blend hip-hop and world music within the jazz idiom as well as its optimistic outlook. The album featured appearances by such celebrated jazz performers as trumpeters Keyon Harrold and Theo Crocker, drummer Eddie Hick, and singer Milton Suggs.