Songwriter and singer Joe Henry will give a rare solo concert on Friday, July 19th at Largo in Los Angeles.

This event will mark the first time in 25 years that Mr. Henry shall perform alone by his own volition. Motivated neither by necessity nor threat of violence, it will be an appearance born purely of his own stubborn desire.

The evening’s repertoire will feature songs from throughout his checkered and confusing career, as well as a number of new songs in advance of upcoming album sessions.

Note: Requests always appreciated, though may be batted away like summer flies. The man thinks he knows what he’s doing.

Seats will be assigned beginning at 6pm, Doors open for drinks at 7:30pm, Showtime 9:00pm, Tickets $30.

Tickets and more info HERE.

“All you can know for sure is that it won’t happen as you imagine it.”

No mystery as to where I learned this lesson. My life –both personally and professionally— has surprised me at every turn, in ways both disorienting and affirming. So may it ever be.

The news of the moment, shockingly and finally ready for public consumption, concerns the just-announced publication of a book this coming November, co-authored by my brother David and I. Entitled Furious Cool (Algonquin Press), it looks not only at the life of comedian Richard Pryor (with whom I became acquainted in the last years of his life, courtesy the strange journey of a song in which I adopted his character voice), but also the dark and raucous times that produced him and allowed his ascent.

I am not the one to ask, of course, but in my humble estimation the book is an appropriately sprawling mess and demanded to be, reflecting as it does upon the holy hell of a tender heart asked to walk out along a perilous high wire that happened also to be electrified.

You’ll laugh and you’ll cry, I mean to tell you.

And why shouldn’t you, if the books authors were willing to?

Love and revelation,

Joe Henry

You can pre-order the book at the following links:

Amazon.com

Algonquin Press

Kindle

“‘A Tribute to Toussaint’ benefits New Orleans Artists Against Hunger and Homelessness (NOAAHH), the nonprofit organization that Toussaint and Aaron Neville co-founded in 1985. The show celebrates Toussaint’s 75th birthday year – he turned 75 on Jan. 14 – and his legacy as a Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame songwriter, producer and pianist.” (nola.com)

Event website.

Ticket link.

Joe produced four tracks on the album: two Dylan covers (“Million Miles” and “Standin’ In the Doorway”), and the other two, “You Can’t Fail Me Now” and “God Only Knows,” were written by Joe and originally appear on his 2007 album Civilians.

Congrats to you Ms. Raitt.

“As reluctant as I was to do this initially, I found the experience strangely rewarding. Sometimes the best way to look “in” is to look “out;” and as such, what I share in regard to Woody Guthrie and my discovery of him says more about me, in some ways, than I’d ever have intentionally revealed.” – JH

The show will air on BYUTV, which is available on all major cable carriers throughout the US. It will be broadcast Monday Oct 29 at 10pm EST and rebroadcast at 1am EST.

After the 29th, the episode will be available on demand at byutv.org or www.thesongthatchangedmylife.com

UPDATE: The initial broadcast has been pushed back to 11:30pm EST. The re-broadcast at 1am EST remains on schedule.

Additionally, the entire episode can now be viewed online HERE.

Joe Henry – The Song That Changed My Life from Kaleidoscope Pictures on Vimeo.

Performing Joe’s song “Odetta” (from Reverie) for Japanese TV

Joe Henry: Guitar & Vocals

Lisa Hannigan: Harmonium & Vocals

John Smith: Guitar

Ross Turner: Drums

Side A:

with Lisa Hannigan, singing Woody Guthrie’s “Red River Valley”

Side B:

singing Lisa’s “Little Bird” (from Passenger)

I needn’t have worried: i was shocked to find an audience waiting…one that received me warmly, knew my body of work, and listened intensely to what the performances revealed.

The trip in total was a revelation and for many reasons; thus when i was invited to return, i not only eagerly accepted, but decided too that it might provide the perfect opportunity to introduce my dear friend, the singer/songwriter Lisa Hannigan of Ireland, to this audience –and them to her. As Lisa and I have just recently toured in North America together –and given that there is no musician working today that i hold in higher esteem– it seems almost an alignment of stars that we can share in this experience together.

And thus we shall. As with our previous outing, it will be our intention to be onstage together for the duration of the evenings…contributing to each other’s songs as we can, and with the help of our brothers-in-arms, drummer Ross Turner and guitarist/singer/songwriter John Smith.

Suffice for now to say that we all look forward to whatever we may uniquely discover on this journey. All we can know for sure is that it won’t be what we imagine, but will likely be much more.

Joe Henry

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Dates:

Oct 8 – Yokahoma @ Thump’s Up

Oct 9 – Nagoya @ Club Quattro

Oct 10 – Hiroshima @ Club Quattro

Oct 12 – Osaka @ Club Quattro

Oct 14 – Kyoto @ 京都 磔磔

Oct 16 – Tokyo @ Duo Music Exchange