Jazz

Lauren Henderson’s Sonidos Is a Spellbinding Exploration of Identity, Emotion, and Evolution.

Lauren Henderson’s albums follow one another like pages in a journal, linked by voice and vision, yet distinct in tone and intent. At times, her releases have felt uneven, like transitional chapters in an artist’s ongoing evolution. But Sonidos, her latest and perhaps most emotionally resonant offering to date, reveals the full measure of her artistry with uncommon depth and personal clarity. It’s a collection that feels less like a product and more like a passage—one that traverses language, genre, and soul.

From the opening notes, Sonidos (“Sounds”) presents itself as a deeply curated emotional map. Over the course of 17 tracks, Henderson doesn’t simply sing, she conjures. Each song becomes a dreamlike invocation, shaped by the warmth and virtuosity of her voice and by a deliberate interpretative style that pays homage to her cultural inheritance. Drawing on the vibrant legacies of the African diaspora and Latin American music traditions, she crafts something profoundly intimate and unmistakably her own.

This is Henderson at her most sensitive, at her most exposed, and the result is a record that resonates on multiple frequencies. The themes are personal, the selections astutely chosen, and her interpretations imbued with a singular perspective. Rather than resting on convention, she reinvents each song through her lens, resulting in an atmosphere of rare cohesion and artistic bravery. The effect is disarming: you don’t just hear this album, you experience it.

Since arriving on the New York scene in 2009, the bilingual singer-songwriter has consistently blurred musical boundaries. Her unique voice, both literal and creative, has garnered widespread acclaim. The Recording Academy named her among “10 Jazz Artists Blending and Expanding the Sounds of Latin America,” a testament to her hybrid artistry. Her work has reached audiences globally, with placements on Netflix, a Top 5 spot on the JazzWeek Radio Chart, and a starring role in Stuart Weitzman’s “How Lovely to Be a Woman” campaign.

Henderson’s globe-spanning tour history, from Mexico to South Africa, from France to Poland—reflects both her universal appeal and her refusal to be boxed in. At each stop, she brings a message that transcends language and culture, rooted in the shared rhythms of diaspora, memory, and identity.

But Sonidos is more than a cultural statement; it is a showcase of pure musical craftsmanship. Henderson’s voice is magnificently served by a stellar ensemble whose arrangements are as intelligent as they are intuitive. Pianist Sullivan Fortner and bassists Dezron Douglas and Eric Wheeler, in particular, deserve special mention. Their contributions offer the kind of refined support that elevates not only the material, but the artist herself, allowing Henderson the space and strength to soar.

These are no mere sidemen. Fortner’s piano work is elegant, articulate, and layered with feeling. Douglas, on bass, provides a grounding force, his lines are fluid, decisive, and deeply melodic. Together, they help sculpt a sonic environment where every gesture matters and every silence is meaningful. Their interplay with Henderson isn’t just accompaniment, it’s dialogue.

Structurally, the album is a masterclass in pacing and tone. From tender ballads to spirited swing numbers, from flamenco rhythms to Afro-Caribbean cadences, Sonidos unfolds with a natural logic that never feels forced. Each piece flows into the next like seasons turning, each one introducing new textures, new emotional weather, new soundscapes for rediscovery.

It’s in this movement that Henderson’s multidisciplinary artistry shines. Her ability to fuse luminous harmonies, meditative syncopations, and sincere storytelling is no accident, it’s the mark of an artist who knows not only where she comes from, but where she wants to go. And with family roots stretching from Panama to Montserrat and across the Caribbean, Henderson draws on a heritage rich with narrative and nuance. You hear it in every note, every breath, every carefully crafted phrase.

Ultimately, Sonidos is not just a collection of songs. It is a statement of presence, of belonging, of growth. It is Henderson’s most complete work to date, a triumph of emotion and execution, of style and substance. For an artist who has never shied away from complexity, this album is the clearest articulation yet of who Lauren Henderson is, and what she has to say.

And if Sonidos is any indication of what’s to come in her live performances, audiences can expect not just a concert, but a revelation.

Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News

PARIS-MOVE, July 9th 2025

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To buy this albun (August 1st, 2025)

Website

Musicians:
Lauren Henderson, vocals
Joel Ross, vibraphone
Sullivan Fortner, piano
Dezron Douglas,  bass
Joe Dyson, drums

Guets:
Luisito Quintero, percussions (Track 10)
Eric Wheeler, bass (Tracks 3, 4, 12-14)

Trackinglist:

1. Vida (feat. Joel Ross, Sullivan Fortner, Dezron Douglas, Joe Dyson)
2. Bold (feat. Joel Ross, Sullivan Fortner, Dezron Douglas, Joe Dyson)
3. Si Nos Dejan (feat. Sullivan Fortner, Eric Wheeler)
4. Love Is Here To Stay (feat. Sullivan Fortner, Eric Wheeler)
5. Flight (feat. Joel Ross, Sullivan Fortner, Dezron Douglas, Joe Dyson)
6. Luna (feat. Joel Ross, Sullivan Fortner, Dezron Douglas, Joe Dyson)
7. On The Street Where You Live (feat. Joel Ross, Sullivan Fortner, Dezron Douglas, Joe Dyson)
8. Let’s Face The Music and Dance (feat. Joel Ross, Sullivan Fortner, Dezron Douglas, Joe Dyson)
9. This Time The Dream’s On Me (feat. Joel Ross, Sullivan Fortner, Dezron Douglas, Joe Dyson)
10. Soledad (feat. Joel Ross, Sullivan Fortner, Dezron Douglas, Joe Dyson)
11. Sounds (feat. Joel Ross, Sullivan Fortner, Dezron Douglas, Joe Dyson)
12. Ola (feat. Joel Ross, Sullivan Fortner, Eric Wheeler)
13. Truth (feat. Sullivan Fortner, Eric Wheeler)
14. Trouble (feat. Sullivan Fortner, Eric Wheeler)
15. La Llegada (feat. Joel Ross, Sullivan Fortner, Dezron Douglas, Joe Dyson)
16. Sonidos (feat. Joel Ross, Sullivan Fortner, Dezron Douglas, Joe Dyson)