Brian Henke composes and performs his music like a painter putting images on canvas, drawing his inspiration from the world around him. An avid hiker, he often brings his guitar along to create a spontaneous response to his outdoor settings. Mother Earth (Terra) as artist has given an immense living gallery from the humbling spectacle of her natural wonders to the simple, beauty of a treetop against a blue sky. Her majestic legacy and the magical feeling of awe and peace inspire the compositions of this award winning virtuosic fingerstyle guitarist.
Brian’s five solo CD’s, Many Waters, Love Song for Terra, Force of Nature, The Nature of Light, and the most recent release Tree of Life are a cornucopia of sonic vistas, he celebrates the seasons, a Grand Canyon sunset, the fireside magic of an American shaman, playful waterfalls, the color of the wind and the light of dreams to name a few. His live DVD, Live at Cuyahoga Community College gives listeners and viewers a chance to enjoy a front seat in an intimate concert setting with a half hour interview afterwards giving the viewer a deeper understanding of where his music comes from.
His unique guitar style has been called everything from Folk to New Age to Neo-Classical to Pastoral or as Brian likes to call it “a big stewpot of everything, stirred up, simmered and served to taste.” His music appeals to anyone who like their music lyrical, thought provoking and performed with virtuosity. Through it all is an undercurrent of spirituality and mysticism that Brian says is very much apart of the creative process. Because of this he has received radio air play on shows as varied as WKSU’s “Folk Alley” and John Dilberto’s “Echoes”. He has also shared the bill on the concert stage with acts as diverse as Yes, Linda Ronstadt, Steve Morse, Yngvie Malmsteen, Robin and Linda Williams, Richie Havens, Christine Lavin, TheKingston Trio, Glen Yarborough, Alison Brown, Adrian Belew, Spiro Gyra and many of the best acoustic guitarists in the world including Pete Huttlinger, Alex DeGrassi, Stephen Bennett, John Doan, Beppe Gambetta, Dan Crary, Laurence Juber and many, many others.
A winner of many acoustic and electric guitar awards, he has also been a finalist in the prestigious National Fingerstyle Contest in Winfield, Kansas, the National Guitarmageddon regional finals in Boston and New Age Reporters Top 10 for 2006.
“To call Brian Henke amazing is an understatement”
– Northcoast Voice Magazine
“Brian’s fretwork is masterful, elaborate and he makes every note count…His compositions are harmonious, sometimes complicated, but always engaging…Brian Henke’s music is organic, mesmerizing and best of all magic.”
– RJ Lannon New Age Reporter 3/31/06
“Brian Henke’s music displays both amazing technique and a wonderful sense of calm.”
– Pete Huttlinger (National Fingerstyle Champion)
BRIAN HENKE
TUATHA DEA PRESENTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH NIGHTSONG RECORDING STUDIOS
Written and produced by Brian Henke c 2015
Acoustic, electric guitar, vocal - Brian Henke
www.brianhenkeguitarist.com
Celtic flute - Ginger Ackley
Violin and sarangi - Samuel Salsbury
Tabla drums – Josh Sherman
Recorded at Dark Tree Studios Cleveland Ohio
Engineered by Jay Bentoff darktreestudios.jay@gmail.com
Lyrics
Morning sleepy eyed laughter rings
Sunlight misty day birdsong sing
Light and shade
Dreams are made
Green field’s endless sky
Summer star arise
Buzzing bee goes, by smiling Sun
Dancing feet that fly to become
Light and shade
Dream awake
Green field’s endless sky
Summer star is high
The Queen of the Summer Stars
Wearing a cloak of green
Her laughter like falling water
Filling my cup of dreams
Rainbow clouds adrift flowing by
Winking star appear, endless sky
Night and day
Dream awake
Just like fireflies
Summer stars arise
The Queen of the Summer Stars
Wearing a cloak of night
Another green day tomorrow
A promise of morning light
Copyright © The Green Album