Tyler Henderson - Love Endures

2025

I never knew when I was going to record my first album. The recorded history of jazz piano is so rich that I often wondered if I had something valuable enough to contribute. I felt this especially upon my arrival to New York; constantly trying to impress people in the scene and prove my musical intelligence. Paradoxically, time away from the piano helped me to view this in a different light. During the lockdown in 2020 I started to develop severe elbow pain in both arms from overuse and unhealthy playing habits. I had to take nearly 6 months off, which pretty much destroyed my mental state regarding my piano playing. Luckily, during this time I started to come to a realization that not only helped me through the tough time, but became a pillar of my musical life and frankly, of this album. I realized it is a gift to be able to play anything at all.

Once I realized how fragile life and the human body can be, I realized that just being able to sit at the piano and play something without pain is a beautiful thing. Of course I am not blind to the business of music; I can still see the competitive nature of the jazz scene, and like it or not I am a part of that scene. That being said, this new outlook helped me realize it’s okay not to worry about being the groundbreaking young hotshot (and you probably have a better chance of actually becoming the hotshot if you aren’t chasing it). I now truly believe that the best music should be for one’s darkest hour or their happiest day. I hope to make music that does not aim to prove my intelligence or abilities, but create art that helps someone cope with an insurmountable loss, or help heighten their feelings of love.

How does love endure? First and foremost, my personal love for music has been unquenchable since the age of 5, and only deepens. The title of this record, however, refers to love between human beings. When you truly love someone, it is forever. A relationship between two people can change… and change for good, but their love will always exist from their moment in time. It can be a partner, a family member, a teacher, anyone. Once real love is shared, it will always exist. It may be different, but it is still there. Think about the people in your life for whom your love endures. I think with intent listening, you might catch on that this is overwhelmingly a bittersweet idea. Love Endures is not necessarily a hopeful album.

I need to thank the great Cory Weeds for allowing me this incredible opportunity. Without him this process would have certainly been much harder, and likely would not have been possible. We recorded in one 6-hour session in Vancouver, on a misty November morning. Two weeks before the recording, this trio embarked on a journey across Canada backing the wonderful saxophonist Jacob Chung. We started in Toronto, then made our way to Nanaimo and Victoria, playing at beautiful venues and building our connection as a band. Then we took the ferry back to Vancouver for a two-night run at Frankie’s, which culminated in this recording the day of our final gig.

We recorded in the attic of Norah’s house, who is a wonderful visual artist whose father had a beautifully warm Steinway B. It was an honor to play this piano, as the inside had been signed by so many great musicians. We decided to forgo the use of headphones, as we were so used to playing in acoustic settings that we felt this would only hinder our process. It was truly a live jazz album, recorded performances that could not really be altered because of the bleed of sound between all of the microphones. I also must give a special shoutout to Sheldon Zaharko. He brought his portable recording setup and was incredibly professional as our engineer. This record sounds so warm and inviting, and it is thanks to him. The final ironic fact about this record is that I was quite sick when we made it. I was already on the road for another week before this tour, and by the end I had caught something pretty nasty. It was tough to record in this state, but I honestly believe that it helped in a way. I was so glad to be able to distract myself with music. 

The songs on this album are all so personal to me. It features 5 originals and 5 loose arrangements of songs I did not write, but I love. I could break down each one, but I think the music can speak for itself. Everything you need to know about these songs is in the sound. I encourage you to give your own meaning to this music. I hope it finds you in your darkest hour, or on your happiest day.

Tyler Henderson
March 2025
New York City 

Tyler Henderson - piano
Caleb Tobocman – bass
Hank Allen-Barfield - drums