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Lauren Henderson's 'Sonidos' is out August 1, 2025 via Brontosaurus Records

Brontosaurus Records announces the August 1, 2025 release of Sonidos, the latest album from award-winning vocalist Lauren Henderson. This carefully curated collection represents a profound exploration of how sound ("sonido") connects us with our roots, identity, and development. Over the course of seventeen emotionally resonant tracks, Henderson transforms songs into dreamlike incantations through her virtuosic warmth and intentional interpretation, embracing the influence of the African Diaspora and Latin American music on artistic expression. Through original compositions paired with influential standards, Sonidos takes listeners on an intimate journey through Henderson's creative lens, where each season presents new sounds and opportunities for evolution and rediscovery.

Sonidos showcases Henderson's continued collaboration with some of today's most respected musicians in Black American Music including Joel Ross on vibraphone, Sullivan Fortner on piano, Dezron Douglas on bass, and Joe Dyson on drums, with guests Luisito Quintero on percussion and Eric Wheeler on bass. This ensemble brings both technical excellence and emotional depth to Henderson's vision, creating musical conversations that honor tradition while pushing boundaries.

Since arriving on the New York scene in 2009, the bilingual singer and songwriter has been enchanting audiences worldwide, earning recognition from the Recording Academy as one of "10 Jazz Artists Blending and Expanding the Sounds of Latin America." Her music has graced Netflix productions, broken into Jazz Week Radio Chart's Top 5, and served as the prominent voice of Stuart Weitzman's recent "How Lovely To Be A Woman" campaign. With sold-out tours spanning Mexico, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Poland, South Africa, and Germany, Henderson continues to bridge genre conventions while speaking meaning across cultures.

Henderson's prolific artistry is evident in her consistent annual releases on her own Brontosaurus Records, each exploring different facets of her cultural identity and musical evolution. Her 2024 release Sombras examined how cultural inheritance shapes identity through original compositions reflecting her African Diasporic background, while the previous year's Conjuring (2023) marked her tenth leader recording and emphasized themes of mysticism while emphasizing Black American Music and Afro-Latinx experiences. La Bruja (2022) saw Henderson reclaiming the Spanish term for "witch" as an empowering statement on women's rights and resilience, while Musa (2020) represented her most personal gesture to date, braiding together jazz, flamenco, and Afro-Latinx traditions. This body of work demonstrates Henderson's commitment to annual artistic growth and her deepening exploration of heritage, identity, and cross-cultural musical dialogue.

The conceptual framework for Sonidos showcases Henderson's multidisciplinary artistry, weaving together bright harmonies, ruminative syncopation, and heartfelt storytelling. Her repertoire spans tender ballads, swinging arrangements, flamenco dance patterns, and Afro-Caribbean influences, demonstrating an exceptional skill and deep understanding that has established her as a distinguished interpreter in the field. With familial roots extending through Panama, Montserrat, and various regions of the Caribbean, Henderson draws from a rich well of cultural inheritance that informs every note and phrase.

The album's original compositions demonstrate Henderson's growth as both composer and storyteller. "Bold" emerges as an impassioned piece with strong swing elements, featuring notes of hard bop and straight-ahead jazz that pay homage to standards and classics. The lyrics reflect the title's spirit, urging listeners to maintain resilience in the face of hardship. "Luna" presents an enchanting meditation with seductive grace, celebrating the moon's brilliance and its power to center and guide those who witness it, while blending Latin jazz and classical music influences into a beautiful waltz.

"Vida" captures the essence of romantic vulnerability, blending Latin Afro-Caribbean sounds with jazz-driven swing and bounce. The infectious lyrics encourage trust of the heart, while sultry vocals interplay with vibraphone, piano, bass, and drums to paint scenes of warm romance. "La Llegada" serves as a celebratory piece that inspires movement and embraces liberty, with Afro-Latin influences painting bright pictures of victory, freedom, and peace—particularly resonant as a celebration of Juneteenth and the diversity of the African Diaspora.

The album also features Henderson's interpretive mastery through her treatment of beloved standards. Her rendition of "On The Street Where You Live" creates an expressive and enchanting journey, beginning with intimate voice and bass interplay before gradually building with piano, vibraphone, and drums. This approach exemplifies her ability to find fresh perspectives within familiar material while maintaining the essential spirit that makes these songs endure.

Recorded at Flux Studios in New York, Sonidos benefits from the engineering expertise of Daniel Sanint and Bailey Kislak, who have worked extensively with the bandleader throughout her discography. This established collaborative relationship enables the sessions to capture the spontaneous magic that occurs when musicians communicate with intuitive understanding.

Sonidos exemplifies the power of cultural exploration and artistic evolution. Henderson has created a work that oscillates between the familiar and the surprising, the traditional and the innovative, always guided by her commitment to authenticity and emotional truth. With thoughtful consideration of music's relationship to identity and heritage, she offers listeners an opportunity to discover more about themselves while experiencing the connective power of music that transcends linguistic and cultural boundaries.

The album arrives as Henderson continues to expand her artistic reach, building upon the success of previous releases while charting new territory in her ongoing musical journey. Sonidos promises to further establish her reputation as an artist whose work bridges worlds, languages, and traditions with remarkable grace and intention.

Sonidos releases August 1, 2025 on Brontosaurus Records.

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Tracklisting:

Vida (feat. Joel Ross, Sullivan Fortner, Dezron Douglas, Joe Dyson)
Bold (feat. Joel Ross, Sullivan Fortner, Dezron Douglas, Joe Dyson)
Si Nos Dejan (feat. Sullivan Fortner, Eric Wheeler)
Love Is Here To Stay (feat. Sullivan Fortner, Eric Wheeler)
Flight (feat. Joel Ross, Sullivan Fortner, Dezron Douglas, Joe Dyson)
Luna (feat. Joel Ross, Sullivan Fortner, Dezron Douglas, Joe Dyson)
On The Street Where You Live (feat. Joel Ross, Sullivan Fortner, Dezron Douglas, Joe Dyson)
Let's Face The Music and Dance (feat. Joel Ross, Sullivan Fortner, Dezron Douglas, Joe Dyson)
This Time The Dream's On Me (feat. Joel Ross, Sullivan Fortner, Dezron Douglas, Joe Dyson)
Soledad (feat. Joel Ross, Sullivan Fortner, Dezron Douglas, Joe Dyson)
Sounds (feat. Joel Ross, Sullivan Fortner, Dezron Douglas, Joe Dyson)
Ola (feat. Joel Ross, Sullivan Fortner, Eric Wheeler)
Truth (feat. Sullivan Fortner, Eric Wheeler)
Trouble (feat. Sullivan Fortner, Eric Wheeler)
La Llegada (feat. Joel Ross, Sullivan Fortner, Dezron Douglas, Joe Dyson)
Sonidos (feat. Joel Ross, Sullivan Fortner, Dezron Douglas, Joe Dyson)
La Llegada (Lauren Henderson)

Lauren Henderson: Vocals
Joel Ross: Vibraphone
Sullivan Fortner: Piano
Dezron Douglas: Bass
Joe Dyson: Drums

Guests:
Luisito Quintero: Percussion (Track 10)
Eric Wheeler: Bass (Tracks 3, 4, 12-14)



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