Lenny Henry – New Millennium Blues

Dudley’s renaissance man turns his hand to the blues

You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.

It’s sobering to realise that Sir Lenworth George Henry has been a fixture of the UK entertainment scene for 40 years now. And how far he has come, from his breakthrough turns on New Faces and Tiswas to his co-founding of charity Comic Relief, up to his recent lauded theatre performances as Othello. His career may have widened and deepened over the years, but music’s always been near his heart.

New Millennium Blues was conceived during filming for Lenny Henry’s Got The Blues, his Sky Arts documentary about the genre. Backed by a tight band, here he gives solid reads on seven well- worn standards – Willie Dixon’s Hoochie Coochie Man, Little Walter’s You’re So Fine and Jimmy Reed’s Shame Shame Shame among them.

Limp title track aside, it’s the five original songs – co-written by his brilliant guitarist, King Crimson’s Jakko Jakszyk – that are of most interest. If That’s Not Good Enough recounts a road trip across the States – and blues history itself – in the company of a reluctant daughter. The Cops Don’t Know has a strong enough musical back to carry its heavy subject (young black men dying at the hands of US police), while Daughter Of A Preacher Man is a neat little reversal of Dusty’s timeless soul classic.

Given Henry’s comedic past, it can be tricky to take him completely seriously. But that’s on us, and there’s no doubting his own passion and commitment here. Another renaissance man, Hugh Laurie, has recently that shown comic actors can make the switch to ‘real’ musicians, and this brave album is further proof it can be done.

Grant Moon

A music journalist for over 20 years, Grant writes regularly for titles including Prog, Classic Rock and Total Guitar, and his CV also includes stints as a radio producer/presenter and podcast host. His first book, 'Big Big Train - Between The Lines', is out now through Kingmaker Publishing.