When Corey Henry & The Treme Funktet unleash their version of “Purple Haze,” it’s more than a cover – it’s a brass-fueled, soul-soaked reimagining that reinterprets Hendrix’s electricity in the language of New Orleans. Premiering alongside the release of Live at Vaughan’s, the track is a centerpiece of a record that bottles up the sweat, spontaneity, and spirit of the band’s Thursday night residency.
In this exclusive interview, Henry opens up about paying tribute to Hendrix the Treme way, what makes Vaughan’s sacred ground for New Orleans musicians, and how this album serves as a manifesto of the city’s musical past, present, and future.
I love how you don’t aim to copy Hendrix, but your version of “Purple Haze” hits that rare note where spirit meets tone — you’d swear Jimi had a trombone in hand. Between your electrified vocals, the brass, and June Yamagishi’s molten guitar solo, the whole band sounds locked in. Can you talk about what each player brought to that particular performance?
Thank you for mentioning the spirit and tone of the meeting. We wanted to honor Jimi Hendrix in our own Treme Funktet way, and each player locked in for “Purple Haze.” We had Leon “Kid Chocolate” Brown on trumpet, Laquay Frazier and Gregory Thomas on sax, Marius Tilton on bass, Beck Burger on keyboards, Terry Scott Jr. on drums, Alicia Renee and Kendall “Jazz Man” Williams on vocals, Dewan Scott on percussion, as you mentioned, June Yamagishi on guitar, and my vocals and trombone. Pulling it all together was producer Randy Crafton from New Jersey. He did an awesome job capturing the live sound of the band and the audience.
Also, what does that song mean to you personally?
“Purple Haze” is a song the Treme Funktet has covered for a long time, and I wanted to be sure it was part of this album.
You blend originals, classics from War and The Meters, and now Hendrix. How do you choose which songs make the cut for a Treme Funktet show or record?
The songs I chose for the album fit the flow of Thursday Night Live, kicking off with “Keep that Dream Alive” to “Purple Haze” to “Got Fire.”
The album puts listeners right in the middle of a Thursday night at Vaughan’s. What makes that setting so magnetic — and why was now the right time to capture it live?
Thursday night at Vaughan’s has a great vibe with the audience, special guest musicians, and a different mix of songs every week, so it’s only right that we document it with a live album. It is one of the great places in New Orleans, a historical spot for music. I grew up learning from the jukebox there, and it’s a special place to perform or see live music. We love being there; the owners are great and all the people that come there have a wonderful time.
You mentioned this album is a collaborative effort. Can you tell us more about how you and the band connect creatively? Especially live, when it can get unpredictable.
I started the Treme Funktet in 2011 at the Candlelight Lounge, and we’ve had the current Treme Funktet lineup for about 10 years, so there’s a collaborational camaraderie. We’ve been talking about recording at Vaughan’s for a while, and the perfect opportunity presented itself.
There’s so much history behind your music — Treme, Rebirth Brass Band, your family lineage. How does that heritage show up when you’re on stage at Vaughan’s?
It’s full circle to be part of celebrating the Treme music heritage at Vaughan’s. I grew up listening to and learning from Kermit Ruffins; he started the gig and I inherited it from him. He’s recorded live there, along with some other people. We’re bringing our Thursday Night Live world-wide with Corey Henry and The Treme Funktet Live at Vaughans so people all over the world can join the party.
Mentorship seems core to who you are — between your work with the North Rampart Community Center and the Footwork Fest. How do you see this new album connecting with the next generation of New Orleans musicians?
I produce the NOLA Footwork Festival May 31 at The Broadside, to celebrate the second line culture. And for the next generation of New Orleans musicians, I’m working to bring music back to the North Rampart Community Center. The NRCC has been in the community for 100 years, but the music program had stopped for a while. Working with Executive Director Coach Jeffrey Parker, we’ve brought in artists like Jesse McBride and Erica Falls donating their time for a summer program for the kids. They’ll be the next generation celebrating Treme, and this album is part of that history.
What’s something most people don’t know about playing a weekly gig like Vaughan’s, especially with a rotating cast of NOLA legends dropping in?
Vaughan’s is like a little city unto itself. I like to keep the gig open to work with a lot of different artists over the years. It’s about exploration and creating new music to keep it fresh, so you never know who will be jamming. We’re playing all over New Orleans for JazzFest, Maple Leaf, Blue Nile, DBA, and will be in Switzerland this summer, but there’s nothing like Thursday Night Live at Vaughan’s.
Lastly, what would 16-year-old you – fresh off joining the Treme Brass Band – think of this album?
I think he’d be feeling great about keeping that dream alive from the Treme neighborhood. I grew up listening to the music coming down the street, and now we’ve got our own Thursday Night Live coming out the door with Corey Henry and the Treme Funktet Live at Vaughan’s on digital platforms worldwide.
Upcoming Concerts:
Blue Nile New Orleans 4/26 1am
Maple Leaf New Orleans 4/29 11pm
Jazz Fest New Orleans (Festival Stage) 5/1 Noon
DBA New Orleans 5/10 11pm
Vaughan’s Lounge New Orleans Every Thursday