Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Oct. 5, 2018 | Felix Contreras -- There’s so much joy in the sound of the Hammond organ, especially for those of us of a certain age. Hearing it can transport you to the early ’70s, when every rock band seemed to have one in its arsenal: The Allman Brothers, Santana, Deep Purple. In the hands of true masters — like the late Billy Preston and the very-much-alive Booker T. Jones — the organ can be a melodic, funky rhythm machine. Cory Henry’s name belongs in the same breath as the Hammond organ masters of the past. The instrument creates the central sound of his dynamic, neo-soul- and funk-infused musical identity, and he opens his turn behind the Tiny Desk with what feels like an encore: the full-on soul assault of “Love Will Find a Way.“ The song twists and turns, then winds up as a full-on celebration — and it’s only the first song in his set. Henry’s keyboard skills are on full display during a synth solo in “Trade It All,“ which also spotlights his enti