Album Notes

Industry Reviews:
"EDITOR'S PICK!" Indie-Music.com.
"Superb lyrics in a soulful dress..HIGHLY recommended." Jazz And Soul Review.eu
"Really impressed with the vocal range and soulful sounds that are draped all over her music." Seattle Weekly
“If Alicia Keys retires, Tess is ready to grab the mic and the keys. Tess’ music will take you back to true R&B and make Alicia want to go practice. The sky is truly the limit for this young lady.” HotIndieMusic.com
"Are you kidding me? These kids are NOT from Seattle." KIRO Radio 97.3FM - Ron & Don Show

News:
4/14/09 Pandora.com Radio adds Tess' CD to their Rotation!
2/27/09: KIRO, the Northwest's largest AM/FM radio station, announces Tess as their overall winner for their Battle of the Champions - Best Local Band Contest.
1/21/08: Tess signs agreement with Play Network! (They represent Starbucks, GAP, Hollister & others).

Battling the UK’s rush of retro-soul chanteuses like Amy Winehouse, Duffy, Adele and Leona Lewis, Seattle’s Tess Henley displays her emotional voice and piano prowess with a vibe that refines the tapestry of R&B and neo-soul into her own smooth silk. She writes soulful songs that soothe the soul of young and old alike.

Tess is soft-spoken, not one to openly share her innermost thoughts and feelings...yet she found music as a way to pour out these emotions. With the CD Easy to Love, she lets the listener in, writing about her youthful look at relationships won (Fool With You, Easy to Love), relationships lost (Hitting Me Hard Now) and relationships somewhere in between (Complicated). The heartache after a first love in Disguise is a story many of us can relate to, while Pompi's Song was a way to express grief after losing a loved one who inspired her with humility and grace. This touching tribute to her late grandfather crescendos with gospel singers’ soulful backups, including Seattle’s Williams Demps.

When performing live, she warmly reaches out to connect with her audience and impresses with a stage presence beyond her years. Tess' audience would never believe she is considered "shy" by the way this songbird belts. She confidently, soulfully peels away her "quiet-side" and puts her own smooth spin on youthful angst.

The talented 21 year-old singer-songwriter from Seattle is part of a very musical family. She has been trained on piano at the Pacific Northwest School of Music since age 3. The daughter of a singer/entertainer, her father is an avid music collector and her older brother Carson Henley, is also a singer-songwriter. Her sister, Maggie, co-wrote some of their music and all three have individually won their town’s version of American Idol! Tess’ musical instincts were perhaps formed in the womb, as her mother performed live dance music up to ten days of delivering Tess. Early influences included Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, which she mixes gracefully with newer artist stylings such as Alicia Keys and India.Arie for her own soulful sound.