Corey Henry, a trombone player from the historic, musically rich Treme neighborhood of New Orleans, La., is the leader of the Treme Funket

Finding inspiration in the music of the masters such as Walter ‘Wolfman’ Washington, the Meters, the Neville Brothers and Galactic, Soul Project Nola has been concocting their own heady brew of funk in the great New Orleans tradition for over a decade. Long-standing residencies on world-renowned Frenchmen Street have enabled the band to hone their unique sound, while festival appearances (New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, French Quarter Festival, Jazz in thePark) and regular tours have allowed them to share their music with a wider audience.

At NOCCA, James began his professional music career, performing with Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews.  His first year with Shorty included performances at New York’s Apollo Theatre and Central Park, as well as at French Quarter Fest and Jazz Fest in New Orleans.  He matriculated on full scholarship at Loyola University, New Orleans, while performing several times a week at local clubs and touring the United States, Europe, and South America.  Though offered a full scholarship by the University of New Orleans to continue his music education, James decided to continue touring with Shorty’s band.

In December 2008, after seven years of playing with Trombone Shorty, James decided to pursue a solo career.  A month later he recorded an album of original material and began appearing with his own band, Happy Jack Frequency.  The band performed throughout the south, as well as at Harvest the Music at Lafayette Square and the Gulf Aid Concert benefitting those affected by the BP oil spill.  He also began working regularly with Louisiana Music Hall of Famer Ernie Vincent, as well as with other New Orleans mainstays like Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk and Flow Tribe.