BK 50
“MOIST” PAULA HENDERSON
Saxophonist, astrologer
Jun 16, 2022
As far as Brooklyn musicians go, they don’t get much more formidable than “Moist” Paula Henderson, a baritone saxophone player who has performed with the likes of The Roots, Amanda Palmer, TV on the Radio, Reverend Vince Anderson and Melvin Van Peebles wid Laxative.
Let’s start with the nickname, which comes from the fact that Henderson was the co-leader of Moisturizer, the legendary downtown punk-dance sax-bass-drums trio that made a name for itself across underground local artistic circles well over a decade ago.
Since the disbandment of the group, Henderson has been developing her unique style and bringing clout to the bari-sax game as a whole. “Most of the music I write is instrumental music, and I think philosophically it’s a form of passing on a story which can be interpreted by the listener to be whatever they want, so it’s more of a two-way creative process,” she has said. “Listening to instrumental music captures my imagination in a way that’s unique for me rather than being limited by a story that might be in lyrics, although I love songs with great or relatable lyrics and even many whose lyrics are completely unrelatable or even improper.”
But music is only one part of the Henderson puzzle. The artist is also an astrologer who has been hooked on the subject since taking her first course back in 2000. She has since combined her two passions of astrology and music by creating Zodiac Soundtracks, through which she curates playlists inspired by a client’s astrological sign, among other services.