Music:

Member Since: 12/20/2005
Band Website: johnboutte.com
Band Members: John Boutte - Vocals
Todd Duke - Guitar
Leroy Jones - Trumpet
Peter Harris - Bass
Herman LeBeaux - Drums
Influences:Walk down the tree-lined streets of New Orleans’ Faubourg Marigny neighborhood on a hot sultry night, and chances are you’ll hear John Boutte’s voice floating out of one of the area’s trendy nightspots. Perhaps he’ll be singing soulful versions of Sam Cooke’s "A Change Is Gonna Come" or Annie Lennox’s "Why," or maybe it’ll be one of the bayou-blended tunes he’s co-authored with Paul Sanchez, his pal in the Marigny. Whatever the song, its soulfulness will stop you in your tracks, for Boutte lives and breathes the heart and soul of New Orleans. Born into a large Creole family that goes back seven generations in Louisiana, he was exposed to music early in life, soaking up New Orleans jazz, soul, blues and gospel, then adding his own Creole traditions along the way. Today, Boutte works with a wonderful amalgam of styles -- from torchy jazz to aching soul and African-American gospel -- all convincingly delivered. "John is the embodiment of all that’s good about New Orleans," Sanchez said. "His voice is the poetry of the language of New Orleans. It’s uncanny but he makes whatever style he’s singing completely believable." Boutte lives in the French Quarter, not far from the home he grew up in. The plant-filled balcony of his apartment overlooks Rampart Street near Congo Square, ground zero for the birth of New Orleans’ music. Down the street is a non-descript laundromat -- once the home of J&M Studio, where the New Orleans sound of the 1950s was born; Little Richard, Fats Domino, Lloyd Price, Guitar Slim and Clarence "Frogman" Henry are just a few of the artists who recorded there. "In the ’50s, those guys were recording some of the biggest records in America down there," Boutte said, with a resigned sigh. "Now it’s the place where I wash and fold my clothes." One of 10 children born to a mother who believed in education ("We might have been poor, but we were always smart"), Boutte says anyone growing up in New Orleans gets a music education -- whether they like it or not. For example, he remembers a neighbor, Miss Belle, who every day belted out Mahalia Jackson songs while cooking greens and hanging her wash. "Music was an integral part of everyone’s life," Boutte said. "It was part of the socialization, from church to the barrooms to the cemetery. It was simply second nature to be in a brass band or participate in a second-line funeral parade. Avoiding it was not an option." Boutte’s stubborn mother, Gloria, had no intention of raising her children to a career in music. However, she did believe that children who understand music also do well in other subjects. So when Boutte was 8, she gave him a coronet, which led to a stand-out role in his high school marching band. Yet despite his love of music, Boutte entered Xavier University intent on pursuing a business degree. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army, where he worked as a statistician while also directing and singing in Army gospel choirs. Returning to civilian life, Boutte’s sister Lillian invited him to tour Europe with her, which led to a final decision: Music it would be. "It was the best career move I could have made," Boutte said. Musical brothers Boutte found a kindred spirit when he met Sanchez; they were introduced by singer-songwriter Michelle Shocked at one of her infamous backyard parties. Born in New Orleans on the same day in the same year, Boutte and Sanchez both have a deep love of the city, its people and traditions. The complex seduction of this Southern city deeply informs their songwriting. Sanchez’s song "Voodoo Shoppe," the title cut on his former band Cowboy Mouth’s new disc, was inspired by Boutte’s neighbor, a voodoo priestess. "There were interesting things going on in that courtyard," Sanchez said, laughing. "It was definitely a New Orleans moment. I learned a lot hanging out there." As New Orleans rebuilds and tries to find its new identity, people like Boutte are an integral part of that reconstruction. With his personal history and "stranger-than-fiction" life, he’s a direct connection to the French Creole and black traditions that go back to the city’s early days. "It’s a language and culture that celebrates life in its own special way," Sanchez said. "John brings that to the stage with the stories he tells and the songs he sings." By Mary Houlihan [email protected] Copyright © The Sun-Times Company
Sounds Like:
To purchase John Boutte’s discs go to www.louisianamusicfactory.com

Type of Label: None