John Boutte is a bad dude. A Facebook fried just posted an audience video of John singing “Blackbird,” which made me search out and play the track “Why,” which he recorded with the New Orleans Social Club. It’s really heavy, especially in context.
There was a big concert at the New Orleans Arena on the one year anniversary of Katrina. It was a big gospel blow out fundraiser that also included NOSC, Dr John, and Stevie Wonder. I was standing next to the stage while NOSC was on, and when John sang “Why,” I had to go backstage into the hallway. It wasn’t a couple of tears kind of emotional, it was “I am going to bawl like a baby if I don’t walk away” emotional.
If you get a chance to check John out, don’t miss it.