A New Orleans group that blended jazz, funk, and soul with pointed lyrics about their community.
If you want to hear what they were about, start with 'Bird's I View' and 'Never Change My Mind.' That's the sound, the New Orleans rhythm section meeting lyrics that actually had something to say.
They made music that felt like New Orleans, that rhythmic pulse, those jazz touches, but they weren't just playing for the room. Songs like 'Bird's I View' and 'Beloved People' carried a social edge that drew both praise and criticism. 'Never Change My Mind' became one of their better-known tracks, but it's that combination of groove and message that gives their catalog its weight.
They formed in 1999 with John Boutté on vocals and guitar, Russell Batiste on drums, and Roland Guerin on bass. Their first album came in 2004, followed by records like Crazy Rhythms in 2006 and Velvet in 2009, with lineup shifts bringing players like Jason Marsalis and Jon Cleary through over the years. They kept at it through early financial struggles, releasing an album called 5 by 2015 and building a following for their live shows.
Keep it compact: a lyric you come back to, a live memory, or the part of the catalog you would point someone toward first.
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