Ogden After Hours Jazz Series concludes with a special finale performance by beloved New Orleans vocalist John Boutté. Renowned for his warm tenor, effortless phrasing and deep connection to the city’s musical traditions, Boutté embodies the soul of New Orleans song. Blending jazz, gospel, blues and Creole influences, his performances are both intimate and uplifting—rooted in tradition while distinctly his own.

A treasured figure locally and internationally, Boutté is celebrated for his interpretations of American standards and original works alike, including his iconic “Treme Song,” featured in the HBO series Treme. His artistry captures the heart, resilience and joy that define the city’s musical spirit.

Join us as we close out the series with an unforgettable evening of live music, gallery access and a cash bar—celebrating one of the voices that continues to define New Orleans music.

In addition to the live jazz, enjoy:

• A food pop-up
• A cash bar
• A kids’ art activity table

$15 adult / $7 child

Ogden After Hours are free for Museum Members. Not a member? Learn more about membership perks by visiting here.

About John Boutté

During his school days, John Boutté played cornet and trumpet, those clarions of life in New Orleans, in his junior high and high school marching bands. He was a section leader, no less, in a town where marching bands duel like decked-out demons in the street. School also gave John the chance to sing, first at talent shows and then with street a capella groups—groups named, listen, “Spirit” and then “Remnant.” Linger for a moment on those names and then let them resonate an instant longer—street bands singing on the bricks of a town where “street singer” is still a respectable job title. Take another moment and stir in the spices of the music that was on the turntables of his older brothers and sisters, the music that ruled the street and raised the spirits: Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, the Jackson 5 and Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway. During these years, traditional jazzmen like Paul Barbarin, Louis “Big Eye” Nelson and Danny Barker became both John’s friends and mentors. John’s sister, Lillian Boutté, introduced the young stylist to local legends like Dr. John, Allen Toussaint and James Booker.

After high school, Boutté studied at Xavier University, a Black Catholic institution known in New Orleans and throughout the Deep South. After graduating, he was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army and provided with the opportunity to direct and sing in Army gospel choirs in Virginia, Texas and eventually Korea. It was in Korea, ironically, when singing gospel and deep blues after hours in restaurants he had only accidentally entered, that John Boutté began to know himself as an American, an artist and a person. Not long after his return to the United States, Boutté was invited to tour almost the entirety of Europe with his sister Lillian. Europe was a set of lessons in languages, cultures and customs, which gave him a chance to meditate on the very idea of a life led as a jazz singer.

When Boutté eventually returned home to New Orleans, he continued singing. But now there was a new generation, a new breed of musicians available, musicians like Herlin Riley, Shannon Powell, Nicholas Payton and Brian Blade. He began to open shows for the likes of Mel Tormé, Lou Rawls, Rosemary Clooney and, most recently, Herbie Hancock. In recent years, he has recorded three CDs: Through the Eyes of a Child, Scotch and Soda and the remarkable Jambalaya, recorded for Bose. Another CD, Gospel United, a concert recording arranged in Denmark, contains his remarkable solo arrangement of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” which has achieved gold record status in several European markets.

Sometimes you can hear him singing, sometimes whistling or sometimes faintly from the street as he sits at his piano singing a Korean lullaby. Boutté’s job is to sing—to sing jazz with such style and grace that no one ever mistakes him for anything other than a master. John is one of those remarkable cases where the art arises from the true heart. To know John Boutté is to hold onto the coattails of a butterfly. To hear him sing is to feel a brief touch of the wing.

Listen to john boutté

About Ogden After Hours

Ogden After Hours (OAH) is a special event that features a diverse lineup of programs reflecting and celebrating the diversity of Southern art and culture. Bringing the whole family? Each OAH offers a unique art activity table for kids to enjoy!

/// Image credit: Brennon Fain