Lillian Boutte And Her Music Friends - Music Is My Life (1989)

The title of this CD, Music Is My Life, is an apt summation of the life of songstress Lillian Boutte. She and her husband,Thomas L'Etienne, who plays alto and tenor saxophone and clarinet in her band, have spent thousands of hours on the road in Europe, performing gospel and traditional jazz. Boutte, who is from New Orleans, was born and bred in that tradition. She first toured Europe as a star in the musical One Mo'Time, married a German musician ,and settled in Hamburg, Germany. Her husband, like many Europeans, holds traditional jazz and its makers in reverence. The other members of her music friends, as she calls them, are also Europeans. They include Hans Knudsenon piano, Arild Holm on banjo, Bob Culverhouse on bass, and Loren Houlind on drums. The play list on this CD is a mix of popular standards, blues, and gospel, all done up in Boutte's jazzy style. She takes a song like "All of Me" and turns it into a work of jazz art. Her rendition of "He Touched Me" reflects the depth of her feeling for her gospel roots. The ballads "I Cried for You" and "For All We Know" are perfect vehicles for showcasing the soft and subtle way that the vocalist engages in a song."Go Back Where You Stayed Last Night" shows her bluesy side. One can understand upon hearing Lillian Boutte sing why music is her life.~Music Is My Life Review by Rose of Sharon Witmer