New Orleans Catahoulas

Biography

The New Orleans Catahoulas are a New Orleans rhythm and blues revival band founded in 2017 by bassist Joshua Gouzy, a fourth-generation New Orleans musician whose family roots in the city's musical tradition stretch back to a great-grandfather who played trumpet and a great-uncle who led a jazz band in the Lower 9th Ward in the 1910s. The band was assembled to faithfully recreate the golden-age R&B sound that emerged from Cosimo Matassa's recording studios and venues like the Dew Drop Inn during the 1950s and 1960s. (Note: despite some streaming metadata tagging them as cajun/zydeco, the Catahoulas are squarely a New Orleans R&B and soul act.)

The ensemble features an impressive roster of deep-rooted New Orleans talent. Drummer and vocalist Gerald French — known as "The Giant" — is a fourth-generation musician, grandson of Papa Albert French, and leader of the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band since 2011. He is also a WWOZ 90.7 FM DJ. Trumpeter Kevin Louis is an Oberlin Conservatory graduate who has toured over 30 countries as a U.S. Department of State Jazz Ambassador. Pianist Steve DeTroy studied under jazz legend Junior Mance at The New School and tours with Walter "Wolfman" Washington's Roadmasters. Guitarist Bert Cotton brings 18+ years with the brass-rock band Bonerama, and saxophonists Earl and Oliver Bonie previously played with The Jazz Vipers. The band released their debut album Homegrown in March 2019 — recorded live at the New Orleans Jazz Museum — earning an OffBeat Magazine nomination for Best R&B Album of 2019 and placement on their Top 50 Louisiana Music Releases of that year.

The Catahoulas' repertoire draws from the classic New Orleans R&B canon — Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, Smiley Lewis, Lee Dorsey, Ernie K-Doe, Huey "Piano" Smith, Danny Barker, and Dave Bartholomew — with Gerald French being a cousin of Bartholomew himself. Their live performances, anchored by a weekly Thursday residency at Mahogany Jazz Hall, have made them a fixture at venues like The Spotted Cat, Maple Leaf Bar, and French Quarter Fest. As Gouzy describes their mission: "It's all about groovin' and having a good time, just relaxing and enjoying life."

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Fun Facts

• The band's name is a tribute to the Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog — Louisiana's official state dog, named after Catahoula Parish — a fitting symbol of deep bayou roots.
• Drummer Gerald French ('The Giant') is also a WWOZ 90.7 FM DJ, hosting the Thursday Blues Show (2–4pm CT) and Friday morning Jazz Police show (9–11am CT) — meaning the band has a direct on-air connection to the station that covers them.
• Bandleader Joshua Gouzy is simultaneously a member of approximately eleven New Orleans bands, gigging at least seven days a week — a testament to the city's dense, interlocking music community.
• Their debut album Homegrown was recorded in a single live session at the Old U.S. Mint / New Orleans Jazz Museum on February 16, 2018, giving it an organic, one-take authenticity rarely found in studio albums.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Dave Bartholomew - Legendary New Orleans R&B producer and composer; Gerald French is his cousin. Three tracks on Homegrown were written by Bartholomew, and his production style is a primary sonic inspiration for the band. [Historical influence]
• Junior Mance - Jazz pianist who taught pianist Steve DeTroy at The New School University in New York. [Pre-2017]
• Papa Albert French - Gerald French's grandfather and New Orleans jazz patriarch; French leads the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band in his tradition. [Historical]

Key Collaborators

• Walter Washington - Steve DeTroy is a touring member of Walter 'Wolfman' Washington's Roadmasters alongside his work with the Catahoulas. [2017–present]
• Bonerama - Guitarist Bert Cotton has performed with the New Orleans brass-rock band Bonerama for 18+ years concurrently. [Ongoing]

External Links

• Spotify