ABOUT THE CATAHOULAS
The Catahoulas are a New Orleans rhythm and blues band bringing the city’s golden age of R&B into the present day. Inspired by the sounds of the 1950s and 60s, the band performs the music of legends like Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, Smiley Lewis, Huey Smith, Lee Dorsey, Jesse Hill, and Ernie K Doe, while also writing and performing original songs in that same deeply rooted New Orleans tradition. The result is a sound that feels classic, soulful, and unmistakably New Orleans while still speaking to modern audiences.
Led by bassist Joshua Gouzy, The Catahoulas were born out of a deep personal connection to this music. Joshua grew up in a family of working New Orleans musicians spanning four generations, and that family history, along with a lifelong love for the city’s rhythm and blues tradition, helped shape the vision for a band dedicated not just to preserving this music, but to playing it with the feel, spirit, and authenticity it demands. As a bassist, Joshua felt a particular draw to the style. “I love this music because the rhythm section really is the heart of it. You drive the band from behind, and if the people ain’t dancing, you’re not doin’ it right.”
“It’s all about groovin’ and having a good time, just relaxing and enjoying life.” -Joshua Gouzy
Joshua has assembled a lineup that seems tailor made for the style, each with his own particular tie to its roots. Legendary drummer Gerald French of The Original Tuxedo Jazz Band is his partner in rhythm. Gerald grew up in second lines and church bands before moving on to jazz clubs. He is dyed in the wool New Orleans rhythm. The horn section features Preservation Hall All Stars player Kevin Louis on trumpet and composer Oliver Bonie on alto, tenor, and baritone sax. Both have been making music in New Orleans their entire lives and have traveled the world as ambassadors of New Orleans music. Pianist Steve DeTroy comes to the band by way of Walter “Wolfman” Washington’s Roadmasters. Steve grew up with music in church and is known for injecting songs with blues and soul. Guitarist Bert Cotton has been performing with New Orleans brass rock band Bonerama for over 18 years.
Together, The Catahoulas perform the music of Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, Alvin “Shine” Robinson, Snooks Eaglin, Jesse Hill, Lee Dorsey, Huey Smith, Smiley Lewis, Chris Kenner, Ernie K Doe, Robert Parker, Lloyd Price, and Papa Albert French, while also contributing original songs written in that same rich New Orleans R&B language. The result is a band that feels both rooted and fresh, honoring the past while giving audiences something living and current. “I think this is the most accessible music there is,” says Gouzy. “Anyone can enjoy it. You don’t have to be a swing dancer or a tango dancer or anything to know how to move to it. You just kinda do it, you just groove, because that’s what it’s all about. It’s all about groovin’ and having a good time, just relaxing and enjoying life.”
The Catahoulas currently hold a weekly Thursday residency at Mahogany Jazz Hall in New Orleans. The band has also performed regularly at respected venues including the Maple Leaf Bar, The Spotted Cat Music Club, D.B.A., The Hi Ho Lounge, Harrah’s Casino, and the New Orleans Jazz Museum, and has appeared at multiple regional festivals. Their debut album, Homegrown, was nominated for Best R&B Album of 2019 by OffBeat Magazine and was featured in the publication’s Top 50 Louisiana Music Releases of 2019.
At the heart of it all, The Catahoulas exist to celebrate, preserve, and continue one of New Orleans’ richest musical traditions. Whether performing beloved classics or original songs in the style, the band brings the rhythm, soul, and joy of New Orleans R&B to every stage they play.
THE MEMBERS
Joshua Gouzy -
bandleader, bass
Joshua Gouzy is a New Orleans native, bassist, bandleader, and educator whose roots in the city’s music run deep. He comes from a family of working musicians that spans four generations. His maternal great grandfather, Dee Florane, was a trumpet player, and his great uncle Alcide Florane led a family jazz band in the Holy Cross neighborhood of the Lower 9th Ward in the 1910s. His great aunt Leah Florane was the organist for silent films at the Saenger Theatre. His grandfather Lloyd Florane is a gifted multi instrumentalist who played bass, saxophone, trumpet, and trombone in bands including The Blue Stars and Collay and the Satellites. The Satellites had a Billboard hit with “Last Chance,” recorded at Cosimo Matassa’s Rampart Street studio in 1959.
Joshua began playing music at a young age, but the bass became his calling at 11, when his grandfather helped him pick out his first one from a pawn shop in Chalmette, Louisiana. He later earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education with a minor in Jazz Studies from Loyola University New Orleans and a Master’s degree in Music from the University of New Orleans. Today he performs regularly with numerous New Orleans groups and runs Magnolia Entertainment.
His connection to this music is personal. Joshua often thinks of visiting his great grandmother in the Lower 9th Ward, where she would hear him playing something classical on the piano and say, “Oh, that’s great, mah dawlin’, but ya gotta swing it.” Then she would sit down and play “Just a Closer Walk with Thee.” It is a memory that still shapes the way he hears, feels, and plays New Orleans music.
Gerald French -
drums, lead vocals
Gerald French comes straight from the heart of New Orleans music. A fourth generation New Orleans musician, Gerald was raised inside one of the city’s great musical families, where tradition was not something distant or academic, but something lived every day. As the grandson of Albert “Papa” French and the nephew of Bob French, he grew up in the world of the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band and was shaped by the elders who carried that music forward before him. In 2011, he took over leadership of the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band, continuing one of the most important lineages in New Orleans jazz.
Gerald’s connection to New Orleans rhythm and blues runs just as deep. His father, the acclaimed bassist and singer George French, was Dave Bartholomew’s cousin and was hired by Bartholomew while still in high school to play on sessions tied to Fats Domino. George also played on landmark recordings by Earl King, Robert Parker, and Bo Dollis and the Wild Magnolias, placing Gerald close to the sound and spirit that shaped modern New Orleans R&B. Gerald later carried that legacy forward in his own way, spending twelve years masking as Flag Boy with the Wild Magnolias and also holding the drum chair for the Dixie Cups.
Over the years, Gerald has performed with artists including Dr. John, Harry Connick Jr., Charmaine Neville, and Preservation Hall musicians. Whether he is leading Tuxedo or laying down the groove with The Catahoulas, Gerald brings the feel, authority, and deep musical understanding of someone who comes directly from the source.
Kevin Louis -
trumpet, cornet, vocals
A New Orleanian and proud of it, Kevin Louis has been playing trumpet since he was 8 years-old. He graduated from The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) and earned a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance from Oberlin Conservatory of Music. He went on to receive a Masters of Arts from the Aaron Copeland School of Music at Queen's College in New York. In 2005 he recorded his first solo album, Loved Ones. When in town he has played with The Preservation Hall All-Stars, The Palm Court Jazz Cafe All-Stars, and many other New Orleans bands. However, Kevin often finds himself touring abroad, having traveled as a performer, clinician, and instructor to over thirty countries. This includes five tours as a U.S. Department of State/John F. Kennedy Center Jazz Ambassador.
Oliver Bonie -
baritone & alto sax
A second generation New Orleans musician, multi-instrumentalist, and media composer, Oliver Bonie has been making music since he was six years old. His father Earl often brought him to his gigs on the Natchez. When he was in high school he heard about a recording session with Fats Domino and Herbie Hancock and made his way to the studio and asked if he could hang out with them. He graduated from the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) and went on to earn a degree in Jazz Studies from The University of New Orleans. From 2009 to 2013 he played with The Uptown Jazz Orchestra before joining the New Orleans Jazz Vipers. His chameleon musical abilities have lead him to a variety of projects from jazz to alternative rock to electronic music.
Bert Cotton -
guitar
Bert hails from Birmingham, Alabama. He picked up the guitar at age 18 and it very quickly became a passion. It wasn’t long before he started gigging around Birmingham. He studied jazz at Auburn University under Bob Richardson before going on to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston. He’s known most prominently for playing and touring with Bonerama for the past 18 years. He’s also a member of Funk Monkey. He’s played with many notable New Orleans acts including James Andrews, Ingrid Lucia, Johnny Adams, and Kermit Ruffins.
Steve DeTroy -
piano, vocals
Steve began playing piano at the age of 5 under the instruction of his father, who is also a professional jazz pianist. He attended the jazz and contemporary music program at The New School University, studying with legendary pianist Junior Mance. Since moving to New Orleans in 2014 he was quickly brought in to Walter “Wolfman” Washington’s Roadmasters and has been touring the world with them since including tours to New York, Seattle, Canada, Brazil, India, China, and Germany.