Broussard completes Nashville residency tonight
Emerging Louisiana music star Marc Broussard has recently been making Nashville a second home. Today, he�ll not only conclude a month-long residency at the Blue Sky Court, but will also be appearing earlier at Tower Records in West End. Broussard added that tonight�s Blue Sky date will have a special twist and guest star.
�My dad�s joining me here for tonight�s set,� Broussard said. �We�ve been playing together since I was five years old, and he�s definitely the reason why I�m a musician. I�m really hoping for a big crowd tonight because it�s always something special when my father joins the show.�
Indeed, the Broussard musical connection extends to his grandfather, who was also a performer. But more importantly, his father�s music collection, which includes heavy amounts of jazz and soul, directly influenced Broussard�s sound and performance ethic. Despite growing up in the heart of Cajun/Zydeco territory, Broussard has no interest in either genre, or in singing traditional French tunes.
Instead, classic R&B is his musical preference. Broussard is among the most forceful, animated and truly soulful singers of his generation, a vocalist whose emotions and on-stage actions aren�t a calculated routine, but simply his natural style.
�When I say I�m a soul singer, it�s not in the narrow sense of the term,� Broussard said. �What I�m talking about is broader than that; it�s trying to be real and honest in my singing. You aren�t going to get anything witty in my songs; I�m not on stage trying to impress anyone with wit and humor. The people that I really love, like Otis Redding, Tyrone Davis, Marvin Gaye, these are people whose music comes from the heart and isn�t phony or pretentious. That�s what soul music means to me.�
Actually discovered singing on a curb in Lafayette, La. by Ripley Record executive Leah Simon, Broussard�s debut release Momentary Setback reflects his adamant insistence on real, uncluttered and non-compromised music. His father is among the backing musicians for what is a consistently engaging session. Such singles as �French Cafe� and �Gotta Be More� have upbeat, encouraging themes and also serve as worthy showcases for Broussard�s booming, incisive leads.
Broussard�s national profile is steadily getting bigger. He signed last year with Island/Def Jam Records, and in December will head to the studio to work on an upcoming major label release. He�s also included on an August CD titled Light Of Day: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen doing a version of �Back In Your Arms Again� that he says �really came off great.� However, Broussard is most anxious to talk about his time in Music City and how much it�s helped his career and his music.
�The people here have been ridiculously nice to me,� Broussard concluded. �They�re so supportive and welcoming, and we�ve been writing a lot of songs here as well. I�m not sure about what�s happening at the end of the year, but I think that we�re going to come back here and cut some songs for the record. We�ve had too good a time here, and it�s been too great not to come back.�
Ron Wynn/July 24, 2003
Nashville City Paper