Vocalist
Lillian Boutte
chose a line from one of
gospel
music's best-loved songs for the title of her CD,
I Sing Because I'm Happy
. It comes from
"His Eye Is on the Sparrow,"
which is among the selections that
Boutte
sings on the recording. The New Orleans-born singer went back to her roots in the
tradition to make this record.
grew up in a Creole neighborhood in which an integral part of the cultural fabric was the church. She was raised singing in a choir. In fact, her friend
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
once likened her voice to the great
Mahalia Jackson
.
speaks of having a recommitment of faith after a life-threatening illness. She often performs
when she returns to the city of her birth from her home in Germany. It is with her German musician husband,
Thomas L'Etiene
, that she made this record of
favorites. The singer is renowned in Europe; the decision to make the record reflects the great interest that Europeans have in the
jazz
and
traditions of New Orleans. The
singer lifts her voice in praise on a number of
favorites, such as
"Precious Lord,"
"In the Sweet by and By,"
"What a Friend We Have in Jesus."
She is exudes joy on
"That Old Time Religion"
and shows reverence on
"Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?."
The CD shows that while
may be an international star of
, she is still a daughter of the church. ~ Rose of Sharon Witmer