LaVerne Butler

Not to be confused with R&B great LaVern Baker, LaVerne Butler stands out as an excellent yet underrecognized jazz vocalist shaped primarily by the styles of Nancy Wilson and Sarah Vaughan. Born in Shreveport, LA, she absorbed jazz and R&B in depth during her formative years thanks to steady support from her father, saxophonist Scott Butler. She later relocated to New Orleans, where she completed music studies at the University of New Orleans and established herself as a regular presence across the city’s Dixieland and bebop clubs. There she performed alongside such noted figures as Alvin Batiste, Ellis Marsalis, Henry Butler (no relation), and James Black before relocating to the New York area in 1984. Once settled in New York, Butler took lessons from Jon Hendricks and sustained herself as an English teacher while working the Manhattan club circuit. During the early to mid-’90s she recorded for Chesky, issuing the bop-oriented debut album No Looking Back (1992) and the lighter, more relaxed follow-up Day Dreamin’ (1994). After parting ways with Chesky she intended to cut a 1997 release for Herbie Mann’s Kokopelli label, yet those plans collapsed when the company encountered financial difficulties. Her third album, Blues in the City, appeared in 1999.