Feeling the Festival Vibe! Newsletter

What, when, and where? I hope to see you there!

Pack up the kiddos and boogie on over to the Kids Tent at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on Sunday, April 30, 2023 between 2:15-3:00 for some Louisiana tunes for children!

Joining me again this year is three-time Grammy winner (and hubby) Scott Billington! There will be plenty of fan favorites and new songs in this toe-tapping, two-stepping féte for the whole family. 

For Tickets

I mentioned in my last newsletter that I have a new book coming out this fall with illustrator Heather Stanley through Pelican Publishing, and as promised, I am revealing the cover to you, my subscribers, first! Heather and I have two other books together (Petit Pierre and the Floating Marsh and Mademoiselle Grands Doigts), and in this book, she really captured the boldness and wildness of my Cajun tall tale My Parrain is the Loup Garou.

CDs Have Arrived!

The physical CDs for my Jumpin' Jitters, It's Halloween album, of slightly spooky, mostly silly holiday songs for children, have finally arrived! 

"Johnette Downing is a New Orleans treasure, and Jumping Jitters shows why she is so beloved - a super fun, spooky fais-do-do that kids and adults will enjoy! And if you're anything like me, you'll want to listen to it year-round!"
    —DJ LizE, The Kid's Show, WTUL New Orleans 91.5fm

         Order Yours Today!

Upcoming events

April 30 at 2:15-3:00, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Kids Tent, New Orleans Fairgrounds

May 4 at 11:00-11:45, New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, 916 N. Peters, French Market

May 22-26, Arts Learning for Massachusetts, School Concert Tour 

June 1 at 11:00-11:45, New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, 916 N. Peters, French Market

June 3 at 2:00-4:00, Book signing, Barnes & Noble Metairie, Veterans Blvd., Metairie, LA

June 6-8, at 10:00 and 2:00, Livingston Parish Libraries, LA

June 16 at 10:00 and 2:00, LaSalle Parish Libraries, LA

June 21 at 10:00 and 2:00, St. James Parish Libraries, LA

July 6 at 11:00-11:45, New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, 916 N. Peters, French Market

July 7-8 at 10:00 and 2:00, Ascension Parish Libraries, LA

July 12 at 6:30-7:15 PM, Hamilton-Wenham Library, Hamilton, MA

August 4 at 9:45-10:30, Nantucket Atheneum, Garden, Nantucket, MA
 

I was grocery shopping yesterday when a young man came up to me and asked if I was Johnette Downing. His mother, Ms. Fontenot, was a client who hired me for decades to perform for her summer camp in New Orleans. The young man said he remembered being in the audience of my concerts when he was a young camper there. He then told me that I had just performed at HIS son's school. Ms. Fontenot, her son, and her grandson may have no idea how much it means to me to know that I was part of three generations of their lovely family in some small way. 

Thank you all for allowing me to experience this one precious life with you and your families. - Johnette 

Spring Festivals Bloom!

Spring Festivals Bloom!

Spring is nearly here and it’s time to shake a tail feather at upcoming festivals!

Spring Public Concert Dates

• March 2 at 11:00, Concert, New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, Dutch Alley, French Market

• March 11 at TBA - Concert and Book Signing, New Orleans Book Festival, Tulane University

• April 6 at 11:00, Concert, New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, Dutch Alley, French Market

• April 16 at 12:15, Concert, French Quarter Festival, National Park Service Stage, French Quarter, New Orleans

• April 30 at TBA, Concert, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Kids Stage, New Orleans Fairgrounds

May

• May 4 at 11:00, Concert, New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, Dutch Alley, French Market

Read More

New Book This Fall!

I am howling with happiness to announce that I have a new picture book coming out this fall titled My Parrain is the Loup Garou! The book is illustrated by Heather Stanley (we have three books together now), and published by Pelican Publishing.

This familial love story between a child and his godfather is my first original Cajun tall tale, and it is peppered with exaggerated colloquial vernacular to create humor and warmth especially when read aloud. Like children on the playground, the child boasts to the reader about his Parrain’s superhuman strength and wolf-like qualities as proof that the godfather is in fact the legendary mythical creature, the Loup Garou. As playmates, the child and the Parrain set out on magical adventures, perhaps too good to be true.

The vivid colors and bold brush strokes in Heather Stanley’s illustrations set a swampy tone and blur the lines between fact and fantasy. This lighthearted twist—to the often dark oral traditions of the Cajun werewolf—is sure to make children laugh and hopefully wildly dream.

Book cover reveal to follow!

Photo: Illustrator Heather Stanley and I sitting on an oil rig exhibit at the Audubon Zoo for some silly reason I am sure.

New Paperback!

My Down in Louisiana book, illustrated by Deborah Ousley Kadair Thomas, is now available in a paperback edition! This “singable” counting book highlights Louisiana animals and their habitats. The song is also available to download in my website digital music Store!

Buy Book

Music News

My Jumpin’ Jitters, It’s Halloween album was released digitally on streaming platforms in October, 2022, and, after several holiday delays, it is now at the manufacturer to be released as a physical CD this spring. The pre-orders will be shipped as soon as they arrive. The album contains fourteen original and traditional slightly spooky, mostly silly holiday songs.

Pre-Order CD

For some reason, I have always been good at finding four leaf clovers. I have dozens of them tucked away in my haiku notebooks because I typically carry a haiku notebook wherever I go. The trick is to look for the odd pattern in the patch, which in this case is the even number four! Four is the odd one out of the many threes. This spring, I hope you take time to enjoy the flowers, sink your toes into the grass, and be grateful that you are here to witness this one beautiful life. - Johnette

“A flower blooms for its own joy.” - Oscar Wilde

Down in Louisiana Released in Paperback!

At long last, one of my best selling books is back in print in a new paperback edition! This author/illustrator owned edition features a new educational component that adds yet another layer to this beloved singable counting book about Louisiana animals and their habitats.

Buy the Book!   Buy the Song!  Buy on Amazon!

Grammy Awards Here We Come!

Congratulations to Scott for his Grammy Nomination in Best Historical Album category for producing the box set “Life’s Work, A Retrospective” about the life and career of legendary artist Doc Watson. We will be heading to the Grammys in Los Angeles to walk the red carpet on February 5th. Best of luck to Scott! We can’t wait for the event.

Jumpin' Jitters', It's Halloween Released TODAY!

Happy Halloween! No trick here, my Jumpin’ Jitters, It’s Halloween album is out TODAY on streaming platforms world wide and on my website! It was such a joy making this album of fourteen slightly spooky, mostly silly songs for children.

I want to thank Threadhead Cultural Foundation for the generous grant that partially funded the project. I would also like to thank co-producer Scott Billington, recording engineers Steve Reynolds, Jake Eckert and Naylan Williams, and mastering engineer Jeff Albert.

A monster cast of musicians created an eerie soundscape to make the album spine-tingling fun for the whole family. A deep bow to musicians C. R. Gruver, Scott Billington, Nathan Williams, Jake Eckert, Gina Forsyth, Lee Allen Zeno, Doug Belote, EJ Ouellette, and the Whole Music Student chorus.

I appreciate the teachers over the years who shared Halloween songs and chants with me to use in my classrooms and in my live shows. Many of those songs appear on the album such as “Mean Old Witch,” “Stirring My Brew,” and “Jack-O’-Lantern.” The album includes many original songs such as “Jumpin’ Jitters,” “Shake Your Skeletons,” “Goosebumps,” and “Little Bat Song,” among others.

I hope your Halloween is all treat and filled with song!

-Johnette

Jumpin' Jitters, It's Halloween Album to be released October 21!

It’s beginning to feel like Halloween, especially this Friday, October 21 when I release my new album Jumpin’ Jitters, It’s Halloween for children on streaming and digital platforms worldwide! These fourteen slightly spooky, mostly silly Halloween songs will have your bones rattling and your spine tingling. Fan favorite original songs such as “Shake Your Skeletons” and “Little Bat Song,” are paired nicely with traditional tunes such as “Five Little Pumpkins” and “Mean Old Witch.”

A stellar team of monster musicians such as C. R. Gruver on Hammond organ, Nathan Williams on accordion, Jake Eckert on lead guitar, Gina Forsyth on fiddle, Doug Belote on drums, Lee Allen Zeno on bass, EJ Ouellette on mandolin, Scott Billington on harmonica, and a Whole Music student chorus join me, on vocals, guitar and ukulele, to create an eerie soundscape for fall fun.

The digital album will be available on worldwide streaming platforms beginning on Friday, but because I always put my FANS FIRST, you can download the album NOW! Surprise!!! The physical CD will come out in a month or so!

I would like to thank Threadhead Cultural Foundation for the generous grant that partially funded this project.

I hope you enjoy the new album as much as I enjoyed making it!

Boo Carré on Saturday, October 15th!

It’s time to dress up in your favorite costumes and Spooky Second Line on down to the annual Boo Carré Halloween Haunt in the French Market! I will be performing songs from my new “Jumpin’ Jitters, It’s Halloween” album in the Dutch Alley outdoor Performance Pavilion, at 916 N Peters, New Orleans, between 11:15 and noon.

Children can also enjoy trick-or-treating at select French Market shops. Create a second line hankie at the Adorn Me Antoinette booth, and parade with me on the last song.

It’s an all day Halloween Haunt of music and merriment!

Spooky Hammond Organ sounds on Mean Old Witch!

My “Mean Old Witch” single has been released today!!! I wanted to take the time to give a shout out to C. R. Gruver for making the song super spooky with his Hammond Organ performance. C. R. is also a super sweet guy, and having him play on the album was more than a Halloween treat! Thanks C. R.!

Hear this monster of a musician on the tune!