
Bayou Soul Meets New Orleans R&B
Bayou Soul
About The Artist
Serabee hails directly from Kiln, Mississippi, just a stones throw from New Orleans. Raised in the church, juke joints, and tent revivals of Louisiana and Mississippi by her preacher, guitar-playing father and her folk singer/songwriting mother, she is a stunning artist whose piano playing is reminiscent of Ray Charles, Professor Longhair, Jerry Lee Lewis and Dr. John. Her ‘bring the house down’ singing style has been compared to Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, and Susan Tedeschi among others while her songwriting skills encompass her irresistible pop, country and R&B sensibilities.
Pooling her talents from an impressive career that spanned her childhood playing in the aforementioned church and revival circuit through multiple major label record deals, charted songs with national and international success, Serabee found herself going full circle, returning home looking to rediscover her New Orleans sound.Signing with one of the nation’s oldest continuously-operating independent record labels, Rabadash Records, she enlisted legendary New Orleans drummer Russell Batiste Jr., with whom she collaborated on the aptly titled track “New Orleans”, which in turn led to the formation of The Roots Revival Band consisting of Serabee on vocals and piano, Batiste on drums and vocals, Mark Levron (Marc Broussard, Samantha Fish, Soul Brass Band) on trumpet and vocals, and Jon Cristian Duque (Soul Project NOLA, Walter “Wolfman Washington & The Roadmasters) on guitar and vocals. Along with bassist Cassandra Faulkner, the band commenced what has become a two year plus residency at the venerated Bourbon O Hotel in the heart of the French Quarter. The gig was designed to define and mold the band’s sound and identity, and was doing just that when tragedy struck with the unexpected passing of Batiste in Sept of 2023.
Grief stricken, the band searched their souls and decided to continue on in his spirit, first with his brother, Jamal Batiste, and then with Ezell “E.Z.” Smith (Chapel Hart Water Seed J & The Causeways) on the drums. With the departure of Faulkner on bass, the band reformed now as a 4 piece with Serabee singing, playing piano, and holding down the left hand bass on her keyboards with the band taking care of the rest!
© 2023