Place and Culture

Derek Douget finely mixes his Louisiana upbringing and with his strong individualism and idiosyncratic voice.

Raised in the town of Gonzales, Louisiana, an hour from New Orleans, Douget's parents adopted him into a mixed race family. His Cajun father exposed him to all things Acadian from food to music. In a region known for mixing African, Latin, Native American, and European traditions and cultures, Douget celebrates his part in this great community of mixed cultures that has always been a hot bed for jazz musicians.

If a man can be known by his friends, the personnel on the first CD of Derek Douget speaks to the quality of the young musician. Jazz luminaries including Ellis Marsalis, Jason Marsalis, Roland Geurin, and Nicholas Payton join Douget on the saxophonist's 2002 CD release, Perpetual Motion, which features original material mostly penned by Douget and Jason Marsalis.

On Perpetual Motion, it is Douget's turn to lead the band, after playing sideman on so many recordings with his musical colleagues. His hot alto and soprano saxophone riffs have won accolades from the critics, and can be heard on recordings such as Jason Marsalis' Year of the Drummer and Music in Motion, as well as Guerin's You Don't Have to See It to Believe It and Roland Guerin: Live at the Blue Note.