John played cornet and trumpet in his junior high and high school marching bands where he was a section leader. In recent times he has recorded three CD's. Through the Eyes of A Child, Scotch and Soda, and the remarkable Jambalaya, recorded for Bose. Yet another CD entitled Gospel United, a concert recording arranged in Denmark, contains his remarkable solo arrangement of ""The Battle Hymn of the Republic"", which has achieved Gold Record status in several European markets. Boutte also worked with ex-Cowboy Mouth guitarist and singer, Paul Sanchez which led to a collaborated effort Stew Called New Orleans released in 2009. Boutte was also featured on John Scofield's 2009 album, Piety Street, singing the lead on three tracks. His song "Treme Song" on his Jambalaya album is the theme song of HBO's series, Treme.