John Autin is a New Orleans native who put his first band together at age 12 and never left the stage. He returned to school in the 1990s to earn a master's in jazz performance from the University of New Orleans, studying with Ellis Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Mulgrew Miller, and Steve Masakowski.
Known around town as 'The New Orleans Piano Man,' Autin held a long residency in the Carousel Bar of the Hotel Monteleone — on the same Steinway concert grand Liberace got his start on — and works French Quarter clubs, casinos, weddings, and private parties. His show runs from traditional New Orleans jazz of the 1920s and '30s through rock, funk, and today's popular music.
Offstage, Autin runs Rabadash Records, producing and promoting fellow Louisiana artists including Anders Osborne, George Porter Jr., Big Al Carson, the Subdudes, and Waylon Thibodeaux. His album Piano Town, produced by Cindy Scott, pairs his piano and vocals with Herlin Riley, Roland Guerin, Jeff Coffin, Brian Seeger, and Rick Trolsen.
