The Belleville Outfit
Encyclopedia
The Belleville Outfit is a cross-genre American folk band based out of Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

. Their sound has been described as "a mix of gypsy swing, big band jazz and cross-genre Americana music". In April 2007, after three days of practice, they performed their first gig at MerleFest
MerleFest
MerleFest is an annual "traditional plus" music festival held in Wilkesboro, North Carolina on the campus of Wilkes Community College . The festival, which is held the last weekend in April, is hosted by Grammy Award winner Doc Watson and is named in memory and honor of his son, Eddy Merle Watson,...

 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
North Wilkesboro is a town in Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was approximately 4,116 at the 2000 census and is now 4,245 as of the 2010 census. North Wilkesboro is the birthplace and original home of Lowe's Home Improvement, which continues to have a major presence in...

. Members Rob Teter and Marshall Hood are from Spartanburg, South Carolina
Spartanburg, South Carolina
thgSpartanburg is the largest city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. It is the second-largest city of the three primary cities in the Upstate region of South Carolina, and is located northwest of Columbia, west of Charlotte, and about northeast of...

. Additional band members were recruited through connections Rob had made while studying music business at Loyola University New Orleans
Loyola University New Orleans
Loyola University New Orleans is a private, co-educational and Jesuit university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Originally established as Loyola College in 1904, the institution was chartered as a university in 1912. It bears the name of the Jesuit patron, Saint Ignatius of Loyola...

 of New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...

. Fellow students Jonathan Konya and Connor Forsyth left New Orleans for Austin to join the band that was to become The Belleville Outfit. Marshall Hood invited Austin’s darling Phoebe Hunt, who had been playing with the folk band The Hudsons out of Austin for four years. When the original bassist Jeff Brown retired from the Belleville Outfit, Connor brought in Nigel Frye, a talented bassist Connor knew from Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...

.

After releasing Wanderin in February 2008 and Time to Stand in May 2009, the band was nominated for "best new and emerging artist" by the Americana Music Association
Americana Music Association
The Americana Music Association is a trade organization developed to provide professional support and to promote awareness of Americana music. Toward these ends the organization works with artists, radio stations, record labels, publishers, and others to create networking opportunities and to...

.

Although the band is based in Austin, The Belleville Outfit is named for New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...

, where Rob, Jon, and Connor met while studying the business of music management. Belle Ville means 'beautiful city' in French.

History

After DesChamps "Champ" Hood (August 16, 1952 - November 3, 2001) of Uncle Walt's Band
Uncle Walt's Band
Walter Hyatt, Champ Hood, and David Ball formed Uncle Walt's Band. They moved from Spartanburg, South Carolina to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1972, where they caught the attention of Willis Alan Ramsey, a famous and revered Texas singer and songwriter...

 died, nephew Marshall Hood returned to Spartanburg, South Carolina
Spartanburg, South Carolina
thgSpartanburg is the largest city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. It is the second-largest city of the three primary cities in the Upstate region of South Carolina, and is located northwest of Columbia, west of Charlotte, and about northeast of...

 inspired to play the guitar. Marshall Hood formed The DesChamps Band in March 2002 with friends Rob Teter and The Belleville Outfit's original bassist Jeff Brown. A year later, they recruited Matt Parks on fiddle to help create a tighter and more intimate vocal section. They regularly performed songs from the Uncle Walt's Band and eventually released 2 CDs. In April 2007, The DesChamps Band played a reunion performance (sans Parks) in Spartanburg. Phoebe Hunt, Conor Forsyth and Jonathan Konya were invited to perform as special guests that evening. A few days later, Teter, Marshall Hood & Brown, along with Hunt, Forsyth and Konya played as The Belleville Outfit at MerleFest
MerleFest
MerleFest is an annual "traditional plus" music festival held in Wilkesboro, North Carolina on the campus of Wilkes Community College . The festival, which is held the last weekend in April, is hosted by Grammy Award winner Doc Watson and is named in memory and honor of his son, Eddy Merle Watson,...

. Although they perform and record mainly their own original material today, The Belleville Outfit continues to include songs from the Uncle Walt's Band in their shows as well as each of their CDs. On February 2, 2011, the band announced they would be disbanding.

Discography

  • Wanderin' (2008)

1. Somebody Like You

2. Caroline

3. Wanderin'

4. Wonder Why

5. Don't Take It for Granted

6. Ease My Mind

7. Houston Town

8. It's a Good Day

9. Been Here Before

10. Warm Summer's Evening

11. Tell Her for Me When I'm Gone

12. Too Far to Fall
  • Time to Stand (2009)

1. Time to Stand

2. Sunday Morning

3. Nothing’s Too Good for My Baby

4. Let Me Go

5. Once and for All

6. Two Days of Darkness

7. Good as It Gets

8. She Went Away

9. Fly On

10. Safe

11. Will This End in Tears

12. Outside Looking Out

13. Love Me Like I Love You

Members

  • Rob Teter (guitar, vocals)
  • Connor Forsyth (piano)
  • Nigel Frye (bass)
  • Marshall Hood (guitar, vocals)
  • Phoebe Hunt (violin, vocals)
  • Jonathan Konya (drums, vocals)

External links

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