Tab Benoit - I Hear Thunder

Album: I Hear Thunder
Size: 104,4 MB
Time: 45:05
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2024
Styles: Blues/Rock
Art: Front

1. I Hear Thunder (3:40)
2. The Ghost Of Gatemouth Brown (4:16)
3. Still Gray (5:15)
4. Inner Child (5:02)
5. Watching The Gators Roll In (4:55)
6. Overdue (5:44)
7. Why, Why (4:22)
8. Little Queenie (4:06)
9. I'm A Write That Down (3:38)
10. Bayou Man (4:02)

With his first studio album in 13 years, Tab Benoit gives us ten solid, driving tracks like only he can produce. And to make things even more delightful is that Anders Osborne appears on every track. Tab is joined by his touring band on the album. Corey Duplechin on bass and Terence Higgins on drums lay out tight grooves than wind through each cut. Tab had full control of the production and he was happy to finally have an album truly be his from start to finish. “It’s the first album that I don’t have anybody to answer to - except me and my audience.” I hope this continues because it’s a winner.

The title track opens the CD and it’s a hard riding cut where Tab and Anders show us what’s in store. Great cut! Then it’s “The Ghost of Gatemouth Brown” and they stomp and shuffle through the song with ease. Benoit sings with his Cajun passion and the guitar licks are superb. A slow and lamentful cut follows. “Still Gray” feature Tab singing with pain in his voice, making the listener feel his loss, and the guitar soloing adds to those feelings; beautifully done. Then it’s time for “Inner Child,” a mid-tempo, rocking cut where he sings about bringing out the inner child in his woman. Stinging guitars and a tight, hard groove make this one cool.

Benoit takes us back down to the bayou in “Watching the Gators Roll” where he regales in watching the alligators do their thing. It’s a romping and fun piece, and, of course, features more fine guitar. Next up is “Overdue,” a slow blues where Tab howls out the vocals and tears at the listeners soul. “Why, Why” is a single that was released and it again evokes pain and suffering as he sings about hard times and problems in our society. The guitar solos again are phenomenal.

Then it’s “Little Queenie” is not Chuck Berry’s tune but Tab’s take on his own little queenie. The guitar rings brightly and he sings with his trademark passion. “I’m A Write That Down” features more poignant guitar playing as Tab again sings of retribution and not letting his women forget what she said because he’s going do what the title says. He concludes with “Bayou Man;” Benoit growls out the lead and he sings of being a Bayou Man who is going to save the women he sings about. The guitars blaze, the beat is tight and the cut is an apt conclusion to an outstanding album.

It’s been too long since we got to hear a new Tab Benoit album. His return to the studio brings us a fantastic new release that will certainly garner recognition, not because he’s Tab Benoit but because he’s given us ten great new songs with partner Anders Osborne that deliver the goods. He’s won a ton of awards over the years and he may be on his way to another one with I Hear Thunder. /Steve Jones, Blues Blast Magazine

Personnel: Tab Benoit (vocals, guitar); Anders Osborne (guitar); Terence Higgins (drums); Corey Duplechin (bass). Guest musician: George Porter Jr. (bass tracks 8 and 9).

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Tab Benoit - Medicine

Album: Medicine
Size: 116,6 MB
Time: 50:18
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2011
Styles: Blues, Louisiana blues
Art: Front

1. Medicine (5:47)
2. Sunrise (3:45)
3. A Whole Lotta Soul (5:30)
4. Come And Get It (3:10)
5. Broke And Lonely (5:32)
6. Long Lonely Bayou (4:33)
7. In It To Win It (4:01)
8. Can't You See (4:16)
9. Nothing Takes The Place Of You (4:01)
10. Next To Me (5:01)
11. Mudboat Melissa (4:36)

This is the usually prolific Louisiana guitarist Tab Benoit's first studio album in nearly four years, and although all his releases are top shelf, this one is slightly better. He teams up with New Orleans transplant Anders Osborne, who not only plays second guitar (press notes say B.B. King's famous "Lucille" was used for these sessions) but also co-writes seven of the eleven songs. Other high-profile bandmembers include Ivan Neville, Beausoleil's Michael Doucet, and drummer Brady Blade. In addition, noted roots producer David Z. recorded the project, bringing even more high wattage talent to the proceedings.

Since 2003, Benoit has been an active spokesman and president for the Voice of the Wetlands environmental organization so, not surprisingly, the subject matter of some of the material leans toward the state of the bayou. That's especially true in "A Whole Lotta Soul," where Benoit sings "what you gonna tell the spirit/when the heart of the bayou bleeds" and "In It to Win It" that leads off with the line "I was born inside this Delta." Musically, Benoit sticks to his patented blend of soul, rock, blues, and Cajun, often mixed in the same song. His voice has attained a lived-in grit, always present but now somewhat accentuated by production that is spacious yet full.

The electric set includes one unplugged tune; "Long Lonely Bayou" features just Benoit on acoustic and Doucet on fiddle. It's a highlight that finds the singer sounding as torn and frayed as the bluesmen who have been such a large part of his influences. He goes pure soul-blues on Toussaint McCall's slow dance classic "Nothing Takes the Place of You," this disc's Otis Redding-styled '60s entry, and rips into the lyric with tearful regret nearly equal to the original. The lovely and passionately sung Osborne-Benoit tune "Sunrise" treads similar territory. The closing zydeco rhythm of "Mudboat Melissa" allows both Doucet and Benoit to open up and solo against a festive, driving Louisiana backbeat.

But the album's most riveting moment is arguably its opening title track, where Benoit and band tear into a tough, grinding, stomping blues-rocker that builds tension as it progresses and finds both guitarists unleashing slashing riffs on a song that might be Benoit's most powerful recorded performance. While nothing after quite tops it, lots comes close, making this one of the guitarist's finest overall efforts and well worth the extended wait. /Hal Horowitz, AllMusic

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

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Tab Benoit - The Sea Saint Sessions

Album: The Sea Saint Sessions
Size: 125,8 MB
Time: 54:31
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2003
Styles: Blues, Louisiana blues
Art: Full

1. Baby Blue (4:33)
2. Boat Launch Baby (5:08)
3. Sufferin' Mind (4:32)
4. Hustlin' Down In New Orleans (5:27)
5. Solid Simple Thing (3:49)
6. What I Have To Do (5:00)
7. Monk's Blues (5:25)
8. Making The Bend (4:13)
9. Howlin' For My Darling (5:35)
10. Darkness (4:39)
11. Plareen Man (6:04)

Tab Benoit's third album in just over two years (including his collaboration with Jimmy Thackery) is, like his previous few releases, a loose and homey affair. Recorded at the titular New Orleans studio and featuring Crescent City guests Cyril Neville and Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, along with funky Meters Brian Stoltz and George Porter sitting in on various tracks, this is a live-sounding disc with few obvious overdubs. Benoit's road band, comprised of bassist Carl DuFrene and drummer Darryl White, knows how to keep the pocket mean and lean yet flexible, giving the guitarist room to roam against the funky rhythm section.

Except for an explosive cover of Howlin' Wolf's "Howlin' for My Darling" and Eddie Jones' slow blues "Sufferin' Mind," the tunes are written or co-written by Benoit. As the title of "Solid Simple Thing" suggests, these songs aren't breaking new ground, but they do allow the singer to stretch out, albeit in territory familiar to his fans. So even though "Darkness" is a straight slow blues, Benoit's gutsy voice, powerful delivery, and swampy guitar make it a perfect vehicle to showcase his strengths. A call-and-response duet with Boudreaux featuring Benoit playing slinky slide was probably written as it was first played, providing a friendly living-room vibe that feels as comfy as a pair of old jeans.

Neville adds some frothy funk when he sings on a sexy "Plareen Man," trading verses with Benoit, who contributes a frisky, sinuous solo as Boudreaux slaps his tambourine. "Hustlin' Down in New Orleans," with guitarist Stoltz, won't exactly give Bob Dylan a run for his money lyrically, but sets up an easygoing R&B stride with alternating guitar solos. It, like the rest of this fiery, foot-tapping album, could not have been recorded anywhere else in the world. /Hal Horowitz, AllMusic

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Tab Benoit - Nice And Warm

Album: Nice And Warm
Size: 135,3 MB
Time: 58:43
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1992
Styles: Blues, Louisiana blues
Art: Full

1. Nice And Warm (7:18)
2. Open Book (3:01)
3. So High (3:58)
4. I Put A Spell On You (5:34)
5. Bone Pickin' (3:12)
6. Shining Moon (4:50)
7. The Killing Floor (4:03)
8. Up And Gone (3:02)
9. She's Out There Somewhere (3:49)
10. Drownin' On Dry Land (6:41)
11. Down In The Swamp (4:38)
12. Voodoo On The Bayou (3:22)
13. Ramblin' On My Mind (5:09)

Tab Benoit's debut album Nice & Warm is a startingly fresh debut. The guitarist has a gutsy, fuel-injected style that adds real spice to his swampy blues. Benoit draws equally from the Louisiana and Texas traditions and Nice & Warm proves it; not only does he carry on the tradition, he offers a fresh take on it as well. /Thom Owens, AllMusic

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

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Tab Benoit - Night Train To Nashville

Album: Night Train To Nashville
Size: 130,9 MB
Time: 56:38
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2008
Styles: Blues, Louisiana blues
Art: Full

1. Night Train (4:58)
2. Solid Simple Things (4:46)
3. Darkness (5:18)
4. Too Sweet For Me (4:54)
5. Moon Comin' Over The Hill (3:29)
6. Lost In Your Lovin' (4:16)
7. Rendezvous With The Blues (6:46)
8. Fever For The Bayou (3:34)
9. New Orleans Ladies (5:44)
10. Muddy Bottom Blues (6:33)
11. Stackolina (6:15)

Tab Benoit has gone the live route before on his recordings, and he's smart to keep reminding listeners every so often that that's where he's at his best. Which is not to take away from Benoit's studio recordings, all of which - including last year's excellent Power of the Pontchartrain - are admirable showcases for his consistently solid blues guitar chops and gritty vocalizing. As on the last effort, Benoit is backed here by the New Orleans fixture Louisiana's Leroux, who provide the kind of muscular foundation that makes Benoit's funk that much funkier.

They're all most at home when churning out a basic boogie like "Muddy Bottom Blues," one of a trio of songs on which Benoit and band are joined by Wet Willie's Jimmy Hall, and "Too Sweet for Me," which spotlights Kim Wilson of the Fabulous Thunderbirds on harp. But on the occasions when they lay low, like "Fever for the Bayou," with guest Jumpin' Johnny Sansome sailing on the accordion, Benoit finds a deeper connection with the soul of New Orleans, a soul that, in this post-Katrina age, we all need to connect with more than ever. /Jeff Tamarkin, AllMusic

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

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Tab Benoit - Best Of The Bayou Blues

Album: Best Of The Bayou Blues
Size: 179,3 MB
Time: 77:25
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2006
Styles: Blues, Louisiana blues
Art: Full

1. Voodoo On The Bayou (3:19)
2. Drownin' On Dry Land (6:40)
3. Somehow (3:26)
4. Jambalaya (3:39)
5. Nice And Warm (7:16)
6. Rainy Day Blues (3:46)
7. Gone Too Long (4:27)
8. What I Live For (4:25)
9. Mother Earth (3:47)
10. Crawfishin' (4:20)
11. Standing On The Bank (5:30)
12. The Seventh Son (3:19)
13. You Got What I Want (4:06)
14. Cherry Tree Blues (6:47)
15. Hot Tamale Baby (5:30)
16. These Blues Are All Mine (7:01)

Tab Benoit's funky, ragged blend of Louisiana swamp blues and East Texas guitar, with hints of funk, soul, and country thrown in to give the gumbo just the right spice, has served him well since he burst on the scene in the early '90s. Since Benoit hasn't essentially changed his sound since, this collection of sides made up largely from his early releases for Houston-based Justice Records (all of Benoit's Justice albums have been reissued by Vanguard Records in recent years) makes an ideal introduction to what this guy is all about, and although Best of the Bayou Blues covers a five-year span from 1992 to 1997, the tracks all fall together in a completely coherent sequence.

Opening with the Benoit original "Voodoo on the Bayou" from 1992's Nice & Warm and running through several originals and some interesting covers (including country-funk takes on Hank Williams' "Jambalaya" and Willie Nelson's "Rainy Day Blues"), this set spotlights Benoit's southern Louisiana take on contemporary blues. He also delivers a stomping version of Willie Dixon's classic "The Seventh Son" and turns zydeco for a fiery live take of Clifton Chenier's "Hot Tamale Baby." Initially one is drawn to Benoit's laser-guided guitar tone, but he is also a fine and soulful singer, and there is more than a little country in his approach as well.

What makes him stand out in the crowded field of contemporary blues guitar wizards is the fact that he is fully grounded in the Louisiana bayou region, and he embraces local musical traditions while also bringing a distinctly modern vision to what he does. Benoit knows what he wants to do, he knows where to draw inspiration, and with his strong guitar playing and warm, flexible vocals, he knows how to make it happen. /Steve Leggett, AllMusic

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

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Tab Benoit & Jimmy Thackery - Whiskey Store

Album: Whiskey Store
Size: 120,4 MB
Time: 51:58
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2002
Styles: Blues
Art: Full

1. I Ain't Broke (3:12)
2. Whiskey Store (3:27)
3. Away, Away Too Long (3:29)
4. Strange Things Happen (4:40)
5. Nice And Warm (7:38)
6. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat (5:50)
7. Unknown Legend (4:45)
8. Bad Luck Blues (6:15)
9. Freddy's Combo (4:25)
10. The Last Time (3:47)
11. Bone Pickin' (4:25)

The first summit meeting for these two journeymen roots-blues-rock guitarists is a rousing triumph. On paper, Tab Benoit's less aggressive New Orleans style wouldn't seem to mesh with Jimmy Thackery's boozy, tough, rough and tumble approach. But like Lennon and McCartney, each complements the other. Benoit lets his Delta and Texas-styled roots seep into the proceedings, tempering Thackery's more bombastic leads. Stevie Ray Vaughan's Double Trouble rhythm section and keyboardist Reese Wynans provide dexterous support, as does ace harp master Charlie Musselwhite. Most importantly, this isn't just a bunch of songs built around endless jams.

The selections are mostly covers, but the wide range of writers involved - from Bob Dylan, the Stones, and Neil Young to obscurities from legends like Percy Mayfield and Eddie Jones - shows the scope of the guitarists' influences. Only on the Benoit-penned slow blues "Nice and Warm" - reprised from his solo debut and at almost eight minutes the album's longest track - do the guitar pyrotechnics overwhelm the song. But even here, the musicians are obviously inspired by each other and deliver dazzling solos, each more jaw-dropping than the last. Everything sizzles, yet a mid-album detour into a laid-back version of Neil Young's country-ish ballad "Unknown Legend" works surprisingly well, especially with Musselwhite's poignant harp solo.

Jagger/Richards' "The Last Time" gets a rootsy rave-up treatment, as does Dylan's "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat," and the duo clicks into shuffle mode on Thackery's instrumental Freddie King tribute, "Freddy's Combo." For the most part, the over the top guitar shenanigans this partnership threatens thankfully never materialize, with both six-string benders providing short, succinct, yet scorching solos within the framework of the tunes. Lead vocals are shared, although Benoit is clearly the better singer, with Thackery's rasp getting by on sheer enthusiasm. A treat for fans of both artists as well as a stirring contemporary electric blues album by any yardstick, Whiskey Store successfully joins two gifted guitarists in a session that proves greater than the sum of its very talented parts. /Hal Horowitz, AllMusic

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

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Tab Benoit - Wetlands

Album: Wetlands
Size: 132,1 MB
Time: 56:56
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2002
Styles: Blues, Louisiana blues
Art: Full

1. Fast And Free (3:11)
2. Stackolina (4:08)
3. I Got Loaded (4:28)
4. Muddy Bottom Blues (4:22)
5. When A Cajun Man Gets The Blues (4:21)
6. Too Sweet For Me (3:07)
7. Down In The Swamp (4:49)
8. These Arms Of Mine (4:17)
9. Dog Hill (3:44)
10. Her Mind Is Gone (3:43)
11. Loves Lips (3:13)
12. Let Love Take Control (5:46)
13. Georgia (7:43)

Recorded during a month in Louisiana and sounding it, Tab Benoit's sixth album is a swampy example of the best of that state's music. Rocking, bluesy, and filled with soul, guitarist/vocalist Benoit keeps his sound stripped down to just a three-piece, giving his voice and greasy guitar plenty of room to maneuver. From obscure Professor Longhair second-line tunes ("Her Mind Is Gone") to a cover from zydeco king Boozoo Chavis ("Dog Hill") to a version of Otis Redding's "These Arms of Mine" that makes it seem like a lost New Orleans classic, Benoit traverses a lot of territory over this hour of music. Like his influences, Benoit never overdoes his approach, preferring to keep the focus on his gritty voice, lean guitar, and stark accompaniment of his backing duo. This is music caught between rootsy rock, funk, R&B, and blues, but far from sounding schizoid, it revels in its multiple inspirations.

Benoit is in wonderful voice and spirits throughout, sounding loose yet in control regardless of what style he's playing. His guitar solos are taut and succinct, capturing the essence of the atmosphere without reverting to needless showboating. This is music from the heart, played with class, subtlety, and a reverence for its past squeezed into every spirited groove. Thirteen songs and not a misstep, Wetlands is not only Tab Benoit's best album, it's the one most representative of his upbringing and style. Like the autobiographical "Down in the Swamp," those who have never made it to Louisiana need only play this to understand how the area -- and Benoit -- oozes with the ambience of the muggy air, rich food, and spirits of musicians who have passed. /Hal Horowitz, AllMusic

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

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Tab Benoit - Voice Of The Wetlands

Album: Voice Of The Wetlands
Size: 126,2 MB
Time: 54:35
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2005
Styles: Blues, Louisiana blues
Art: Full

1. Bayou Breeze (4:29)
2. Louisiana Sunshine (5:47)
3. Clear Water (4:42)
4. Lightning And Thunder (8:25)
5. Kiddin' Me (4:19)
6. Heart Of Stone (5:56)
7. We Ain't Gonna Lose No More (5:24)
8. Weary Silent Night (2:44)
9. We Make A Good Gumbo (3:28)
10. Louisiana Man (2:58)
11. Me Donkey Want Water (6:18)

Bayou bluesman Tab Benoit set up VOW (Voice of the Wetlands), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping preserve Louisiana's wetlands and culture, in 2003, and this album was originally intended as a benefit release to raise funds for the cause. Recorded during the first week of January 2005 in New Orleans with an all-star cast of Louisiana musicians, including Benoit, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Dr. John, Cyril Neville, bluesman Anders Osborne, the Meters rhythm section of George Porter, Jr. and Johnny Vidacovich, Jumpin' Johnny Sansone, and ace Cajun fiddler Wayne Thibodeaux, the album was at the pressing plant eight months later when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf, underscoring the vital importance of the wetlands, which in a pristine condition might have absorbed a good part of the storm surge that ended up devastating New Orleans.

The aftermath of Katrina gives several of the songs here an added poignancy, especially the opener, "Bayou Breeze," with its chorus of "don't let the water/wash us away," and Dr. John's angry "We Ain't Gonna Lose No More (Without a Fight)," which could be interpreted with hindsight as a retort to FEMA and the Bush administration response to the disaster. The overall tone of the set is more joyous than despondent, though, as befits the ebullient spirit of New Orleans, and the album itself is a decent introduction to contemporary bayou music. Thibodeaux's fiddle-driven version of fellow fiddler Doug Kershaw's classic "Louisiana Man" is a particular delight, as is Monk Boudreaux's rendition of the Afro-Caribbean folk calypso "Hold 'Em Joe," here called "Me Donkey Want Water" in a customized bayou version that closes the set.

Despite its title and agenda, Voice of the Wetlands isn't over-preachy, but wisely lets the wonderful music do the talking. Katrina underscored the immense value of the Louisiana wetlands and the culture it supports, and one hopes that this album is a small step toward the strong re-emergence of both. /Steve Leggett, AllMusic

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Tab Benoit With Louisiana's Leroux - Power Of The Pontchartrain

Size: 123.3 MB
Time: 52:44
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2007
Styles: Electric Blues, Swamp Blues
Art: Full

01. Don't Make No Sense (4:23)
02. Good To Ya, Baby (4:43)
03. Shelter Me (5:07)
04. Power Of The Pontchartrain (6:07)
05. For What It's Worth (5:19)
06. Midnight And Lonesome (5:06)
07. Sac-Au-Lait Fishing (3:56)
08. Somebody's Got To Go (4:20)
09. I'm Guiltyy Of Lovin' You (4:18)
10. Addicted (5:00)
11. One Foot In The Bayou (4:21)

Louisiana journeyman swamp rocker Tab Benoit has been churning out an album a year since at least 2002, and between them he stays on the road playing every festival, club, and bar that'll have him. It would seem inevitable that the quality of these studio recordings would decline. But, at least as of 2007's Power of the Pontchartrain, that isn't the case. If anything, this might be the best of a very good lot, as Benoit again teams with Louisiana's Le Roux group (who once backed legend Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and helped on Benoit's previous release) for another 52-minute wade through muggy yet taut bayou blues. Part of the reason Benoit's recent albums are so strong is that he doesn't insist on playing original material, instead cherry-picking nuggets rearranged to suit his approach. This works particularly well here since he unearths terrific, often obscure material from writers such as Julie Miller (two tracks), David Egan (two others), and even Stephen Stills (a not entirely necessary "For What It's Worth"). Everything gets run through his deep Southern groove, ultimately sounding like Tab Benoit songs, or at least tunes written with him in mind. Benoit abandons the country twang he successfully experimented with on 2006's Brother to the Blues, digging deeper into straight blues (Lonnie Johnson's "Somebody's Got to Go"), Cajun ("Sac-au-Lait Fishing," Benoit's only original here), and the deep soul ballads ("I'm Guilty of Lovin' You") he has typically included on every album. His whiskey- soaked vocals bring warmth and passion to the songs and when he lets loose on that beat-up Telecaster on the title track, the Buffalo Springfield tune, and "Addicted," he shows another side of his talents. The band stays in the pocket throughout, freeing Benoit to concentrate on singing and playing, with the result that Power of the Pontchartrain is not just another strong entry in Tab Benoit's increasingly thick catalog, but also one of his most defining albums. ~Review by Hal Horowitz

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Tab Benoit - Brother To The Blues

Size: 128,0 MB
Time: 54:42
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2006
Styles: Louisiana Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Full

01. Pack It Up (3:51)
02. Bring It On Home To Me (5:11)
03. Brother To The Blues (4:02)
04. Why Are People Like That? (2:59)
05. I'm On Your Side (2:42)
06. I Heard That Lonesome Whistle (With Jim Lauderdale) (4:24)
07. If You Love Me Like You Say (5:47)
08. Comin' On Strong (With Billy Joe Shaver) (3:24)
09. So High (4:54)
10. Grace's Song (With Jim Lauderdale) (3:59)
11. Moon Coming Over The Hill (With Jim Lauderdale) (3:09)
12. Somehow (5:54)
13. Can't Do One More Two-Step (4:21)

Benoit throws a bit of a curveball by adding country music to his always fun mix of blues, R&B, funk, rock, and Louisiana music. He even plays the pedal steel!

But fans needn’t worry, as there’s also plenty of the stuff you’ve come to expect, starting with the funk-blues opener, “Pack It Up,” tailor-made to get the joint hoppin’ with Tab’s staccato bursts. “Why Are People Like That” is one of those boogies where you can’t help but tap along, right into the fine solo. The very fun “Can’t Do One More Two-Step” may, in fact, have you doing another two-step. Benoit’s double-stops and bends and pinched notes are distinctive, and as much fun as the lyric.

The country element surfaces on the title cut, which has a great mix of fiddle and pedal steel and a great country vocal that displays more of Benoit’s seemingly endless talent. The soulful country of “I Heard That Lonesome Whistle” is helped by a backup vocal from Jim Lauderdale. Benoit’s chordal work is beautiful.

There are other guests here, too. Billy Joe Shaver sings on a fine cover of “Comin’ On Strong.” Speaking of remakes, while we may not need another version of “Bring It On Home to Me,” when it’s as soulful and heartfelt as this version, it’s hard to argue. Remember the band Leroux? Well, here they back up Benoit on most of the record, and it’s a perfect complement.

It’s fun to watch players grow, and Benoit simply wants to play great music and on occasion step out of his “normal” role. Here’s to more of that in the future. ~John Heidt

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Tab Benoit - Fever For The Bayou

Year: 2005
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:15
Size: 113,8 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Scans: Full

1. Night Train (4:18)
2. Little Girl Blues (5:10)
3. I Smell A Rat (7:03)
4. Fever For The Bayou (3:11)
5. Lost In Your Lovin' (3:42)
6. Golden Crown (6:49)
7. I Can't Hold Out (3:26)
8. The Blues Is Here To Stay (6:02)
9. Got Love If You Want It (3:18)
10. Blues So Bad (3:51)
11. My Bucket's Got A Hole In It (2:20)

Tab Benoit's latest release on Telarc, Fever for the Bayou, continues in what has become Benoit's signature territory, a funky, ragged blend of Louisiana swamp blues and East Texas guitar, with hints of funk, soul, and country thrown in to give the gumbo just the right spice. If it sounds like a formula, well, Benoit's jagged guitar playing and increasingly soulful vocals make it clear that this is the music he loves, so it hardly matters.

He touches a lot of bases here, including an eerie approximation of Elmore James' slide sound on a cover of James' "I Can't Hold Out" (which also features some cool tenor sax work from Jimmy Carpenter), then conjures Buddy Guy on Guy's "I Smell a Rat," fires up on the old Slim Harpo chestnut "Got Love if You Want It," and tears through a wonderfully swampy take on Levon Helm's "Blues So Bad" before ending things with an acoustic version of Clarence Williams' "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It" (made famous by another Williams, Hank Williams Sr.). Cyril Neville guests on two tracks, "The Blues Is Here to Stay" and "Little Girl Blues," while Big Chief Monk Boudreaux contributes and sings a delightful Mardi Gas chant called "Golden Crown."

But the strongest tracks are all Benoit originals, including the fiery opener, "Night Train," the Stax-by-way-of-New Orleans stunner "Lost in Your Lovin'" (which shows that Benoit is as much a singer as he is a guitarist), and the voodoo swagger of "Fever for the Bayou." It's not just that Benoit plays the blues with a primal punch and more than a hint of grace and soul, it's that he has a vision for it, and grounds it in both time and place, which means that he isn't just another Stratocaster gunslinger, but an American original. It's time for people to catch up and discover this guy. /Steve Leggett, AllMusic

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

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Tab Benoit, Debbie Davies, Kenny Neal - Homesick For The Road

Year: 1999
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:10
Size: 125,1 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Scans: Full

1. Deal With It (4:40)
2. Down In The Swamp (5:18)
3. Bop 'Til I Drop (4:15)
4. So Cold (4:04)
5. I Put A Spell On You (4:50)
6. Money (4:45)
7. Luberta (4:53)
8. I Can't Afford Myself (5:42)
9. I've Been Mistreated (3:25)
10. Night Life (3:58)
11. Still Called The Blues (4:34)
12. Homesick For The Road (3:41)

Homesick for the Road provides a showcase for three fine blues singer/guitarists. The recording is clean and crisp, as is typical of the Telarc label, and the music cooks from start to finish. This disc provides an excellent introduction to each performer, with ample opportunities for each to shine.

Debbie Davies brings to mind Bonnie Raitt, with her appealing vocal timbre and bluesy delivery. The youthful Benoit sings with an authority beyond his 31 years, making Screamin' Jay Hawkins' classic "I Put a Spell on You" his own. Kenny Neal has the scruffy, soulful delivery of a man who knows what the blues are all about. His "I've Been Mistreated" sounds like a late '60s slice of Muscle Shoals soul.

All three of the co-leaders are excellent guitarists, and the band is solid and tight. Homesick for the Road rolls down the car window for an enticing look at three relatively young performers carrying the blues torch into the future. /Jim Newsom, AllMusic

(For complete personnel details, see artwork included.)

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Tab Benoit - Standing On The Bank

Year: 1995
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:38
Size: 116,4 MB
Styles: Blues
Scans: Full

1. Make Your Mind Up (3:56)
2. Me And My Guitar (3:37)
3. Downtown (3:12)
4. Standing On The Bank (5:31)
5. Matchbox Blues (5:13)
6. Rainy Day Blues (3:47)
7. You Got What I Want (4:07)
8. The Seventh Son (3:19)
9. If I Could Quit You (4:00)
10. Laundromat Blues (5:42)
11. Going Down (3:40)
12. Still Going Down The Road (4:27)

On his third album, Tab Benoit stripped his sound to its bare essentials by recording live, directly to a two-track. Naturally, the process gives Standing on the Bank a startling immediacy, as the guitarist shreds a number of originals to pieces with his piercing solos. /Thom Owens, AllMusic

Personnel: Tab Benoit (guitar, vocals); Ray Allison, Allyn Robinson (drums); Greg Rzab, Doug Therrien (bass); Willie Nelson (guitar and vocals on 'Rainy Day Blues').

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Various - Bayou Blues Nuggets

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:49
Size: 132.4 MB
Styles: R&B, Louisiana blues
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[3:14] 1. Tab Benoit - Who's Been Talkin'
[3:26] 2. Lonnie Brooks - Mr. Hot Shot
[3:29] 3. Marcia Ball - Thibodaux, Louisiana
[4:28] 4. Buckwheat Zydeco - The Wrong Side
[4:10] 5. C.J. Chenier - I Can't Judge Nobody
[4:30] 6. Marc Broussard - Respect Yourself
[2:55] 7. Raful Neal - Blues On The Moon
[3:20] 8. Clarence Gatemouth Brown - Louisiana Zydeco
[5:49] 9. Reidar Larsen And Roy Rogers - Robbery
[3:58] 10. Kenny Neal - Bio On The Bayou
[2:45] 11. Lazy Lester - Alligator Shuffle
[4:10] 12. Professor Longhair - Red Beans Aka I Got My Mojo Working
[2:59] 13. Joe Liggins & His Honeydrippers - Pink Champagne
[4:07] 14. Anders Osborne - Killing Each Other
[4:21] 15. Katie Webster - No Bread, No Meat

Bayou Blues Nuggets

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Tab Benoit - What I Live For

Year: 1994
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:24
Size: 111,9 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Scans: Full

1. Blues Come Walkin' In (4:00)
2. Who's Been Talkin' (3:18)
3. Cross The Line (3:46)
4. Time And Time Again (3:17)
5. Cherry Tree Blues (6:50)
6. Somehow (3:27)
7. She's My Number One (3:18)
8. Too Many Drivers At The Wheel (3:58)
9. Night Life (3:33)
10. Don't Cut Off Your Hair (5:13)
11. Wide Open (3:16)
12. What I Live For (4:25)

What I Live For is a white-hot sophomore effort by Tab Benoit, showcasing a more assured and confident guitarist. Although he hasn't changed his basic musical approach -- it's all hard-driving Southern blues -- his sound is fuller and more direct this time around, proving that his debut was no fluke. /Thom Owens, AllMusic

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Jeff McCarty - Step Out

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:50
Size: 114.1 MB
Styles: Soul, Louisiana blues
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[3:14] 1. One World, One Life, One People
[4:54] 2. My Soul Will Never Be Free
[5:43] 3. Angel Fly
[5:06] 4. Step Out
[4:03] 5. Live for the Music
[4:31] 6. Love
[4:31] 7. A Thousand Miles to You
[4:12] 8. Dance With Me Baby
[3:40] 9. Make Our Love Stronger
[5:35] 10. Figure It Out
[4:15] 11. Let's Ride

Jeff McCarty – vocals; Josh Garrett – guitar; Corey Duplechin – bass; Tillis Verdin – Rhodes, clavinet, Hammond B3; Tab Benoit – drums, guitar.

A soulful blend of blues and rock music that highlights one of the South Louisiana's finest singers and songwriters. Produced by Tab Benoit.

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Tab Benoit - Brother To The Blues

Size: 127,2 MB
Time: 55:06
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2006
Styles: Swamp Blues, Modern Electric Blues
Art: Full

01. Pack It Up (3:53)
02. Bring It On Home To Me (5:13)
03. Brother To The Blues (4:04)
04. Why Are People Like That? (3:01)
05. I'm On Your Side (2:44)
06. I Heard That Lonesome Whistle (With Jim Lauderdale) (4:26)
07. If You Love Me Like You Say (5:49)
08. Comin' On Strong (With Billy Joe Shaver) (3:26)
09. So High (4:56)
10. Grace's Song (With Jim Lauderdale) (4:01)
11. Moon Coming Over The Hill (With Jim Lauderdale) (3:11)
12. Somehow (5:56)
13. Can't Do One More Two-Step (4:22)

Tab Benoit has been doing his brand of bayou-fed blues-rock for some time now, and while it is tempting to call Brother to the Blues a departure, it is really only a subtle one, straying as it does to the country side of things, but again, only a little bit, and there is probably little-to-no-chance that Benoit will turn into a hat act with a big belt buckle anytime soon. True, he covers Hank Williams here ("I Heard That Lonesome Whistle," with some vocal help from Jim Lauderdale), a touchstone for country if ever there was one, but he also pulls off a passable version of Sam Cooke's soulful "Bring It on Home to Me," takes a North Mississippi country blues approach on "Moon Coming Over the Hill" (featuring some cool Cajun fiddle from Waylon Thibodeaux), and ratchets into familiar swamp rock territory with the hard-charging opener "Pack It Up," and the impressive, wry "Why Are People Like That?," before tying everything together with the set ender, "Can't Do One More Two-Step," which somehow manages to be swampy, rocky, country, and bayou blues all in one package, as well as giving Benoit plenty of room to trade guitar runs with Thibodeaux's fiddle slides. But there is a little bit of a change going on here -- if you listen closely you can hear string band-style banjo on several tracks -- and one wonders what Benoit has in mind for his next step down the road. There are a thousand ways to the river, as they say, but in the bayou the river is everywhere at once. There's a little bit of that feel here. ~Review by Steve Leggett

Brother To The Blues

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Tab Benoit - These Blues Are All Mine

Year: 1999
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s (from Flac)
Time: 55:57
Size: 129,5 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Scans: Full

1. I'm Tired (3:29)
2. Crosscut Saw (3:00)
3. These Blues Are Mine (7:06)
4. Lights Are On But Nobody's Home (4:07)
5. Raided That Joint (5:48)
6. Crawfishin' (4:24)
7. Mother Earth (3:47)
8. Don't Lose Your Cool (4:05)
9. Jambalaya (3:43)
10. Twenty-Nine Ways (3:46)
11. Keep Yourself From Crying Too (4:55)
12. Travelin' South (4:31)
13. Bayou Boogie (3:09)

This is a strong statement by Tab Benoit announcing his true arrival; although he only wrote five of the 13 songs on this disc, he stakes a legitimate claim to all of them with some of his most inspired playing and singing ever. His backing group sounds great and keeps up with him over the entire disc. He is one of a handful of performers - Tabby Thomas and Johnny Jenkins also manage this - with that rare ability to combine aggressive blues with the rhythms and sounds of the dark standing waters and Spanish moss-draped trees of the Louisiana swamps.

Listen to the spin he puts on the Hank Williams classic "Jambalaya". He injects just a tad more blues and zydeco seasoning to take the song to a different level without messing with the basic ingredients that made it a standard. He does some equally good and interesting things with songs from Albert Collins and Willie Dixon, among others. However, when he plays his own songs, he rips apart the room and leaves it all out there for us to see. Feel the anguish and pain that run rampant in the title cut, "These Blues Are All Mine". Neither his voice nor his guitar leave room for any doubt about how he is feeling.

As tormented as he is in "These Blues", feel the joy of a life lived in the swamp that percolates through "Crawfishin'". Listen to him rave in "Bayou Boogie" - this is one happy and satisfied man. This is definitely one hell of a keeper. /Bob Gottlieb, AllMusic

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VA - The Musical Mojo Of Dr. John: Celebrating Mac And His Music (Live)

Size: 123,2+137,4 MB
Time: 52:23+58:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: New Orleans Blues, Electric Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Front

CD 1:
01 Dr. John & Bruce Springsteen - Right Place Wrong Time (Live) (4:33)
02 Jason Isbell - Blow Wind Blow (Live) (3:45)
03 Cyril Neville - My Indian Red (Live) (3:35)
04 Anders Osborne & Bill Kreutzmann - Somebody Changed The Lock (Live) (3:09)
05 Dr. John, Aaron Neville & Charles Neville - Please Send Me Someone To Love (Live) (6:04)
06 George Porter Jr. & Zigaboo Modeliste - Junko Partner (Live) (5:14)
07 Irma Thomas - Since I Fell For You (Live) (3:48)
08 Tab Benoit - Stack-A-Lee (Live) (4:12)
09 Allen Toussaint - Life (Live) (3:09)
10 Shannon McNally - Street People (Live) (3:32)
11 Dave Malone - Goodnight Irene (Live) (5:53)
12 Big Chief Monk Boudreaux - Big Chief (Live) (5:24)

CD 2:
01 Widespread Panic & Dirty Dozen Brass Band - Familiar Reality (Live) (9:46)
02 Warren Haynes - You Lie (Live) (6:34)
03 Chuck Leavell - Traveling Mood (Live) (3:53)
04 Ryan Bingham - Back By The River (Live) (4:29)
05 John Boutte - Let's Make A Better World (Live) (2:46)
06 Mavis Staples - Lay My Burden Down (Live) (5:59)
07 John Fogerty - New Orleans (Live) (3:41)
08 Dr. John & Terence Blanch - Rain (Live) (6:07)
09 Dr. John & Sarah Morrow - I Walk On Guilded Splinters (Live) (7:02)
10 Dr. John & Sarah Morrow - Such A Night (Live) (8:27)

On Saturday, May 3, 2014, a group of esteemed musicians and friends joined together for “The Musical Mojo of Dr. John: A Celebration of Mac & His Music” a special concert event taping that honored this musical icon. The star-studded concert took place at New Orleans’ Saenger Theatre, with Dr. John joined by a stunningly diverse assortment of notable guest artists, who perform 22 songs written, recorded and/or popularized by Dr. John during his prolific six-decade career, honoring his large and still-growing musical legacy.

“It was very moving to have all these people paying tribute to me, but I just treated it like it was another show,” Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and six-time GRAMMY®-winner Dr. John says of The Musical Mojo of Dr. John: A Celebration of Mac & His Music.

The performers include Bruce Springsteen, who duets with Dr. John on the 1973 smash “Right Place Wrong Time”; Jason Isbell, who delivers a heartfelt “Blow Wind Blow”; John Fogerty, who performs the raucous Crescent City anthem “New Orleans”; Mavis Staples, who brings gospel fervor to “Lay My Burden Down”; Widespread Panic, who lend musical muscle to “Familiar Reality”; and Ryan Bingham, who delivers a haunting “Back by the River.”

Fittingly, The Musical Mojo of Dr. John also features memorable performances by several New Orleans legends, including Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas, Terence Blanchard, John Boutté, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, George Porter Jr. and Zigaboo Modeliste of the Meters, and Aaron, Charles and Cyril Neville. Bassist Don Was served as the project’s musical director, leading an all-star house band that also included Allman Brothers Band/Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell, renowned NOLA pianist John Gros, Funky Meters guitarist Brian Stoltz and journeyman drummer Kenny Aronoff, as well as Dr. John’s longstanding musical compatriot, trombonist Sarah Morrow.

The Musical Mojo Of Dr. John

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