Tab Benoit
NewMusicforOldFolks says …
There are some artists when you see them you just ask yourself, "Why isn't this guy a much bigger deal?" Tab Benoit is just such an artist. A world class guitar player and showman, Tab spends most of the year on the road playing bars and festivals. Having seen him more than two dozen times, I can say that no two shows are the same. Sea Saint Sessions is a good place to start.
Artist's info
Website: tabbenoit.com
See him live: Tour dates
Record company: TelArc
Genre: Blues, Cajun
See Also: Voice of the Wetlands All-Stars
If you like this, look into: Kenny Wayne Shepard, Cyril Neville, Anders Osbourne
Bio (from the artist's website)
One of the most impressive guitarists to emerge from the rich Bayous of Southern Louisiana in recent years, Tab Benoit’s guitar tone can be recognized before his Otis-Redding-ish voice resonates from the speakers. He doesn’t rely on any effects and his set up is simple. It consists of a guitar, cord, and Category 5 Amplifier. The effects that you hear come from his fingers. Born on November 17, 1967, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Benoit grew up in the nearby oil and fishing town of Houma, where he still resides today. Musically, he was exposed early on to traditional Cajun waltzes and the country music broadcast on his hometown’s only radio station. Benoit’s father was himself a musician; as such, the family home was filled with various instruments. He began playing drums but switched to guitar because the only gigs to be had in rural Louisiana were held in churches and at church fairs, and organizers would not allow loud drums to be played at these events. (more)
Spotify Sampler
Recordings
Most Recent
MEDICINE (2011): A first-class guitarist and a singer with a repertoire that ranges from gritty versions of swamp-pop classics to original blues, Tab Benoit is about as authentic as it gets. He is also a driving force behind Voice of the Wetlands, a grass-roots organization working to save Louisiana's wetlands. Benoit's latest Telarc recording features songwriter singer Anders Osborne on guitar, along with Brady Blade on drums, Ivan Neville on keyboards and Michael Doucet of Beausoleil on fiddle.
OTHERS
Nice and Warm (1993)
What I Live For (1994)
Standing on the Bank (1995)
Swampland Jam (1997)
These Blues are All Mine (1998)
Homesick for the Road (1999)
Wetlands (2002)
Whiskey Store (2002)
Sea Saint Sessions (2003)
Whiskey Store Live (2004)
Fever for the Bayou (2005)
Voice of the Wetlands(2005)
Brother to the Blues (2006)
Power of the Pontchartrain (2007)
Night Train To Nashville (2008)
