Power of the Pontchartrain

by Tab Benoit

Overview

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. ~ Hal Horowitz

Product Details

Release Date:	06/26/2007
Label:	Telarc Distribution
UPC:	0089408365423

Tracks

1. Don't Make No Sense
2. Good to Ya, Baby
3. Shelter Me
4. Power of the Pontchartrain
5. For What It's Worth
6. Midnight and Lonesome
7. Sac-au-Lait Fishing
8. Somebody's Got to Go
9. I'm Guilty of Lovin' You
10. Addicted
11. One Foot in the Bayou

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Tab Benoit   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Mark Duthu   Primary Artist,Percussion
Jim Odom   Primary Artist,Guitar
Nelson Blanchard   Primary Artist,Vocals (Background),Keyboards,Piano
Leon Medica   Primary Artist,Guitar (Bass),Bass
David Peters   Primary Artist,Drums
Tony Haselden   Primary Artist,Banjo
Louisiana's Leroux   Primary Artist
Loisiana's Leroux   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Tab Benoit   Audio Production,Composer,Producer
David Z.   Audio Production,Mixing,Producer
Rueben Williams   Audio Production,Management,Liner Notes,Associate Producer
Freddy Wall   Composer
Kent Rowell   Composer
Stephen Stills   Composer
Carl William Smith   Composer
John Faulkner   Composer
Julie Miller   Composer
David Egan   Composer
Dan Diefenderfer   Composer
David Farrell   Engineer
Robert Woods   Executive Producer
Lincoln Clapp   Mastering
Buddy Flett   Composer
Rod Roddy   Composer
Stephen P. Miller   Composer
Hassell Teekell   Composer
Mick Parker   Composer
Mark Goodman   Photography
Anilda Carrasquillo   Art Direction
Dave Williams   Composer
Randy Labbe   Production Supervisor,Liner Notes
Lonnie Johnson   Composer
Leon Medica   Leader,Composer