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
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