Tab Benoit
Fever For the Bayou
(Telarc 83622)
I got a fever! And the only prescription is more cowbell! Okay maybe
there isn't a whole lot of cowbell magic on here, but man, can Benoit play some magic on
the guitar. In the absence of more cowbell, I got a fever for the bayou! Tab Benoit is
really amazing. This is rock solid Cajun blues done right. Benoit is an incredibly
intuitive artist; his heart and soul come through his music and his vocals. It's always a
treat to hear him, live or digitally.
Eleven excellent tracks. Some original. Some not. It's a great mix of
tunes and Benoit handles each one with grace and elegance. Check out how he handles the
magic on a tune like "Night Train" or the terrific approach on a tune like
"My Bucket's Got A Hole In It". Tab is the real thing. A lot of guys strive to
achieve this kind of cool, but fall short of the mark. Benoit has a great gift musically
and he uses it to maximum effect here on this CD. There is so much to like here.
"Golden Crown" is as Mardi Gras as it gets yet still retains that unique blues
idiom that really sells it. "I Smell A Rat" is hands down my favorite track on
the disc. It's a Buddy Guy song and Tab really makes it his own with this version. It's
just down and dirty blues, stripped down to its essence.
To be honest, this is a great listen top to bottom. I think that's one
of my favorite things about Benoit is playability. He is one of those artists that you
want to keep hitting repeat on the player. He makes it sound so deceptively simple and yet
it's got incredible depth and texture that sucks you in. It's a remarkable thing! Do
yourself a solid and go pick up the new Tab Benoit. You'll get the fever for sure.
- Bill Fountain -
Southwest Blues CD Review - June 2005
Current Reviews - 2005 Reviews - available at our store
