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Pontchartrain power from Tab Benoit

Pontchartrain power from Tab Benoit

7.17.07

You may have noticed BlueNotes' recent dry spell. At least we hope so. A brief vacation pushed the blues into the background for a few days. Now it's time to catch up on a recent release (June 26) before it becomes a dusty disc.

Tab Benoit, "Power of the Pontchartrain" Telarc

Tab Benoit is a real Louisiana music man, born in Baton Rouge and nourished on swamp-flavored sounds until he could cook his own.

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And he does. He conjures music in a blue haze over swampy roots, and lively second-line rhythms. The songs he's chosen here are excellent vehicles for his almost-lazy vocals and sharp guitar work.

There's "Midnight and Lonesome," a haunting Julie Miller song that opens with this imagery:

"There's a wordless moon that's watchin' tonight / there's a garden that's left to grow wild / there's a sound with no name when a faraway train / cries like an unloved child."

His reading is flawlessly poignant; his guitar gently makes you want to weep.

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And he offers a gritty new take on Stephen Stills' classic "For What It's Worth," with a little Huricane Katrina salt to rub in.

Benoit was Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year and B.B. King Entertainer of the Year at this year's Blues Music Awards. It's not hard to see why.

Blues-blogging around

An interview with guitar master Bob Brozman on Blogcritics

A nice piece from the Arkansas Leader on STAX' 50th birthday. Light some candles.

First Published: July 17, 2007, 12:45 a.m.

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