Tab Benoit

A blues guitarist and singer with an eclectic style, Tab Benoit draws inspiration from Delta and Chicago styles, which he blends with his Louisiana roots. Born in Houma on November 17, 1967, he emerged on the local scene in the early 1990s, signing with Justice Records, distributed by Vanguard, to record four albums, from 1992's Nice & Warm to 1999's These Blues Are All Mine. After his first album for Telarc, Wetlands (2002), Tab Benoit teamed up with Jimmy Thackery for Whiskey Store, while the following Sea Saint Sessions (2003), featuring contributions from Cyril Neville and George Porter, Jr. With a strong presence on the international blues scene through touring and festival appearances, the Louisiana bluesman broadened his audience with albums Power of the Pontchartrain (2007) and Medicine (2010), which won three Blues Music Awards. This intensive rhythm between concerts and recordings weakened the musician's health, and he decided to take a long break, performing only in his home region. After back-to-back appearances at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2016 and 2017, Tab Benoit felt ready to return to the studio. He set up his own label, Whiskey Bayou, and released I Hear Thunder (2024), his first original album in thirteen years.