Tab Benoit
LIVE SWAMPLAND JAM
Justice 1204
available on Tab's website
This is by far the best album that this Louisiana Blues/Swamp Rocker has come up with to date. He is playing basically as a 3 piece with Doug Therrien on bass, and Allyn Robinson on drums. The various guests, some exceedingly strong Louisiana Players, that come and sit in fill in the rest of the sound with him. Therein lives both the problem and the strength of this disc. The sound is a bit thin for my tastes for the most part when he doesn't have a guest-helping take up some of the sound. Only on the slow burner, HEART OF STONE, and GONE TOO LONG, does the band fill the airwaves. Don't get me wrong the music is good and it moves but without that fourth player it doesn't have the density to fill up the spaces. Now when there is that other player hang on, his sound is as full, rich, gritty and raw as they come. This is Cajun based Blues with that good old swampy sensuality that brings back images of Faulkner's South mixed with D.H. Lawrence's burning sensuality. This disc also contains some of his best guitar playing. There is a concussive version of TOO MANY DIRTY DISHES, in which he just blows the roof off the house with his dirty, down in the gutter guitar work. I would love to see him add keyboards or a rhythm guitarist to just fill in some of the holes. Just listen to what he does when he is playing with that 4th player. A great take of LOUISIANA STYLE. There should be no stopping him, as both his singing and guitar playing have taken giant steps forward, and are up there with the best.
Songs, times and writers
1. LET LOVE TAKE CONTROL - 5:16 - Tab Benoit
2. AIN'T GONNA DO IT - 4:55 - Tab Benoit
3. MOON GOING OVER THE HILL - 2:44 - Tab Benoit
4. TOO MANY DIRTY DISHES - 7:34 - John Newton
5. KEEP ON MOVING - 3:46 - Tab Benoit
6. HEART OF STONE - 7:29 - Tab Benoit
7. DONE TOO LONG - 4:19 Tab Benoit
8. GARBAGE MAN - 4:55 - Willie Hammond
9. CRAWLING KING SNAKE - 4:25 - Bernard Bessman and John Lee Hooker
10. LOUISIANA STYLE - 4:33 - Tab Benoit
11. IT TAKES A LONG TIME - 5:00 - Tabby Thomas
12. HOT TAMALE BABY - 5:23 - Clifton Chenier
Players
Tab Benoit - guitar, vocals
Doug Therrien - bass
Allyn Robinson - drums
Henry Gray - piano (4)
Rauful Neal - harmonica (8)
Chubby Carrier - accordion (12)
Tabby Thomas - guitar, vocal (11)
Jumpin' Johnny Sansone - accordion (10), harmonica (9)
Produced by Tab Benoit and Andy Bradley