Medicine

This is a very interesting & great CD release by the blues maestro Tab Benoit, titled 'Medicine'. Tab Benoit himself reports a magical production of this 7th solo CD release : a great collaboration with guitarist/songwriter Anders Osborne who plays/uses blues legend B. B. King's famous 'Lucille' Gibson guitar on six tracks in this great new album, most of the tracks being recorded at first takes & Tab Benoit being very completely at ease with the services of David Z, a former original Prince and the Revolution band member (at engineering & producing this album). The result is a defining album yet released by Tab Benoit (described by his recording company as a 'hipper & groovier' album than anything he has done thus far!) This great new CD (11 tracks with 7 new tracks) & opens with the title track "Medicine" : a great blues track, very rich guitar sound that is reminiscent of guitarist Lindsay Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac's solo sound). Other great tracks include "Sunrise" (a slow track with a wonderful guitar & great vocals reminiscent of that of Joe Cocker's), "A Whole Lotta Soul", "Come And Get It" (great up-tempo track with great lead guitar overdrive), "Broke And Lonely" (a 'staccato' blues sound, quite melodical & great vocals), "In It To Win It", "Can't You See" (up-tempo track with great guitar/violin/vocals combination) & "Mudboat Melissa" (great duet/harmony & violin). My favourite tracks/stand-outs/gems are "Long Lonely Bayou" (a slow beautiful track characterized by great guitar/violin combination with great vocals to match), "Nothing Takes The Place Of You" (a wonderful ballad, beautiful guitar/vocals & great melody) & "Next To Me" (great guitar/vocals building to a beautiful 'cresciendo'). There is no weak track on this great CD to really talk of. On overall, this is a fantastic CD release by the talented blues musician Tab Benoit, a highly recommended CD listening.

Guitar licks that can cut diamonds, stories that can break your heart and rythmns that can heal your soul....
What else can you ask of a true Blues-man??
I love this latest work of Benoit's. He gets better with every album. His love of the Gulf coast land and the people who live here shows in the words of his songs, and the pain and pleasure they live shows up in the melodies and rhythmns. A Louisiana treasure!!

Almost nobody can beat Tab Benoit for playing raw, dirty-sounding roadhouse blues. There is something about when he gets to rocking that gets everybody going in the way the best blues and rock `n' roll should. Even his guitar tone has that slash-through-your-speakers/earbuds psycho tone that everyone from Travis Wammack to Johnny Guitar Watson to Earl King perfected in the middle of last century. Benoit's new record, Medicine, is his latest entry to a great body of work. It's got some great rockers and shuffles and all-out, shake-what-your-mama- gave-you boogie tunes.

Benoit was lucky to get Anders Osborne to produce, play guitar, and co-write seven tunes. Anyone who has seen the Voice of the Wetlands All Stars knows how simpatico these two musicians are. Osborne is no stranger to great guitar as his latest CD attests, but where his presence is definitely felt is in the slower and quieter songs. On previous CDs from Benoit, the slower numbers have been good, but not as intense as the louder cuts. Here tunes like "Long Lonely Bayou" (augmented by the beautiful violin of Michael Doucet) maintain the heat that the uptempo songs have in the same way that such dynamics contrast on Osborne's recordings. And the gritty South Louisiana bayou soul that is Benoit's voice adds a little extra to this recording, whether it's the edge of the angry accusation at those who have ruined the wetlands in "Whole Lotta Soul" or the raspy sweetness of his take on the subdudes' comforting "Next to Me." All combined, Tab Benoit's new CD is good medicine indeed.--David Kunian, OffBeat Magazine, May 2011 issue.