john lee hooker

After decades of 250 road dates a year, Tab Benoit has earned a reputation for high-energy performances at clubs and festivals around the world.

Photo by Brad Elligood

After a 14-year break in making solo recordings, the Louisiana guitar hero returns to the bayou and re-emerges with a new album, the rock, soul, and Cajun-flavoredI Hear Thunder.

The words ā€œhonestyā€ and ā€œauthenticityā€ recur often during conversation with Tab Benoit, the Houma, Louisiana-born blues vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. They are the driving factors in the projects he chooses, and in his playing, singing, and compositions. Despite being acclaimed as a blues-guitar hero since his ’80s days as a teen prodigy playing at Tabby Thomas’ legendary, downhome Blues Box club in Baton Rouge, Benoit shuns the notion of stardom. Indeed, one might also add simplicity and consistency as other qualities he values, reflected in the roughly 250 shows a year he’s performed with his hard-driving trio for over two decades, except for the Covid shutdown.

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Fake Fruit’s Hannah D’Amato takes flight, while the band’s drummer, Miles MacDiarmid, lurks in the background.

Photo by Daniel Topete

Fake Fruit bandleader Hannah D’Amato tells a tale of two Neils as she, PG staff, and reader Kevin Ramsay dig into their songbooks.

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Although John Lee Hooker lived in Los Altos, he told Ted that Eli’s, across San Francisco Bay, was a favorite haunt to play and hang out when he was at home.

Sometimes the joy performing brings can pay dividends greater than money—and fried shrimp and sausage, too.

As I’ve written, I have a passion for exploring the special spaces where great American music in its unadorned form is still made—juke joints, honky-tonks, dusty farm fields. And while I never want to impose on the authenticity of the music with my presence, sometimes I do get to show up by invitation with a guitar in hand. So, a story—about the kindness, gratitude, and community that comes with playing live music.

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