rhythm section

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 “honesty” and “authenticity” 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.

Read MoreShow less

With the Messthetics, Anthony Pirog is a melodic and harmonic wildcard, who has few peers in the scope and imagination he brings to the instrument.

Photo by David Avidan

The ultra-versatile guitarist shares his favorite boards for rock, improv, jazz, and roots gigs, and talks about the band’s dynamic new album, The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis.

The Messthetics overrun the barriers of genre—rock, jazz, textural music, and whatever else gets in their creative path—like the bulls of Pamplona. That is … if those bulls could musically pirouette direction and dynamics in an instant. Which, of course, they can’t, because bulls are exclusively vocalists, and of limited range, unless you also count the thundering of their hooves as percussion.

Read MoreShow less

Bryan’s abstract representation of low-end compression.

Here’s a quick guide on how to compress your kick drum and bass guitar in a way that will help you make the most of the bottom in your mixes.

Read MoreShow less