Tab Benoit's brand of sharp Louisiana swamp blues is all his own, and for some 20 years now (his first album,
Nice & Warm, was released by Vanguard Records in 1993) he's been putting it down with refreshing commitment and precision. This solid compilation is drawn from his later albums for Telarc Records (he's released ten albums for Telarc, dating back to 1998), and with tracks like the churning and chugging "Muddy Bottom Blues," a live ten-minute version of "Bayou Boogie" (a speed boogie that blazes and then flies like a tidal wave), and a subtly rewritten version of
Stephen Stills' "For What It's Worth" that brings it all home to Louisiana, this set makes for a great introduction to one of the best young blues players out there. ~ Steve Leggett