© 2006 Tab Benoit

Tab's band plays with him on the road and in the studio. Read the bios of band members:



Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, Darryl began to play drums at seven. Having picked up the sticks on his own without initial training, he pursued private music lessons to further enhance his skills. Receiving honors from the National Drum Association as well as ProMark Drum Stick Company for his education in percussion, Darryl’s obsession to learn as well as teach makes him invaluable to the New Orleans’ musical lineage. Darryl’s distinct style of drumming comes from years of honing his craft and is a direct derivative of his sense of groove and fearless effort to cross the edge. Whether the style is blues, Zydeco, reggae, jazz, Latin, hip-hop, rock, or New Orleans second line, his timing is effortless.

His professional career reads like a Who’s Who list of national and local music including a multitude of noted artists such as Buddy Guy, Etta James, Cyril Neville, Chris Thomas King, The Hoodoo Kings (featuring Tabby Thomas, Raful Neal and Eddie Bo), George Porter, Jr., Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, The Revealers, The Temptation Revue featuring Dennis Edwards, Gene Chandler, Seven, and many others. If that isn’t recognition enough to Darryl’s true talents, he’s been a regular mention in Modern Drummer Magazine throughout his career and a featured drummer in Gig Magazine in 1998 and in the Offbeat Magazine in 1998 and 2000.


Prior to joining Tab Benoit full-time, Darryl could be found performing with Chris Thomas King from 1997 to 2001. Noted during this time, he was King’s drummer on the CD "Red Mud" which was nominated for a WC Handy “Best Acoustic Album” Award. His expanse of drumming styles was also shared with New Orleans’ top reggae band, The Revealers. He recorded on three of their CDs and toured with them opening for Pato Banton, Burning Spear, Third World, Yellow Man, Dread Zepplin, and Steele Pulse. During this time his drumming was featured in hip hop mogul Master P's movie "I'm 'Bout It."

When not performing out on the road, Darryl is currently working on an instructional DVD that will cover second line, reggae, and Soca styles of drumming.

Performance gear: Tama Star Classic Drums, Tama hardware, DW Pedals, Percussion drums, Roland and PinTech electronic drums.

Endorsements: ProMark Drumsticks, Sabian Cymbals and Remo Drum Heads.

Influences: Zigaboo Modeliste, Billy Cobham, Dennis Chambers, Bernard Purdie, Steve Gadd, Jeff Porcaro, James Black, Vinnie Colaiuta, Buddy Rich, Marcus Williams, and a long list of great drummers that is too long to mention.