29 Sep 2026
TAB BENOIT’S LOST 2002 PERFORMANCE FINALLY SEES THE LIGHT OF DAY: 'BLUES MASTERS LIVE' ARRIVES OCTOBER 23, 2026
Whiskey Bayou Records, in conjunction with APO, is thrilled to announce the October 23, 2026 release of Blues Masters Live. This highly anticipated album unearths a previously unreleased, powerhouse performance by Grammy-nominated Louisiana guitarist Tab Benoit, recorded live on October 19, 2002, at Blue Heaven Studios in Salina, Kansas.
Captured when Benoit was just 34 years old, the recording catches the guitar virtuoso at a pivotal career moment. Benoit was invited to close the fifth annual Blues Masters at the Crossroads festival—a special event celebrating the "Louisiana Legends" who shaped his home state's indigenous music. The scorching set was recorded by Acoustic Sounds founder and fellow Louisiana native Chad Kassem, after which the tapes vanished into the archives for nearly a quarter of a century. Now, to mark the 40th anniversary of Acoustic Sounds, Kassem is opening the historic vaults, choosing Benoit’s legendary set to be among the very first to see the light of day.
One of the most impressive guitarists to emerge from the rich Bayous of Southern Louisiana in recent years, Tab Benoit’s guitar tone can be recognized before his Otis-Redding-ish voice resonates from the speakers. He doesn’t rely on any effects and his set up is simple. It consists of a guitar, cord, and Category 5 Amplifier. The effects that you hear come from his fingers.
Born on November 17, 1967, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Benoit grew up in the nearby oil and fishing town of Houma, where he still resides today. Musically, he was exposed early on to traditional Cajun waltzes and the country music broadcast on his hometown’s only radio station. Benoit’s father was himself a musician; as such, the family home was filled with various instruments. He began playing drums but switched to guitar because the only gigs to be had in rural Louisiana were held in churches and at church fairs, and organizers would not allow loud drums to be played at these events.