Acclaimed Louisiana Bayou blues guitarist Tab Benoit continued his yearlong 2023 tour with a recent date at The Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band were along for the ride to open the show.
Parklife DC’s Steve Satzberg was there to photograph both bands in concert!
The following article is adapted from a press release.
One of the most impressive guitarists to emerge from the rich Bayous of Southern Louisiana in recent time, 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 setup is simple. It consists of a guitar, chord, and Category 5 Amplifier. The effects that you hear come from his fingers.
At The Birchmere on Dec. 4, Tab closed his roughly 12-song set with his signature tune “Night Train.” Along the way, he performed covers from artists including Toussaint McCall, Buddy Miller, Muddy Waters, and Buffalo Springfield.
Watch Tab Benoit perform “Night Train” Live At Telluride Blues & Brews Festival via YouTube:
Opening for Benoit was the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, “arguably the most influential ensemble to emerge in New Orleans over the last twenty-five years…it’s sway on the brass band scene has been staggering, spawning bands like the Rebirth, New Birth, Hot 8 and just about every other young brass ensemble presently recording,” according to Offbeat Magazine.
Celebrating over 45 years since their founding in 1977, New Orleans-based Dirty Dozen Brass Band has taken the traditional foundation of brass band music and incorporated it into a blend of genres including bebop jazz, funk, R&B, and soul. This unique sound, described by the band as a “musical gumbo,” has allowed the Dirty Dozen to tour across five continents and more than 30 countries, record 12 studio albums, and collaborate with a range of artists from Modest Mouse to Widespread Panic to Norah Jones. Forty-plus years later, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band is a world famous music machine whose name is synonymous with genre-bending romps and high-octane performances.
Watch the Dirty Dozen Brass Band in an NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert via YouTube:
Here are some photos of Tab Benoit headlining The Birchmere on Dec. 4, 2023. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Steve Satzberg.
Here are some photos of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band opening Tab at The Birchmere on Dec. 4, 2023. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Steve Satzberg.
