Martin’s Downtown Crawfish Boil Day 1 Tab Benoit with Special Guest JD Simo Live at Martin’s Downtown

Tab Benoit is a Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and guitarist who has built a remarkable 30+ year career on the foundation of his gritty and soulful Delta swamp blues, acquiring a devoted legion of fans along the way, as well as 5 Blues Music Awards, including BB King Entertainer of the Year (twice) and an induction into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. He has recorded and/or performed with Junior Wells, George Porter Jr, Dr. John, Willie Nelson, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Billy Joe Shaver, Maria Muldaur, James Cotton, Cyril Neville, Kenny Aronoff, Allen Toussaint, Kim Wilson, Jimmy Thackery, Charlie Musslewhite, Kenny Neal, Chris Layton, Ivan Neville, Jimmy Hall, Jim Lauderdale, Anders Osborne, and Alvin Youngblood Hart to name a few. Tab’s accomplishments as a musician are matched only by his devotion to the environmental health of his native Louisiana wetlands. Benoit is the founder and driving force behind Voice of the Wetlands, an organization working to preserve the coastal waters of his home state. In 2010, he received the Award for Conservationist of the Year from the Louisiana Wildlife Federation. Benoit also starred in the iMax motion picture Hurricane on the Bayou, a documentary of Hurricane Katrina’s effects and a call to protect and restore the wetlands.

JD Simo… the Chicago-born, now Nashville transplant is like a one-man crusade dedicated to keeping music real, raw, and honest. No matter the setting and no matter his role (whether it’s wingman or bandleader), JD’s presence infuses the situation of the moment with the music that’s been fueling him pretty much his whole life, spiced with influences that straddle both decades and dimensions. As a songwriter, guitarist, and producer he has worked with the likes of Jack White, Tommy Emmanuel, Luther Dickinson, Dave Cobb, Blackberry Smoke, and has even been a member of Grateful Dead founder Phil Lesh’s “Phil & Friends”. Now he comes forth with his most unique, original and rawest effort yet, “Mind Control”. During lockdown in ’20, he started cutting tracks in his makeshift studio on a weekly basis. Joined by longtime collaborator Adam Abrashoff on drums and the addition of longtime friend, bassist-producer-engineer Adam Bednarik (Justin Townes Earle), they mused a proverbial soup of shared influences.

Hill country trance blues of Junior Kimbrough, RL Burnside and Asie Payton. Hypnotic Afro Beat of Fela Kuti and Tony Allen. Psychedelic warps of Captain Beefheart, Funkadelic, and Jimi Hendrix. The old school blues of John Lee Hooker, Earl Hooker and Lightnin’ Hopkins. As well as the raw fuzzy rock of The Stooges and Nirvana.

“Mind Control” is the product of 3 like minded buddies huddled in a humble setting, making music to make them feel good. The songs stark revealing nature, is the product of them using the creative process for therapy and enjoyment. Because they simply had to, for no other reason than they couldn’t not! They love it too much. A positive theme of growth, self help and struggles with addiction and mental health lay along side a haunting, low down musical landscape. It’s raw, funky and real. Such is life.