Tab Benoit, a bluesman from the swamps of Louisiana, takes the stage by storm, as he did on this Saturday night in Chicago. One thing you notice right away is how polished this guy is, in his dress and in his playing. Like most of my musical heroes, Tab writes the songs he plays and sings so well. This was my first birthday bash in Chicago and it was perfect. We (Darby, Megan, and I) arrived at Fitzgerald’s on Roosevelt in Berwyn to find a free off-street parking place at the venue’s doorstep. We paid the $10 cover charge, got our hand stamped then headed next door to Fitzgerald’s Sidebar for jambalaya and a mahi mahi poorboy. During the show, our vantage point near the stage gave us a great feel for Tab and his music. In this cordial room for the blues, a modern master paid homage to the idiom and it was a real treat to witness.
