Tyron Benoit – Mid-City
This effort gets out at full gallop as “Start Again” captures a rootsy Americana rock tradition. Guitars have clarity, the beat is straightforward & driving. Tyron has a good voice with a raw, imaginative tone. It has distinction but not too much; he has more character to his tone & would be a great counter-balanced vocalist with The Eagles. He could turn them away from the homogenized California sound they seemed to thrive on. Tyron & the guitar work of Joe Walsh would certainly add a new chapter to that band.
But…Mr. Benoit (lead & acoustic guitars/accordion/vocals/bgv) is doing fine by himself. Some tunes are fairly basic, but Tyron does have additives that keep each tune interesting. He mixes up the country, rock, blues & folk style he’s mastered with spoonfuls of Louisiana Bayou through Colorado mountain air. He reminds me of an obscure Colorado artist who recorded 3 excellent albums for the renowned independent label Tumbleweed back in ‘70s Denver – Arthur Gee. Mr. Gee (“Love Song 450,” “Love Song 451”) had similar soundscapes with a more diversified voice. Mr. Benoit follows a similar path. “Raining In Kentucky” is a fine example of this.
There are 10 Mid-City (Drops Sept 26/Specter Music/Edgewater Music/GRP/38:30) excursions recorded in New Orleans & produced/arranged by Donald Markowitz (bass/keys/guitar). Some songs will get stuck in the muck of mainstream, commercialized pop, but the musicianship is sharp throughout & never wallows into second-hand tunesmith toss-offs. A viable upbeat turn comes with Tyron Benoit’s accordion bellows hum on “Louisiana Time,” – addictive to dancing feet. A hint of zydeco & Cajun runs through the piece with a light touch. One of the album’s best tracks. Invigorating stuff.
“Bogue Chitto River Blues” continues with the slight zydeco-Cajun embodiment & it’s also a well-delivered piece. Catchy. The rich country thrust comes with “Feels Like Home” — an ideal cover for Glen Campbell (if he were still with us). This is beauty. Tyron goes deeper into the country tradition with “Spent” with lots of spirit & a country-blues sauce that I know The Band with Levon Helm would have covered. The instrumental break dips into Spanish terrain & it only enhances the tune. A well-arranged piece sung with sincerity rather than showbiz gloss.
All songs are Tyron originals except for the ending, which is the Beatles classic “Norwegian Wood.” Dangerous to cover something like this, but Tyron is quite good, excellent acoustic guitar – good enough for me to assume John Lennon would approve. There’s not a bad song in the sack. Mr. Benoit has quite an artistic latitude for a former U.S. Marine. I salute his showcase.
Highlights – “Start Again,” “Raining In Kentucky,” “Feels Like Home,” “Spent,” “Louisiana Time,” “Bogue Chitto River Blues,” & “Norwegian Wood.”
Musicians – Shane Theriot (guitar/resonator), Doug Belote (drums/percussion), Andrea Zonn & Sam Craft (violins), Alexis Marceaux, Kate Markowitz & Denny McCormick (bgv).
Cover photo courtesy of Michelle Benoit. CD @ Apple & Amazon + https://www.tyronbenoitband.com/
Video Premiere: Tyron Benoit “Raining in Kentucky”
