Even though singer, songwriter, guitarist and soul man Garrett LeBeau makes his home here in Austin, he didn’t grow up in the dusty hills of Central Texas. LeBeau grew up among the mountains and rivers of central Wyoming on the Wind River Indian Reservation. His surname is French, he’s an enrolled member of the Shoshone tribe, and the newly-minted Austinite makes some of the coolest, smoothest, bluesiest, blue-eyed soul you’d ever wanna hear.
LeBeau picked up music in his late teens. He caught the blues bug, and taught himself to play the guitar. The hours he spent honing his craft have paid off pretty darn well. He assembled a pretty solid lineup to back him on his forthcoming debut record Rise to the Grind (out May 7 via Jimmy LaFave’s Music Road Records). Bassist Roscoe Beck played with Leonard Cohen. Drummer J.M. Johnson worked with the Tedeschi Trucks Band and John Mayer. On B3 organ he’s joined by Red Young, and Stefano Intelisano on keys.
Together, they’ve created one heckuva record. It’s a mellow, yet tender, set of laid-back soul. LeBeau breathes his vocals, and the band is loose and groovy, but plenty tight. Songs like “Brothers” walk that very special line between bitter and sweet. Not too shabby for a fella from central Wyoming.
You can catch Garrett LeBeau at SXSW 2013:
Fri, 3/15: Threadgill’s South (w/Jimmy LaFave, Sam Baker), 8:30 p.m.
Sat, 3/16: Zax Restaurant (Music Road Records/Red House Records party), 12:20 p.m.
Sun, 3/17: Full Moon Barn Dance, 3600 S. 2nd St. (w/Jimmy LaFave, Sam Baker, Slaid Cleaves), 5:30 p.m.
