NORWICH – The Chenango County Blues Association presents the fourth in its free summer concert series Thursday night with guitarist-singer Tab Benoit.

The free concerts, held in West Side Park from 7 to 9 p.m., are co-sponsored by NBT Bank and Preferred Mutual. In case of rain, the show will be held inside the Council of the Arts Theater, 27 W. Main St.

Tab Benoit is the real deal. Born and raised on the Louisiana bayou, this self-proclaimed “new kid from the old school” has been the standard bearer for a new generation of Cajun blues musicians – a traditionalist and an innovator at the same time, grafting elements of rock and soul to the indigenous sounds of the bayou.

With all the makings of an American music icon, Tab Benoit has become one of the premiere roots stylist of the century. Tab has paid his dues as a road troubadour playing 250 nights a year performing at venues across North America, honing his guitar chops and becoming part of Louisiana folklore and legend. This grueling tour schedule has paid off, as he now plays for standing room only crowds across the country, from major music cities to small town blues bars.

Last year saw Benoit, known around the blues world for his Cajun grit, nab a Grammy nomination and he was also named Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year and the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year by the Blues Foundation.