Tad Tariq

Precious Company

MoMojo Records

Originally hailing from Trumbull, Connecticut, Tariq began his musical career at the age of twelve, cutting his teeth in local bars across the tri-state area. His early influences included Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan. At age 18, Tariq moved to Memphis to immerse himself in the rich musical heritage of the blues.

Tariq has quickly become a mainstay on the Memphis scene through collaborations with multiple Blues Music Award winner John Németh, renowned musician Tony Holiday, and legendary harmonica master Charlie Musselwhite. Most recently, Tariq earned the prestigious honor of joining Bob Dylan’s touring band for a series of dates.

An accomplished songwriter, Tariq shined on his 2025 debut album, Jad Tariq Sings. The album featured a blend of rhythm and blues that was both clever and classic, showcasing his versatility in handling different grooves and tempos with poise. Tariq’s vocal style is in the tradition of the blues shouters and big-band crooners of the 1940s and 1950s. Tariq’s debut earned him two nominations in the 2025 Blues Blast Magazine Awards, one in the Sean Costello Rising Star category and the other in the New Artist Debut category. His sophomore release, Precious Company, is slated for release on September 18, 2026.

Recorded in Bluff City, Tennessee, the album features guitarist/vocalist Tariq joined by bassist and backing vocalist Matthew Wilson (John Németh), with Nikolas Karolewicz on one track; rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist John Hay; pianist and backing vocalist Wyly Bigger; backing vocalist Benton Parker; and drummer Earl Lowe. They are joined by the horn section of trumpeter Marc Franklin and saxophonist Kirk Smothers, who have played with literally everyone, and harmonica player Jacob Huffman on one track. All of the songs are written or co-written by Tariq.

Tariq opens with “September Moon,” as he sings, “September moon, bright as can be September moon, quit worrying me. The way your light shined on her face, I could see I was being replaced. She wouldn’t tell me what was wrong, but I could tell it wouldn’t be long. Now I’ll remember November, ’cause that’s the month she got away, and that old September moon will haunt the rest of my days.” Tariq has got it all on this great opening track.

On “I Want a Mean Woman,” Tariq chimes, “Yes, I want a woman who’s as mean as can be. I’m not a jealous man, but I can’t have her worrying me. It’s hard ti find a girl who will treat you fair. They entertain all these men, they just won’t be on the square. I want a woman who always frowns, who treats all these men like they’re nothing but clowns. Yes, I want a woman who grows meaner day by daay. It’s hard to settle down when they mistreat you in so many ways. Fellas, be wise. Fellas, beware. A sweet girl is a girl you’ll just have to share.” Once again Tariq is impressive as he echoes the big band sound of the 1940s.

“Room for Two” features Tariq as he chants, “Thought I could do whatever I please, and when I get back home, you’d still be sweet on me. But too many nights I’ve spent away, and now I haven’t seen you in days. Seems you’ve left me for good this time, ’cause you didn’t leave a thing behind. Now there’s far too much space in this half-empty place, this room for two. You’ve threatened that you’d do it before, but you would still-a be there when I walked through the door. You only left behind a longing in my mind for the love we shared before…So now I weep and moan in this room all alone, this room for two.” With Huffman on harmonica, Tariq delivers a jazz-styled vocal.

On the church-like “Poor Me,” Tariq evokes Louis Jordan, as he cries, “Oh, poor me, oh poor me. Oh, how I’m suffering, Oh, how you’ve made me cry, but I know that time will dry the tears from my eyes, there’s one thing I tell you they never taught us in school: Oh, how these women can be so doggone cruel. When they wrote the book of love, they didn’t write it clear. Oh, how these women, they just don’t play fair,” as Tariq and the backup singers sound like a gospel choir.

On the New Orleans–sounding title track, “Precious Company,” Tariq wails, “Darling, will you bless me? Could I bend your little ear? The devil moon is shining a little brighter you’re near, just to see your smiling, it’s good enough for me. I only want your precious company. I’m not asking for much, I’ll take what I can get. Couple drinks between us, even share one cigarette. If there’s an extra glass of wine, then darling, pour one for me, I only want your precious company.” Here Tariq sounds like a classic vaudevillian.

On the playful “Half Measures,” about dating outside your tax bracket, Tariq chirps, “Half measures just won’t do when it comes to loving you. You can take the bread right out my hand if it keeps you from another man. I said, ooo, ooo, half measures won’t do. Romantic gestures can’t be small, they must be grand. Looking for diamonds in the burning said. She wants the best of everything and a whole lot more than I can bring, I said ooo, ooo, half measures won’t do. I want to keep her, but I can’t afford her. She wants a house out in California. She won’t settle for no sweet loving honey. She’s gonna take me for all of my money…She knows I’ll love her any way she acts. Says she’d look real fine in a Cadillac. She wants her diamonds, rubies, and pearls. I shoulda settled for a cheaper girl.” Tariq delivers a humorous tale.

“Whiskey, Ain’t But a Dollar” features Tariq as he declares, “Whiskey, ain’t but a dolla. Whiskey, they sell it by the swalla. Throw that liquor down the hatch, then we sit and wait for another batch. Whiskey, ain’t but a dolla, Whiskey, they sell it by the swalla, 1,2,3,4,5, don’t know if I’ll make it out of here alive. It ain’t the nicest joint in town, but man they got the best price around, you’ll walk on in standing tall, but on your way out the place you’ll have to crawl.” Tariq delivers a song that defines the sport of drinking.

On the topical “Inflation’s High Blues,” Tariq whines, “I can’t borrow a dollar, can’t afford to hold a dime. No, I can’t borrow a dollar. I can’t even hold a dime. They’re saying inflation’s high, but they’ve been saying that for a long, long time. It’s not just that things are bad right now, it’s that they haven’t been good in a while. Gas prices are so high, can’t afford to drive a mile. No, I can’t borrow a dollar, I can’t afford to hold a dime. They’re saying inflation’s high, but they’ve been saying that for a long, long time…Some folks have nowhere to stay, while some wear satin and silk. We got folks living in mansions, others can’t get a carton of milk…” Tariq sings a new take on “lend me a dime.”

“Waitin’ and Wishin'” features Tariq as he hollers, “I’ll be waiting, and-a-wishin’, I’ll count my lucky stars on you. No more dancing, sweet romancing, since you broke my heart in two. All I have are lonely nights, for my mind to roam, as I sit in this home all alone. Don’t you know that I’m waiting and a-wishing, sitting and a-missing, waiting and a-wishing for my baby to come back home. Now I’m hurting, and nothing’s working, as the days keep dragging, I pushing along, I’m not coping, just a-hoping, to try to right my wrong. You think you’re winning those fights, but one thing’s for sure: if you win too many, she’ll be up and-a-gone…waiting and a-wishing for my baby to come back home.” Tariq sounds both new and classic at the same time.

On the closer, “To My Used to Be,” an acoustic waltz of regret in the mold of Willie Nelson or George Jones, Tariq croons, “If you ask me how I’m doing, I’ll say that I’m doing fine. But don’t ask me how I’m feeling, I feel like I’m dying. And I don’t know how long, that this has gone on. I wish you’d spoke up and told me what’s wrong. So now I sit here, and wait for your call, dear, to my used to be, I miss you missing me…With this distance between us, no phone call from me could tell you how sorry that this man could be…And you’ll have to forgive me if my tears start to fall. You don’t know how long I’ve waited for your call. For years I will yearn for your return, and try to dry the tears that make my eyes burn.”

Tariq is a songwriter, bandleader, guitarist, and vocalist who is making waves creating music that incorporates modern sensibilities while still sounding classic. Precious Company is highly recommended listening.

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