Clovis People, Vol. 3
Otis Taylor
Telarc
Otis Taylor calls his music “trance blues” and that’s as good a moniker as any. Freed from the 12-bar archetype, Taylor’s sound is sparse, measured, and personal. He leaves pauses where others would throw a cluster of notes; his vocals are weary expressions of emotion, compelling without ever overstating or grandstanding. The opening cut, “Rain so Hard” begins with delicate resonator picking, and builds the mood with subtle trumpet flourishes, almost ambient in presentation. “Little Willie” features some tasty electric guitar playing from Gary Moore (Thin Lizzy, et. al.), who guests on several cuts, and unlike Moore’s other work, he sounds positively restrained here to good effect.
In a time when the blues seems to be languishing between SRV wannabes and tired traditionalists, Otis Taylor has created a unique musical signature, hypnotically capturing a listeners attention, somewhat akin to Kelly Joe Phelps, but even more subtle than that. Once encountered, it cannot be easily dismissed — or forgotten. How often can you say that these days?
Originally published Ink 19, 2010
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