Melvin Taylor - Taylor Made (2013)

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Melvin Taylor - Taylor Made (2013)

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Chicago-based guitarist Melvin Taylor is a star in Europe, but it may take some time for U.S. audiences to catch on to just how phenomenally talented a bluesman he is. Part of the problem for Taylor may be his own natural eclecticism. He's equally adept playing jazz or blues, but in the last few years, he's forged a name for himself as a blues guitarist with a slew of releases for Evidence Music. Taylor may well be the most talented new guitarist to come along since Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Taylor was born in Mississippi but raised in Chicago after the family moved there in 1962. He learned guitar from his mother's brother, Uncle Floyd Vaughan, who jammed to tunes by Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, and Howlin' Wolf with his buddies. By the time Taylor was 12, he was sitting in with his uncle and other grown-ups at those sessions. Almost entirely self-taught, the young Taylor learned slide playing, fingerpicking, and flat-picking styles from his favorite recordings by B.B. King, Albert King, and Jimi Hendrix.

In his teens, Taylor joined the Transistors, a group managed by his future father-in-law, and they made their mark playing popular music of the '70s at talent shows and night clubs. After the Transistors broke up in the early '80s, Taylor again devoted his full attention to playing blues in the Windy City's West Side clubs. Shortly after, pianist Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins came looking for a guitarist for a string of European dates. Taylor joined the Legendary Blues Band for a year and made such an impact in Europe that several club and festival bookers wanted him back with his own group. Since the late '80s, he's been making regular tours of Europe, often backed by former members of the Transistors, where they opened for the likes of B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Santana, George Benson, and Canned Heat.

Aside from taking his musical inspiration from guitar heroes like Albert King, B.B. King, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Taylor also became enamored with the jazz stylings of George Benson and Wes Montgomery, incorporating their styles into his playing.

Taylor's recordings include two he first recorded for a French label that have since been reissued on the Pennsylvania-based Evidence Music: Blues on the Run, originally recorded in 1982, and 1984's Melvin Taylor Plays the Blues for You. Back in the U.S., Taylor continued to build a buzz around the strength of his marathon live shows at Rosa's Lounge and other venues in Chicago. Several small labels tried to sign Taylor, but they weren't successful. In 1995, Taylor was signed to Evidence Music and entered the studio with blues impresario John Snyder to record his debut for the label, Melvin Taylor and the Slack Band, which showcased his original songwriting. He returned in late 1996 to record his second U.S. album, Dirty Pool. Taylor's debut remains the Evidence label's best-selling release ever. Both records showcase Taylor's awe-inspiring guitar playing and original renderings of classic Chicago blues tunes. Bang the Bell followed in 2000, featuring racy cover art and a somewhat funk-influenced sound, but it was his teaming with Lucky Peterson and Mato Nanji on 2002's Rendezvous with the Blues that cemented his reputation as a mainstay in the American blues and roots rock scene.

Richard Skelly, Allmusic.com

Melvin Taylor is known for his grasp of blues, rock, jazz, funk, and for how he conveys those genres in his guitar-playing. Taylor Made will not disappoint – it’s all there; the blues, the rock, the jazz, the funk, and that guitar . . . (Must suck to be the record store clerk trying to decide where this CD should be displayed in a store.)

Melvin Taylor (lead/rhythm/bass guitar, vocals) is accompanied by Rick Jones (keyboard); Bernell Anderson (co-writer and vocals on “Heartache”); and Lou Dupont (drums). Taylor wrote 5 tracks and there’s one cover of Isaac Hayes’ “Do Your Thing.” This is a short CD, but Lady K was mesmerized for the whole 24 minutes.

The guitar intro makes you sit up and listen on the very first track. “Whenever I See You” is bluesy, jazzy, with a funky guitar, and Melvin Taylor’s sexy vocals – and his guitar pretty much ‘sings’ right along with him. “Whenever I see you, it feels like the first time we met” – oh so romantic! On the jazzy instrumental “Blue Moon,” Taylor lets his guitar do the singing. And “Time Out” provides more funky, jazzy fun, with Rick Jones’ organ in the lead. And then there is Isaac Hayes’ “Do Your Thing” – a funky, rockin’ version with the instruments again taking the place of human vocalizing – admirably – the music is terrific.

Lady K’s favorite track is “Heartache.” It’s up-tempo, with the organ grabbing attention in the beginning and then turning the lead over to Taylor’s killer guitar. Bernell Anderson vocalizes: “Try to be good to you, don’t know what else to do / All you ever bring me is heartache.” The track ends instrumentally with mesmerizing keyboard and guitar.

So, picture yourself – alone or with someone special – on a beach somewhere, after a long day in the sun, with a drink in hand (Lady K will have a Bombay and tonic please), and you are watching the sky as the sun sets. What music would you choose to listen to, during this magical moment? Try Melvin Taylor’s “Beneath the Sunset” – a jazzy instrumental that will, indeed, enhance the experience.

Taylor Made– it isn’t all blues, but it’s all great!!!!

Review by Lady K, BostonBlues.com

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Melvin Taylor - Taylor Made (2013)

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Melvin Taylor - Taylor Made (2013)

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Melvin Taylor - Taylor Made (2013)

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