jtaylor

There is seldom a week that goes by that there isn't some blues playing in my changer or turntable. I've been a fan of blues and guitars since my hippie days when Clapton, Hendrix and Zepplin ruled. Jesse Taylor is a very good Texas blues guitarist from Lubbock. If his name sounds familiar, he played with Joe Ely in the late '70's and early '80's ("Honky Tonk Masquerade" era), and is currently touring with him and is on Joe's new live CD.

This is Jesse's first solo album, and it's pretty good. The style and sounds of the eleven songs are varied enough to keep things interesting, and there is a good blues guitar run in every song. I like that. Nothing irks me like a record by a great guitarist who doesn't cut loose with the ol' ax.

Some of the highlights of this CD include Butch Hancock's "The Naked Light of Day" where Butch, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Joe Ely all sing a stanza with some good boogie blues in between. The old Augie Meyers song, "Lookin' for You" is done with a "tom-tom" beat with Jesse wailing away with some great guitar work. A song Jesse wrote titled, "Two Days Off in Amsterdam" sounds like a party in progress. There is also some effective background vocals by Kimmie Rhodes on "Living For You" and Toni Price briefly on "I've Got to Know". I really can't say I disliked any song on the CD.

If you're looking for an album of slow blues with a lot of flashy guitar, this ain't it. Mr. Taylor plays Boogie Blues and rock solid guitar with a lot of hot licks and some flash thrown in for balance. He's not a great singer, but he's not bad and he makes the most out of what he's got. I hope his next release has a slow blues number on it, because I'm a fan of gut-wrenching blues, too, and I have a feeling this guy could deliver. If you're a fan of blues and great guitar and are tired of buying the mundane, sound-alike blues crowding the racks these days, you might wanna try this one.

Written by Jim Hughes

August 26, 2000

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