Larry Taylor
They Were In This House
(VCD0001)
Chicago. West Side. Blues. Larry Taylor knows how to lay it down. The
son of guitarist Eddie Taylor, Sr. and singer Vera Hill Taylor, Mr. Taylor
comes from solid musical stock. If blues are genetic, Larry Taylor would
be a great case study. A great singer with great attitude. An interesting
collection of tunes from Taylor on display here. Twelve tracks. Some
original, some traditional, some not. Some engaging choices of material to
cover too. Check out his take on Howlin' Wolf's "I Didn't Mean To
Hurt Your Feelings" or Jimmy Reed's "Signals of Love" or
Elmore James' "Knocking at Your Door" or ZZ Hill's "Don't
Make Me Pay For His Mistake". Taylor takes his own spin on these
cover tunes and makes them unique and fun to listen to. Especially tops on
my list would be his approach on the two - count them - two Johnnie Taylor
tunes "Jody Got Your Girl and Gone" and "Last $2". As
good a job as this Taylor does it really makes you miss Johnnie Taylor to
hear the songs.
Willie Davis on guitar deserves a very special mention here. He handles
some amazing smooth guitar work on most of the tracks. This guy used to
play with Willie Kent. This is truly West Side smooth; rhythmic and
groovy. Couple that with Michael "Sleepy" Riley on the bass and
you have this incredibly tight music machine. Every track works.
Barrelhouse Bonni on piano is also outstanding. A ton of good performances
on the disc.
But it all comes back to the vocal performances of Taylor who does a
fine job of holding everything together. Check him out on the original
composition "Tell Me Baby" parts one and two. He moans and
groans in sync with the guitar. It's a wonderful little exchange that just
rides this amazing groove and keeps on going.
A great CD from the windy city.
- Bill Fountain -
Southwest Blues CD Review - November 2004
Current Reviews - 2004 Reviews - available at our store
