Inakustik - INAK 91471 - 180 Gram Virgin Vinyl - Pressed in Germany
Intended as a history of African-American life, from slavery onwards, the 15th album from “trance blues” maestro Otis Taylor proves a raw experience. Banjo Bam Bam, for example, is the voice of a shackled slave who is slowly losing his mind, Jump Out of Line an edgy, uptempo piece about civil rights marchers’ fear of being attacked. Elsewhere come troubled stories of mixed-race relationships and children given up for adoption. It’s unflinching stuff, though Taylor rings the changes musically. His customary guitar and banjo drones are here, along with fiddle and cornet, but there’s also John Lee Hooker-style raunch, slide guitar from Jerry Douglas and the psychedelic flourishes of teenage axe tyro Brandon Niederauer. A triumph.The Guardian
Otis Taylor stands alone among 21st century blues musicians in his fearlessness in redefining what the music means in modern society. He pushes forward, but he also has a deep knowledge of its history, and 2017's Fantasizing About Being Black draws upon the past to offer commentary of contemporary race relations in America. Taylor's 11 original compositions -- including four earlier tunes re-recorded for this record -- take stock of African American history, from slavery into the present, but there's a concentration of stories from the 20th century, including songs devoted to World War II and Civil Rights marchers. No matter the setting, the songs feel alive, an impressive achievement made all the more so because of how understated Taylor's delivery is. He's expanded the essential single-chord boogie of John Lee Hooker so it's become mesmerizing and open-ended, but this music isn't designed for passive listening. There's dramatic tension in its circular chords and its sparseness helps draw attention to his stories. Neither his music nor lyrics follow shopworn blues changes, but that's why they feel so vital: far from resting on clichés, Taylor recasts the blues and the history of Black America on Fantasizing About Being Black in a way that speaks to a new century, and the results are bracing
Twelve String Mile
Walk On Water
Banjo Bam Bam
Hand On Your Stomach
Jump Jelly Belly
Tripping On This
D to E Blues
Jump Out Of Line
• DMM direct cut vom 24/96 Hi-Res Master
• 180 gr Audiophile Pressing
• 45 R.P.M.
Musicians:
Otis Taylor – Vocals, Guitar, Banjo
Brandon Niederauer - Guitar
Jerry Douglas – Koa Wood Lap Guitar
Anne Harris – Violin
Ron Miles – Cornet
Todd Edmunds – Bass
Larry Thompson – Drums
