Otis Taylor’s new CD, My
World Is Gone, is a collection of songs that seems to take us into the past
while not being nostalgic or irrelevant. The themes are sometimes related to
Native Americans and the destruction of cultures, but don’t worry – this isn’t
a doom and gloom album. It’s not an album to ruin your mood, or bring you down.
Partly this is due to the instruments Otis chooses with which to present his
messages. Otis Taylor has his own sound,
combining banjo and cornet on “Sand Creek Massacre Mourning,” for example (that
song also has some nice work on drums by Larry Thompson). This isn’t just
blues, though he uses a familiar, traditional blues rhythm on a song like “The
Wind Comes In” (though even on that one he uses banjo).
Most of these tracks are really effective. Only
occasionally does Otis Taylor fall back on over-used, familiar images and
statements. Like in “Never Been To The Reservation” he sings “They’ve got babies living in the street, and
he’s drinking champagne.” Lines like that no longer elicit anger in the
listener, no longer feel like a call to action. They’ve become too commonplace.
But mostly he’s able to refrain from these sorts of lyrics, and to be original.
For he really does have an original voice and sound. And what a voice.
All of the tracks on My
World Is Gone were written and arranged by Otis Taylor.
“My World Is Gone”
The album begins with the title track, “My World Is
Gone,” whose opening notes are so sweet and pretty, with fiddle coming in over
the guitar. Then Otis Taylor’s vocals come in, his voice kind and wise, maybe a
bit tired – a voice that has lived and seen much, a voice that speaks Truth,
but not from on high, but rather from right next to you, with you. “If you send me a golden razor, oh, I’ll cut
my hair.” I also really dig the guitar part, particularly on the lead
sections. Anne Harris’ presence on fiddle really adds to the beauty of the song.
“Lost My Horse”
“Lost My Horse” is a bit more aggressive, with a good
blues edge. It opens with these lines: “My
daddy was a runaway slave/My momma was a Navajo/I’ve been drinking/Like my
daddy do/I’ve been drinking/Like my daddy do/I done lost my horse/Oh, I’m sure
to lose my mind.” This song features the great combination of electric mandolin
and guitar. A different version of this song appeared on Otis Taylor’s 2001
release, White African.
“Huckleberry
Blues”
“Huckleberry Blues” is one of the most interesting songs
on the album, for it’s blues with a banjo, an instrument that seems somehow
the opposite of the blues. And on top of that, there is this delicious horn –
that’s Ron Miles on cornet. The result is a wonderful jazzy blues jam. I really
love this tune.
“Blue Rain In
Africa”
“Blue Rain In Africa” has a sound that is simple and
beautiful. This is a song that somehow gets right on top of you emotionally,
without the help of a lot of lyrics. It seems to effortlessly tap into
something deep within us, something to connect all of us. “There must be blue rain in Africa.”
“Jae Jae Waltz”
“Jae Jae Waltz” is a fun, light and sweet folk song that
is impossible not to like. In this one, a man is asking a woman to dance,
reminding her that her husband is gone. It opens with these lines: “Waltz with me/Won’t you please/Won’t you
please waltz with me/Won’t you hold my hand/Won’t you please waltz with me/John
is gone/John is gone/They put him in the ground.” I absolutely love this
tune.
“Green Apples”
“Green Apples” is a really cool jam. I dig that
relentless guitar part, like it’s demanding and not going to give up until she
agrees to treat him right. Otis sings, “Green
apples in the morning/Red apples at night/Treat me right/Oh baby, treat me
right.” This track also features wonderful work by Ron Miles on cornet.
“Sit Across Your
Table”
My World Is Gone
concludes with “Sit Across Your Table,” an upbeat, happy blues tune about being
seated across the table from the woman you love. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “When I wake up in the morning/And the world
gets me down/Well, I look across my table/I see you, I see you/And I say to
myself/Lord, I say to myself/A wonderful world/What a wonderful world/Wonderful
world.” This is a great little gem of a song.
CD Track List
- My World Is Gone
- Lost My Horse
- Huckleberry Blues
- Sand Creek Massacre Mourning
- The Wind Comes In
- Blue Rain In Africa
- Never Been To The Reservation
- Girl Friend’s House
- Jae Jae Waltz
- Gangster And Iztatoz Chauffeur
- Coming With Crosses
- Green Apples
- Sit Across Your Table
Musicians
Musicians appearing on this release include Otis Taylor
on vocals, guitar, electric mandolin, slide guitar, and banjo; Mato Nanji on
vocals and guitar; Anne Harris on fiddle; Larry Thompson on drums; Todd Edmunds
on bass and tuba; Shawn Starski on guitar; Ron Miles on cornet; and Brian Juan
on organ.
My World Is Gone
is scheduled to be released on February 12, 2013 on Telarc International, a
division of Concord Music Group.
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