Rick Taylor "Lucky Room"
(Blues / Roots Music / Acoustic)
Lovers of the good old Style of Blues are in for a treat with the release of Rick Taylor's newest album, "Lucky Room".
On the heals of his critically acclaimed 2008 release, "The Wonky Years", Rick Taylor doesn't miss a beat as he presents to us his homage to the great Blues from the 20's and 50's.
Having spent over 40 years honing his craft, every bit of Rick Taylor's experience shines through on "Lucky Room".
Considered to be one of the finest acoustic blues artists going, with a set of vocals chords that would be the envy of any Blues Artists, young or old, Rick Taylor has no problem taking us back and accurately giving us the feel that we are sitting on a back porch, stomping our feet as he offers us the blues the way it was always meant to be, lean and clean.
"Lucky Room" consists of 11 Tracks, and covers some pretty amazing ground featuring the music of Big Bill Broonzy, Leroy Carr, Arthur Spires, Elmore James, John Brimm, Eric Anderson, Mississippi John Hurt, Jimmy Rodgers, Floyd Jones, Sleepy John Estes, and Joe Williams.
"Lucky Room" was a complete and utter treat to listen to, as I really respect an artist who can more than do justice with interpreting the old blues.
I give this CD, my highest rating, Five***** Excellent CD... Thoroughly enjoyed it... Highly Recommended...
"Lucky Room" is a must have CD for any lover of Acoustic Blues...
Review by John Vermilyea (Blues Underground Network)
Other Info
With a bourbon stained voice that sounds as if it could be coming through the torn radio speaker of a 1927 Buick, Lucky Room was recorded on vintage acoustic and electric guitars and amplifiers. Close your eyes and you will find yourself sitting at a table in a juke joint, somewhere along Highway 61.
Tracklist
1. By Myself 2:31
2. Murmur Low 2:58
3. Six Cold Feet Of Ground 3:38
4. I See My Baby 3:40
5. Tough Times 2:53
6. Blind Fiddler 4:22
7. Monday Morning Blues 3:56
8. Rattlesnake 3:21
9. You Can't Live Long 3:21
10. Drop Down Mama 2:37
11. Baby Please Don't Go 4:06
About Rick Taylor
"One of the first guitar soloists I tried to copy was Rick Taylor. His playing on the Willie P. Bennett album, "Hobo's Taunt" was and is an inspiration to me. And he still plays great- with the extra years of experience and gravitas only making him better. And that's just the playing part... He's still writing and singing and performing like a demon too!".... Colin Linden, Oct.1st, 2009, Nashville Tennessee
"I've been listening to and have been inspired by Rick for the last 30 years... He is a legend to us and pleasure to be hearing again in recent years...." Tom Wilson - Blackie and the Rodeo Kings/ Lee Harvie Osmond February 8th, 2010
Rick Taylor made his first professional appearance at the famed Mariposa Folk Festival in 1971, going on to perform at many of the major Canadian folk festivals. Blues, jazz, country, rock, roots and contemporary music influenced Rick's early years on the folk and coffee house circuits. As a singer-songwriter and guitarist, Rick has been featured on CBC television and radio programmes Touch The Earth with host Sylvia Tyson, The Entertainers with host Bill Garrett , Peter Gzowski's 90 Minutes Live, City TV's Music City and Intimate Evenings with Songwriters on Rogers Cable TV. Other highlights of Rick's career include opening act for Bruce Cockburn and appearing in New York City as a multi-instrumentalist in Leonard Cohen's musical production The Sisters of Mercy, as well as guitarist in the Vancouver production of Hank Williams, The Show He Never Gave.
Rick's dynamism on guitar has led to session and sideman work with Willie P. Bennett, Stan Rogers, Doug McArthur and a highly acclaimed tour with Colleen Peterson, which culminated in nine evening engagement as opening act for Gordon Lightfoot at Massey Hall in Toronto.
Rick also fronted his own band The Torpedoes with brother Steve Taylor in Southern Ontario; a sound described by Doug McArthur as "folkaboogietoadrock" as well as the Rick Taylor Band which featured some of the finest blues and jazz musicians in Vancouver, and a three year run with HARD 8; a roots-acoustic trio featuring guitar great Paul Pigat and harmonica legend Monte.
Rick is well know for his high energy live performances, rich, expressive baritone voice, quirky and novel song-writing styles; such as his cult classics "Black Leather Diaper" and "Drunkards Lullaby", his delicately, haunting, well crafted ballads, and unforgettable "guitarnastics". Rick's early chart hit classics "Letters from Jane" and "Soldier in the Rain", released internationally in 1989 on Volunteer Records, continued in "gold rotation" on radio stations around the world for many years.
2005 saw the CD release of "Clown River". It contains 13 original solo guitar compositions. This work is a beautifully woven instrumental story. Rick has reached deeply into his influences of the great fingerstyle guitar traditions of the world. Currently, Rick Taylor is a featured artist on Borealis Records guitar compilation CD "Six Strings North of the Border Volume 3 ", released internationally in Feb. 2006.
Rick's long awaited CD "The Wonky Years, recorded over a 10 year period in Vancouver with The Rick Taylor Band was completed in Ontario and released in 2008.
