Review by Thom Jurek
Anyone who has paid attention to Otis Taylor's career understands that he is not a conventional bluesman, yet his diverse music, for all of its ambitious instrumentation, odd rhythmic meters, minor pentatonic scales, and textural strangeness embodies the spirit of the blues authentically and unmistakably. His is an iconic -- and some would argue iconoclastic -- vision. Contraband is nearly an hour long and contains 14 songs. Taylor plays guitar as well as banjo, and he uses a familiar slate of players: cornetist Ron Miles, keyboardist Brian Juan, fiddler Anne Harris, guitarist Jon Paul Johnson, with Chuck Campbell on pedal steel, djembe player Fara Tolno, and two bassists: daughter Cassie Taylor and Todd Edmunds; Larry Thompson plays drums. The album's hinge piece, "Contraband Blues," elucidates the use of human beings being used as actual contraband. The track, with its layered strings, spooky pedal steel, skittering snare, and open-toned, droning blues details the plight of slaves during the Civil War. They were freed by law, but weren't free -- they were used by the Union Army as captured property. Opener "Devil's Gonna Lie" is a circular two-chord blues riff, accentuated by djembe and multi-tracked cornet, B-3, pedal steel and electric guitars, and the Wendy Rene Choir. Taylor sings in old gospel style about the "devil," but refers to him not so much as a person but as the persuasive power of evil. Punchy, funky, and gritty, evil is portrayed as any form of exploitation. Taylor examines race, class, and interpersonal relationships in unusual ways. "Blind Piano Teacher" is a soulful ballad that explores the relationship between a younger blind piano teacher of mixed racial heritage and an older man of no racial distinction. Miles' cornet playing is like another singing voice, answering Taylor's narrative. "Banjo Boogie Blues" is a strutting shuffle with screaming guitars, banjo, and drums, with the choir underscoring Taylor's call for universal and personal compassion. 12-bar blues are the basis of the tracks "Your Ten Dollar Bill," Yellow Car, Yellow Dog," "Romans Had Their Way," "Lay On My Delta Bed," and closing burner "I Can See You're Lying," but Taylor and his band stretch them to the limit rhythmically with odd instrumental and vocal cadences, only the drum kit keeping them on the rails. Still, it's the nearly acoustic Delta blues-inspired "2 or 3 Times," the Mexican corrido "Yell Your Name," the Americana-inspired "Never Been to Africa" (detailing the plight of a black soldier who has fought all over the world during WWI, yet never visits his homeland), and the shimmering acoustic/electric folk-blues of "Look to the Side" that lend mystery on this deeply focused set. By reining in the freedom that made Clovis People, Vol. 3 such a puzzling wonder, Taylor manages to up the ante musically and lyrically on Contraband. All killer, no filler.
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Revisión por Thom Jurek
Cualquiera que haya prestado atención a la carrera de Otis Taylor entiende que no es un bluesman convencional; sin embargo, su música diversa, con toda su ambiciosa instrumentación, medidores rítmicos extraños, escalas pentatónicas menores y extrañeza de las texturas encarna el espíritu de los blues de manera auténtica e inequívoca. . La suya es una visión icónica, y algunos argumentarían iconoclasta. Contrabando dura casi una hora y contiene 14 canciones. Taylor toca la guitarra y el banjo, y usa una lista familiar de jugadores: el cornetista Ron Miles, el teclista Brian Juan, el violinista Anne Harris, el guitarrista Jon Paul Johnson, con Chuck Campbell en el pedal de acero, la djembe Fara Tolno y dos bajistas: hija Cassie Taylor y Todd Edmunds; Larry Thompson toca la batería. La pieza de la bisagra del álbum, "Contraband Blues", aclara el uso de seres humanos como contrabando real. La pista, con sus cuerdas en capas, el escalofriante pedal de acero, el lazo resbaladizo y los tonos aburridos y droning blues, detalla la difícil situación de los esclavos durante la Guerra Civil. Fueron liberados por ley, pero no eran libres, fueron usados por el Ejército de la Unión como propiedad capturada. El abridor "Devil's Gonna Lie" es un riff circular de blues de dos acordes, acentuado por djembe y cornetas de múltiples pistas, B-3, pedales de acero y guitarras eléctricas, y el coro Wendy Rene. Taylor canta en el viejo estilo evangélico sobre el "diablo", pero se refiere a él no tanto como a una persona, sino como el poder persuasivo del mal. Punchy, funky y arenoso, el mal se presenta como cualquier forma de explotación. Taylor examina la raza, la clase y las relaciones interpersonales de maneras inusuales. "Blind Piano Teacher" es una balada conmovedora que explora la relación entre un profesor de piano ciego más joven de herencia racial mixta y un hombre mayor sin distinción racial. El juego de cornetas de Miles es como otra voz cantante, respondiendo a la narrativa de Taylor. "Banjo Boogie Blues" es una mezcla aleatoria con guitarras, banjo y batería que gritan, y el coro subraya el llamado de Taylor a la compasión universal y personal. Los blues de 12 compases son la base de las pistas "Your Ten Dollar Bill", "Yellow Car, Yellow Dog", "Romans Had Have Way", "Lay On My Delta Bed" y el dispositivo de cierre "I Can See You're Mentir" , "pero Taylor y su banda los estiran hasta el límite rítmicamente con extrañas cadencias instrumentales y vocales, solo la batería que los mantiene en los rieles. Aún así, es el casi 2" 3 o 3 veces "inspirado en el blues del acústico, el corrido mexicano. "Grita tu nombre", el "Nunca he estado en África" inspirado en la Americana (que detalla la difícil situación de un soldado negro que ha luchado en todo el mundo durante la Primera Guerra Mundial, pero nunca visita su tierra natal), y el brillante acústico / eléctrico folk-blues de "Look to the side" que confiere un misterio a este conjunto profundamente enfocado. Al refrenar la libertad que hizo de Clovis People, Vol. 3 una maravilla tan desconcertante, Taylor se las arregla para subir la apuesta musical y líricamente en Contraband. Todo asesino, no relleno.
Tracklist:
01 – The Devil’s Gonna Lie
02 – Yell Your Name
03 – Look to the Side
04 – Romans Had Their Way
05 – Blind Piano Teacher
06 – Banjo Boogie Blues
07 – 2 or 3 Times
08 – Contraband Blues
09 – Lay on My Delta Bed
10 – Your 10 Dollar Bill
11 – Open These Bars
12 – Yellow Car, Yellow Dog
13 – Never Been to Africa
14 – I Can See You’re Lying
MORE Electric Blues ...
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