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.
///////
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
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