Otis Taylor

Otis Taylor

"When Negroes Walked The Earth"

Shoelace Records OT333

Remember that line from Butch cassidy and the Sundance Kid when they couldn't shake the posse chasing them, "Who are those guys?" Well, after hearing one great song after another on this cd, I kept saying the same thing as I reached for the liner notes to get more clues. I recognized the bass player/producer's name right away. But could this be the same Kenny Passarelli that played with Joe Walsh? What's he doing on a cd playing with a man who sings about the history of black people from the civil war to pre-civil rights days? Who's Eddie Turner on guitar? Where's the drummer?

This is haunting, ethereal blues grooves that seep into your soul. Mesmerizing rhythms with lyrics that stay with you long after the music
stops. For a point of reference, mix parts of John Lee Hooker, R.L.
Burnside and Ben Harper together. Reading the bio that came with the cd, I discovered that Otis and Eddie played in the band Zephyr with Tommy Bolin. How did those days lead to the music contained on this cd? A strange and mysterious trip indeed.

This cd was recorded in 1997. He's from the colorado. Apparently it
took a while for distribution to reach us here in Florida. I hope the
opportunity to hear more from Otis doesn't take as long! It may be tough to track this one down. check his website for info: www.otis-taylor.com.

Ken Torvik