Sam Taylor featuring Heather Hardy

Sam Taylor featuring Heather Hardy - Desert Soul - 1992 - Thrillville Music

Sam Taylor has been the (mostly) undisputed kingpin of Tucson's blues scene since arriving in 1988. He's collected scattered sessions from these past years onto his debut CD, and Desert Soul shows why he remains one of the most predictably enjoyable acts in Arizona. Taylor claims writing credit for all 12 of the finely produced tracks here, though the tunes--like most "new" blues in the '90s--are rooted in other earlier standards. "Voice Of The Blues," "Ain't Nothin' In The Streets" and "Mother Blues" are especially bright highlights, pushed along (presumably) by the "In Your Face Horns"-- I'm guessing because no musician credits are listed on the CD, save for Heather Hardy. Regardless, this is a long overdue collection, and Taylor delivers the goods with style, sweat and a bit of silk. © Timothy Gassen, © 1995-97 Tucson Weekly

"I'll probably die on stage somewhere," 61-year-old Sam Taylor says in his pleasant growl. He thinks about the preferred place of his demise for just a second and then admits there might be one other place he might want to go out with a bang. "Waaaaaal!," he yowls. "There's only two ways I'm going and one of 'em is singing." No one is suggesting Taylor is going anywhere for quite awhile yet. He has unfinished music business to take of first. "Maybe my time is coming now. I'm not satisfied, I've still got my dreams. I dream of playing before thousands of people and walking down from the stage and walking through the crowd and singing to 'em. I truly do believe it's gonna come true. "I'm hearing things, I'm playing things and I'm singing things better than ever," he says enthusiastically. "Music does something to people and I think the world needs to feel the kind of stuff that the music we play allows you to feel. I don't care how bad you feel when you come in to hear us play, you will feel better by the time you leave. That's a great feeling and a great gift to be able to do that." Along with violinist and vocalist Heather Hardy, guitarist Ed DeLucia, bassist Mike Nordberg and drummer Jerome Kimsey, Taylor brings the offerings of his guitar, voice and songs to us on a regular basis in clubs around town and elsewhere in the Southwest. "I still get them butterflies before I play," Taylor says of his 43 years of playing professionally. "My secret is I don't wait for you to enjoy my music to determine how well I'm gonna play. I'm already there. If you can sit there without tapping your foot or something while my band is playing there's something wrong with your soul apparatus." There obviously isn't much wrong with the folks who get out to hear the Sam Taylor Blues Band. They dance and have a good time right along with the people on stage. They also pick up copies of The Weekly and vote for Taylor as their favorite blues artist year after year - he and his band have taken this Tucson Area Music Awards category all three years. "I want to say something and I hope people won't misunderstand this, but I'm not going to run for the TAMMIES anymore," he says quietly. "I want to give some of them other kids a chance. Ain't nobody going to beat me playing the blues in this town. I don't want to sound egotistical or something, but come on, you ain't going to out-rock the old man." He aims to prove that he can't be out-rocked on the new album he's currently recording (tentatively titled The Cats and The Fiddler). Until it's released later this year, we'll have to listen to Desert Soul (a compilation CD of his cassettes released a couple of months ago) and get out to hear the band live.
© Michael Metzger, © 1995 Tucson Weekly

The late Sam "BluzMan" Taylor died in January, this year (2009). He was born in Mobile, Alabama in 1934, and was a great musician and songwriter. Some of his many great songs were performed by artists like Freddie King, Son Seals, Jimmy Witherspoon, Jay and the Americans, and Maxine Brown. The great BT Express' gold record , "Do It 'Til You're Satisfied" was penned by Sam. Sam was also a bandleader or guitarist for huge artists like Big Joe Turner, The Isley Brothers, Tracy Nelson, Otis Redding and Sam and Dave. He was an original member/guitarist of the great rock and roll band, Joey Dee and the Starliters, who influenced the twist-dance craze with the "Peppermint Twist". With fellow Starliter Dave Brigatti, he was a major influence on The Rascals which included Brigatti's brother Eddie. Sam also penned songs for The Vagrants which included the great Mountain guitarist, Leslie West. When Sam left Joey Dee and the Starliters, Jimi Hendrix joined the band as guitarist. "Desert Soul" is a great collection of some of Sam Taylor's best songs. He is accompanied on the album by the great violinist, Heather Hardy, who appeared on a few of Sam Taylor's best albums. Buy Sam's great "Blue Tears" album, and listen to his "BluzMan" album.

TRACKS

1 L.A. Quake 4:36
2 Voice of the Blues 3:41
3 Ain't Nothing in the Streets 4:46
4 Best Friends 5:59
5 Sexy Child 4:43
6 It Aint Me 3:02
7 You Got the Nerve 4:25
8 Mother Blues 2:13
9 Mother of the Year 4:54
10 Ain't No Love 7:04
11 Call the Police 4:02
12 Good Stuff 3:57

All songs composed by Sam Taylor

BAND

Sam Taylor - Guitar, Vocals
Heather Hardy - Violin, Vocals
Ed DeLucia - Guitar
Mike Nordberg - Bass
Jerome Kimsey - Drums

BIO

Vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Sam Taylor is the son of the late saxophonist Sam "the Man" Taylor. The younger Taylor didn't really grow up with his father, though, as Sam Sr. left the family to find a better career in New York. Taylor's family eventually moved to Brooklyn, and the young Sam was influenced by his mother, who also came from a performing background in vaudeville shows. He began singing in church at age five and later trained to become a boxer. He eventually fought as a pro boxer for 86 bouts and then found a more peaceful pursuit with his guitar. But through it all, he kept up his gospel singing and songwriting efforts. Taylor has been recording since 1959. His discography and sessionography credits include Atlantic, Colpix, Capitol, Roulette, Stax and Road Show Records. As a songwriter, he's written songs recorded by Sam and Dave, Elvis Presley, Freddie King, Jackie Wilson, Jimmy Witherspoon, Esther Phillips, Brook Benton, the Beach Boys, Maxine Brown and Joey Dee and the Starlighters. As a guitarist and singer, he's accompanied the likes of Otis Redding, the Isley Brothers, Albert Collins, T-Bone Walker, Tracy Nelson and Mother Earth, Big Joe Turner and the Drifters. Taylor recorded two albums for the Tucson-based Trope Records in 1995, Desert Soul and Bluz Man. On both his records for Trope, Taylor is accompanied by Heather "Lil Mama" Hardy on violin, Ed DeLucia on guitar, Mike Nordberg on bass and Jerome Kimsey on drums. Taylor continues to tour regionally around the Southwest. Trope Records had plans to release two more recordings of Taylor's in 1996 or 1997. In the meantime, Taylor is a regular at B.B. King's in Los Angeles and remains active on the southern California and Southwest festival circuit. © Richard Skelly, allmusic.com