Trance Blues

If you don't know Otis Taylor, then try to remedy that as soon as possible. One of the most original and interesting characters working in roots music. His style has come to be known as trance blues; if you have to label things then that is a label that kind of works. His songs tend not to have a verse, chorus, solo structure but just hit a groove and keep going. The songs are not lyric heavy but what words there are, are hard hitting and to the point. And the instrumentation is refreshing, with trumpet, banjo, mandolin, cello and fiddle frequently augmenting the standard guitar, bass, drums and organ. Occasionally, drums are done away with and the instruments carry the rythmic drive. Otis Taylor is far from being a typical blues man. Scholarly and articulate, he aims to bring to light some of the forgotten stories from the byways of black American history. he also brings a musicological view to bear on aspects of rural black music outside the blues mainstream, hence the original instrumentation of the band on this album ( called Below The Fold by the way ) Other unusual elements are his base in Boulder Colorado, not noted as a hotbed of blues, and his time working away from the music business in academia and managing a pro cycling team.