Otis Taylor

Otis Taylor - Vocals, guitar, banjo, harp
Fada Tolno - Percussion
Larry Thompson - Drums
Nicholas Amodeo - Bass
Jon Paul Starck Johnson - Guitar

Otis Taylor er en av de mest innovative og tankevekkende blues-artister. Og Taylor er en engasjert mann, både i vid og personlig forstand, med tekster som spenner fra det helt personlige til store samfundsproblemer. Musikalsk befinner Taylor seg i den mørkeste delen av bluesverdenen, med intense og spennende arrangement. Låtene er sterke og Taylor har som alltid med seg musikere som bidrar aktivt til den særegne helheten Taylor fronter. Det er tid for trance blues på Cosmopolite.

www.myspace.com/tranceblues
www.otistaylor.com

Otis Taylor has been described as one of the most important songwriters working in the blues genre today. Featuring the banjo and its place in roots music, Otis Taylor and his colleagues present a powerful performance of original blues. Don't miss this brilliant picking and high spirited show.
With Otis Taylor, it's best to expect the unexpected. While his music, an amalgamation of roots styles in their rawest form, discusses heavyweight issues like murder, homelessness, tyranny and injustice, his personal style is lighthearted. "I'm good at dark, but I'm not a particularly unhappy person," he says.

Part of Taylor's appeal is his contrasting character traits. But it is precisely this element of surprise that makes him one of the most compelling artists to emerge in recent years. In fact, Guitar Player magazine writes, "Otis Taylor is arguably the most relevant blues artist of our time."

Downbeat Magazine Critics' Poll named Taylor's "Truth is Not Fiction" as Blues CD of the Year for 2002. (The song Nasty Letter on this CD is featured in films Public Enemies and Shooter. See below) Downbeat Magazine named Taylor's "Double V" as Blues CD of the Year for 2005.
Downbeat Magazine named Taylor's "Definition of a Circle" as Blues CD of the Year for 2007.
Downbeat then named "Recapturing the Banjo" as "Blues CD of the Year, 2008."
This gives Taylor back to back recognition as the Blues CD of the Year for both 2007 and 2008.
The song "Nasty Letter" from Taylor's 2003 album, Truth Is Not Fiction, was featured on the soundtrack for the 2007 film Shooter.
Taylor was the support act on Gary Moore's Autumn 2007 tour of the United Kingdom and also supported Moore on his Germany tour in March 2008.
2008 - Santa Cruz guitar company releases an "Otis Taylor" model acoustic guitar.
In May 2009, Otis won a Blues Music Award for his banjo playing.
Michael Mann's 2009 film Public Enemies features two of Taylor's songs, "Ten Million Slaves" and "Nasty Letter". The former is also featured in the film's trailer.