Otis Taylor

Blues singer-songwriter and guitarist, Otis Taylor’s music is an amalgamation of roots styles in their rawest form. Issues like murder, homelessness, tyranny, and injustice often find their way into his lyrics while his personal style remains lighthearted. As he puts it, “I’m good at dark, but I’m not a particularly unhappy person.” It is best to expect the unexpected with Otis Taylor, but what remains consistent about him is his poignant storytelling based in truth and history. Born in Chicago in 1948 to parents who were avid music fans, it was actually in Denver where, as an adolescent, his interest in blues and folk was cultivated. He learned to play banjo, then guitar and harmonica, and by his mid-teens formed the Butterscotch Fire Department Blues Band, and the Otis Taylor Blues Band. He ventured overseas to London where he performed for a brief time until he returned to the U.S. in the late 60s. He played with legendary Deep Purple singer/guitarist Tommy Bolin, the 4-Nikators, and Zephyr before taking a long hiatus from the music business. At that point he established a successful career as an antiques dealer and coached a nationally-ranked professional bicycle team. In 1995, he decided to return to the stage after years of prodding from his musical mentor, all-star bass player Kenny Passarelli. He has released several CDs since, including Blue Eyed Monster (Shoelace Music, 1997) and When Negroes Walked the Earth (Shoelace 1998) which established his talents as a vivid storyteller and accomplished guitar player. After his third release, White African (Northern Blues Music, 2001), which addresses the lynching of his great-grandfather and the death of his uncle, he earned four W.C. Handy nominations and won the award for “Best New Artist Debut.” The release of his 2002 Respect The Dead made him a contender for two Handy Awards in 2003 including “Best Acoustic Artist” and “Best Contemporary Blues Album.” His latest release, Truth Is Not Fiction (Telarc) features a “decidedly electric, almost psychedelic new sound” which Taylor describes as “trance-blues.” The CD received lavish praise from USA Today, New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, and MSN’s Slate magazine. In addition to touring and recording, Taylor also spearheads a Blues in the Schools program called “Writing the Blues.” “While other blues purveyors are content to recreate a particular bygone era or scene, Taylor marches on as one of the most original in his class.” —Dirty Linen.

$15/$10 Members. Available in advance, by phone or in person, at the Outpost Performance Space (268-0044)