Otis Taylor “Pentatonic Wars and Love Songs”

By: Tyler Ross

For his latest release with Telarc Records, bluesman Otis Taylor has enlisted an all-star cast of jazz musicians. Pentatonic Wars and Love Songs features Taylor on vocals, acoustic guitar, and banjo, Jason Moran on piano, Ron Miles on cornet, Tarus Mateen on bass, and Nasheet Waits on drums. Aside from this core of musicians, Taylor has incorporated a slew of various instruments not commonly associated with blues music including African drums, violin, and cello. Otis’s daughter Cassie Taylor also provides vocals and bass on multiple tracks.

A defining characteristic of this record is the lush orchestral beauty created by mixing timbres from the diverse instrument groups. Many of the tunes are based on very few, or even a single chord. Whereas other performances in this format may become static or lack momentum, the songs on Pentatonic War and Love Songs are extremely engaging due to the interplay of the musicians in the band. The stark immediateness of the timbres creates a web-like atmosphere that engulfs the listener. When these elements combine with Taylor’s subtle, yet powerful voice, the resulting sound is steeped in tradition while remaining fresh and vital.

The song “Country Boy, Girl” is one of the selections on the record that’s based on a static chord. The tune starts off with Taylor’s aggressive banjo picking and is quickly reinforced by a driving repetitive bass figure. The forward momentum increases when Jason Moran begins an adventuresome flurry of notes at the piano and Fara Tolno provides a propelling groove on the Odjembe drums. These textures combine to create a fertile backdrop for Taylor’s prodding lyric:

Country boy, girl/wanna make love to you/didn’t go to Harvard/I barely went to school/but you just might love the things I do.

Again, this type of performance featuring a single chord may become dull with less experienced players, but Taylor’s band incites raw emotion through groove, texture, and highly inventive playing.

With song titles like “Sunday Morning,” “Lost My Guitar,” and “Talking About It Blues” Taylor’s devotion to classic blues themes is evident. Pentatonic Wars and Love Songs offers a palatable collection of songs sure to please hardcore blues fans along with the potential to entice new listeners due to the unique presentation of the material.