Melvin Taylor
(born 13 March 1959, Jackson, Mississippi [1]) is an American blues guitarist, based in Chicago, Illinois.
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MELVIN TAYLOR TICKETS
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Career
Born in Mississippi, Taylor relocated to Chicago in 1962.
In his
adolescence, Taylor joined The Transistors, a
band managed by his future father-in-law, playing
popular music of the 1970s at talent shows and
nightclubs. After the Transistors broke up in the early 1980s, Taylor devoted his attention to playing blues in the Chicago's West Side clubs.
During the 1980s he joined
Pinetop Perkins and the Legendary Blues Band in a year long European tour, and since the late 1980s he's been making regular tours of Europe with his own group where they have opened for the likes of
BB King,
Buddy Guy, and
Santana.
Taylor's
recordings include two he first recorded for a
French record label:
Blues on the Run
, originally recorded in 1982, and 1984's
Plays the Blues for You
. Back in the
U.S., Taylor signed to Evidence Music and entered the
studio with
John Snyder to record
Melvin Taylor and the Slack Band
, which showcased his original songwriting. He returned in late 1996 to record his second U.S. album,
Dirty Pool
. Taylor's debut remains the Evidence label's best-selling release.
Though his singing is relaxed, even sometimes conversational, his guitar improvisations have much of
Jimi Hendrix's tightly curled strength.
[2]
Currently he plays regularly at Rosa's Lounge in Chicago.
Discography
Plays The Blues For You
(1984)
Blues On The Run
(1994)
Melvin Taylor and The Slack Band
(1995)
Dirty Pool
(1997)
Bang That Bell
(2000)
Rendezvous with the Blues
(2002)
Multimedia
See also
- List of Contemporary blues musicians
- List of guitarists