Melvin Taylor
Encyclopedia
Melvin Taylor is an American
electric blues
guitarist
, based in Chicago
, Illinois
.
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 nightclub
s. 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 has been making regular tours of Europe with his own group, where they have opened for B.B. 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 US
, 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 US 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.
He use to play regularly at Rosa's Lounge in Chicago. Taylor's most recent album, Beyond the Burning Guitar, was recorded in Misty Creek Studios in Fairfax, Virginia
. He also recored a cover of the Eminem
song, "Love The Way You Lie
" with the rapper
, Matt Christian, at Misty Creek Studios.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
electric blues
Electric blues
Electric blues is a type of blues music distinguished by the amplification of the guitar, bass guitar, drums, and often the harmonica. Pioneered in the 1930s, it emerged as a genre in Chicago in the 1940s. It was taken up in many areas of America leading to the development of regional subgenres...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, based in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
.
Career
Born in Mississippi, Taylor relocated to Chicago in 1962.In his adolescence
Adolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
, Taylor joined The Transistors, a band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
managed
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
by his future father-in-law, playing popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
of the 1970s at talent shows and nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
s. 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
Pinetop Perkins
Joseph William Perkins , known by the stage name Pinetop Perkins, was an American blues musician, specializing in piano music...
and The Legendary Blues Band
The Legendary Blues Band
The Legendary Blues Band were an American Chicago blues band, formed in 1980 after the breakup of Muddy Waters' former backing band.-Biography:...
in a year long European tour, and since the late 1980s he has been making regular tours of Europe with his own group, where they have opened for B.B. King, Buddy Guy
Buddy Guy
George "Buddy" Guy is an American blues and jazz guitarist and singer. He is a critically acclaimed artist who has established himself as a pioneer of the Chicago blues sound, and has served as an influence to some of the most notable musicians of his generation...
, and Santana
Santana (band)
Santana is a rock band based around guitarist Carlos Santana and founded in the late 1960s. It first came to public attention after their performing the song "Soul Sacrifice" at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, when their Latin rock provided a contrast to other acts on the bill...
.
Taylor's recordings
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
include two he first recorded for a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
: Blues on the Run, originally recorded in 1982, and 1984's Plays the Blues for You. Back in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Taylor signed to Evidence Music and entered the studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
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 US 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
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
's tightly curled strength.
He use to play regularly at Rosa's Lounge in Chicago. Taylor's most recent album, Beyond the Burning Guitar, was recorded in Misty Creek Studios in Fairfax, Virginia
Fairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
. He also recored a cover of the Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
song, "Love The Way You Lie
Love the Way You Lie
"Love the Way You Lie" is a song by American rapper Eminem from his seventh studio album, Recovery . It was released as the album's second single on August 9, 2010, by Interscope-Geffen-A&M. The song features vocals by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna. According to her, its theme...
" with the rapper
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
, Matt Christian, at Misty Creek Studios.
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)
- Beyond the Burning Guitar (2010)