Eddie Taylor In Session

Eddie Taylor
In Session: Diary of a Chicago Bluesman 1953-1957
Jasmine

This is a public domain British reissue with some terrific blues that involved Eddie Taylor, a brilliant guitarist most associated with Jimmy Reed, but who is heard heard on a number of classic (mostly) Chicago blues recordings along with his own recordings for the Vee-Jay label. The Mississippi native is best known for his association with Jimmy Reed, but played on numerous sessions in the 1950s and 1960s for labels like Parrot, Blue Lake, Chess as well as Vee-Jay who he had four singles released under his own name. In the 1960s he shared on album on Testament and backed up Carey Bell and others for Delmark, Bluesway and other labels. He also made several albums under his name including for Advent (later on Hightone) and Antone's.

This reissue includes several selections from Jimmy Reed and Johnny Lee Hooker including Reed's "Ain't That Loving You Baby" and Hooker's "Dimples." But in addition to these hits, he is heard behind John Brim on "Ice Cream Man" (with great Little Walter harp) and the topical blues "Tough Times"; Sunnyland Slim's terrific take on the "Rolling and Tumbling" theme, "Going Back To Memphis," as well as Slim's "The Devil Is a Busy Man"; a trio of songs (including "Schooldays on My Mind" and "Ain't Times Hard") from Floyd Jones with Sunnyland Slim on piano and Snooky Pryor playing some great harp; and Little Willie Foster's "Falling Rain Blues." Taylor's own sides are equally superb including "Bad Boy," his remake of Little Johnnie Jones "Big Time Playboy" and a "Catfish Blues" variant, "Stroll Out West," which was unissued until released on an album years later.

Longtime fans of the blues will likely be familiar with many of these recordings as this contains some real gems of the Chicago blues of the fifties. Sound is good and Bob Fisher's liner notes provides a nice background of Taylor and the music here. This is an easily recommended reissue, especially for those who do not have many of the recordings on this.

I purchased this. Here is a clip of Eddie Taylor in 1970.