Artists

“One of the most innovative, thought-provoking blues artists to emerge in the last 20 years. Every album he has released has been notable” - Billboard

The first ever published photograph of Otis Taylor shows a young African-American boy riding a unicycle while playing the banjo. Four decades later, the bluesman is still something of a phenomenon. While his music explores the bleakest themes in life – murder, homelessness, tyranny, injustice – his personal style is lighthearted. “I’m good at dark,” he says, “but I’m not a particularly unhappy person.”

The multi-instrumentalist, who in concert is as likely to play the banjo as the guitar, returned to music in 1995 after 20 years as an antiques dealer. He was soon declared The King of the Acoustic Blues, a reputation further cemented by 2009 Blues Music Awards nominations for Acoustic Artist of the Year, and Best Instrumentalist for the Banjo. His “Recapturing the Banjo” album won the 2008 Critic’s Choice award for Best Blues Album of the Year.

Taylor’s songs are savage yet beautiful, never flinching from the truth. “I’m always going to the edge,” he told Blues Revue magazine in a recent interview. “I’m always writing about stories nobody cares about.” Joining him in concert at the 2009 Wellington Jazz Festival will be his bassist/vocalist daughter Cassie and guitarist Jonn Richardson.

Along with recording and touring, Taylor visits elementary schools and universities to offer advice and mentor students about the blues as part of a Blues in the Schools programme. He plans to continue this work while in New Zealand, meeting with students and holding masterclasses.

For a sneak preview of Otis Taylor's concert, check out the track "Comb Your Brown Hair" from the album Truth Is Not Fiction, on the Wellington Jazz Festival jukebox.

Listen to Otis Taylor

Event information

Otis Taylor official link: http://www.otistaylor.com