When Eddie Taylor Sr.,
a founder of postwar Chicago blues and the genius behind
the famous Jimmy Reed, passed away in 1985, his
red guitar, a Gibson 355 stereo, was left sitting in the
corner. Eddie Jr., the third son in the family, had
grown up hearing blues, but his main interest at the
time was the current hip-hop music. One day he started
listening to his father's records, picked up the guitar,
hooked it up to the old Fender tube amp, and started
teaching himself to play and sing. Today, at only 36
years old, Eddie Taylor Jr. is a leader in traditional
Chicago blues. "Most people who play the blues today
don't have the old original feel. I respect all the
musicians, but there are certain musicians who give me
that true feeling that I really want", he says.
Eddie's sophisticated playing allows him to bring back
some old favorites and add his own new tunes that are a
bit too tricky for the average blues bar band to copy.
Fans are sure to tap their toes when he belts out "Cut
You Loose," a Ricky Allen tune which was a favorite of
his late mother Vera. "I can play along with a lot of
different kinds of music," says Eddie, "but when it's my
turn to stand up, I play what I play. I don't know
whether the person in front of me in the audience knows
anything about Eddie Taylor Sr. or Jimmy Reed, or if
they are a jazz fan or a classical fan looking to hear
something different. But the music I play, I play like
me. That's the way I do it."
Eddie's rising star was temporarily knocked aside in 2002, when he suffered a severe kidney ailment. His youngest brother Milton came to his rescue and donated a kidney. With the support of family and fans, Eddie has regained his strength-and it shows on the bandstand. Like his father, he lays down a great rhythm line for harmonica players, appearing on CDs by traditional harpists Little Arthur Duncan and Easy Baby and backing up Easy Baby in the Chicago 2003 Blues Festival. Eddie's Wolf Records tribute to his father, "Lookin' for Trouble" features outstanding musicians such as Eddie Shaw on sax, Johnny B. Moore on guitar, and Martin Lane on harmonica. His own new Wolf release "Worried About My Baby" has five of his own compositions. Both Wolf records feature his brothers Larry and Tim on drums.
Eddie kept on recording through the 2000’s, his last recording From the Country to the City is an unplugged session with Harmonica Hinds and Tré. Today Eddie Taylor jr. is one of the few guitarists left who can still play the original Chicago Blues style. He sings both his own songs and the songs of his father. Every year, Eddie plays at the Chicago Blues Festival. This Festival will take place at the Grand Park and be attended by more than 300.000 visitors. Additionally, Eddie Taylor jr. was part of the Chicago Blues Festival that toured Europe two years ago.
Eddie's rising star was temporarily knocked aside in 2002, when he suffered a severe kidney ailment. His youngest brother Milton came to his rescue and donated a kidney. With the support of family and fans, Eddie has regained his strength-and it shows on the bandstand. Like his father, he lays down a great rhythm line for harmonica players, appearing on CDs by traditional harpists Little Arthur Duncan and Easy Baby and backing up Easy Baby in the Chicago 2003 Blues Festival. Eddie's Wolf Records tribute to his father, "Lookin' for Trouble" features outstanding musicians such as Eddie Shaw on sax, Johnny B. Moore on guitar, and Martin Lane on harmonica. His own new Wolf release "Worried About My Baby" has five of his own compositions. Both Wolf records feature his brothers Larry and Tim on drums.
Eddie kept on recording through the 2000’s, his last recording From the Country to the City is an unplugged session with Harmonica Hinds and Tré. Today Eddie Taylor jr. is one of the few guitarists left who can still play the original Chicago Blues style. He sings both his own songs and the songs of his father. Every year, Eddie plays at the Chicago Blues Festival. This Festival will take place at the Grand Park and be attended by more than 300.000 visitors. Additionally, Eddie Taylor jr. was part of the Chicago Blues Festival that toured Europe two years ago.
