Biography
When the subject turns to the unmistakable laconic shuffle that defined Jimmy Reed, Eddie Taylor deserves equal credit for shaping it. Serving as the steady anchor that preserved the integrity of Reed’s unhurried grooves, Taylor supplied the driving rhythm guitar behind most of Reed’s Vee-Jay recordings throughout the 1950s and the first years of the following decade. During the middle of the 1950s he also managed to cut several standout sides under his own name for the same label.
Few blues guitarists matched Taylor’s range. Although his approach remained grounded in Delta blues, he could deliver either a contemporary funk-inflected rhythm or a conventional shuffle with equal authority. As a youngster he watched Delta legends Robert Johnson and Charley Patton perform, began playing guitar himself in 1936, and passed along the instrument’s fundamentals to his boyhood companion Reed. Following a period in Memphis, Taylor arrived in Chicago in 1949, where he connected with harpist Snooky Pryor, guitarist Floyd Jones, and once again his longtime friend Reed.
Taylor stood beside Reed starting with Reed’s second Vee-Jay session in 1953, smoothing over any rough patches that arose. Taylor’s own Vee-Jay debut arrived in 1955 with the enduring “Bad Boy,” on which Reed played harp in return. His next release paired the classics “Ride ’Em on Down” and “Big Town Playboy,” while his final two singles for the company, “You’ll Always Have a Home” and “I’m Gonna Love You,” proved equally strong. Because those releases never matched Reed’s sales figures, Taylor spent most of his time as a supporting musician, appearing on sessions for John Lee Hooker, John Brim, Elmore James, Snooky Pryor, and numerous others during the 1950s. The 1972 Advent album I Feel So Bad finally demonstrated that the reserved guitarist need never take a back seat to anyone. His death in 1985 left a lasting gap in Chicago’s blues scene; players of his kind have not appeared since.
Few blues guitarists matched Taylor’s range. Although his approach remained grounded in Delta blues, he could deliver either a contemporary funk-inflected rhythm or a conventional shuffle with equal authority. As a youngster he watched Delta legends Robert Johnson and Charley Patton perform, began playing guitar himself in 1936, and passed along the instrument’s fundamentals to his boyhood companion Reed. Following a period in Memphis, Taylor arrived in Chicago in 1949, where he connected with harpist Snooky Pryor, guitarist Floyd Jones, and once again his longtime friend Reed.
Taylor stood beside Reed starting with Reed’s second Vee-Jay session in 1953, smoothing over any rough patches that arose. Taylor’s own Vee-Jay debut arrived in 1955 with the enduring “Bad Boy,” on which Reed played harp in return. His next release paired the classics “Ride ’Em on Down” and “Big Town Playboy,” while his final two singles for the company, “You’ll Always Have a Home” and “I’m Gonna Love You,” proved equally strong. Because those releases never matched Reed’s sales figures, Taylor spent most of his time as a supporting musician, appearing on sessions for John Lee Hooker, John Brim, Elmore James, Snooky Pryor, and numerous others during the 1950s. The 1972 Advent album I Feel So Bad finally demonstrated that the reserved guitarist need never take a back seat to anyone. His death in 1985 left a lasting gap in Chicago’s blues scene; players of his kind have not appeared since.
Albums
