DEMETRIA TAYLOR

Bad Girl

Delmark

By Brian K. Read

Among blues fans, certain names, when mentioned, tend to start conversations.  Dixon, as in Willie…Hooker, as in John Lee…Williamson, as in Sonny Boy…Dragger, as in Tail.  But seriously, the name Taylor is among those that get blues people excited.   And with blues daughter Demetria Taylor’s new Delmark CD, Bad Girl, there is plenty to get excited about!

Demetria’s Dad, Eddie Taylor, the late great Chicago guitar man and vocalist, gave us hits like “Bad Boy” and “Bigtown Playboy,” not to mention his collaborations with longtime friend Jimmy Reed on tunes like “Ain’t That Lovin’ You Baby,” and “You Don’t Have To Go.”  If you believe that the acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree, one listen to “Bad Girl,” Demetria’s take on her father’s hit, will confirm that the name Taylor is alive and well on the blues scene today.

Oh, and don’t forget the other Taylor, the late great Queen Of The Blues, Koko Taylor (no relation), who Demetria cites as her other great influence.  On “Bad Girl,” Demetria Taylor shows off a wide range of vocals that surely have Koko smiling down from blues heaven.  Just take a listen to Demetria’s version of Koko’s “Voodoo Woman,” or the lead track, “Hoochie Coochie Woman,” and you know she is the real deal, as able to channel Koko’s vocals as anyone out there.

Winner of the Blues Diva contest in 2010 hosted by B.L.U.E.S. on Halsted, Demetria is a regular there and at Blue Chicago, where she often is accompanied by Charlie Love.  With this CD, Demetria now steps up as a bandleader, with soulful selections and the kind of band that knows how to deliver the signature Chicago blues. 

It’s hard to go wrong with the venerable E.G. McDaniel on bass, son of the famed late bandleader Floyd McDaniel, along with veterans Pookie Styx on drums and Roosevelt Purifoy on the keys. Plus you get a stereo knockout punch from two guitarists:  Shun Kikuta on the left channel, and another Taylor (with a career of his own) brother Eddie Taylor, Jr. on the right channel, who provides the one-two family-blues punch of this dynamite CD!

So this is one CD you should definitely listen to through some good headphones.  Like other Delmark recordings, the sound is pure and true to the blues, with good separation between the instruments, and a natural, ensemble feel as if you were listening from the best seat at the bar at a Chicago blues club.

Rounded out with special guests Big Time Sarah, Billy Branch, Eddie Shaw and Luke Pytel, this is a CD that has not only an all-star lineup, but a great selection of material too.  From the deep blues of Luther Allison comes Demetria’s version of “Cherry Red Wine.”  Plus her versions of “Little Red Rooster” and Koko’s classic hit “Wang Dang Doodle,” both penned by Willie Dixon, are two of the truest cover versions to be recorded in a long time.

“Goin’ Back To Mississippi” is among my favorite cuts on Bad Girl, and not just because I really dig the Chicago shuffle sound, but because the guitar work is so strong, on both channels, not to mention the growlin’ saxophone of Eddie Shaw that matches Demetria’s growlin’ vocals perfectly.  Brother Eddie contributes a classic Chicago blues sound too, on his tune “I Can’t Take It No More.”

So what’s in a name?  When the name is Taylor, you know you’ve got some good genetics goin’ on.  And with “Bad Girl,” the title track that pulls you in deep to the blues, you know right away you’re listening to the daughter of the man who wrote the song.  Eddie Taylor’s little girl Demetria is all grown up now, and ready to keep the blues alive for another generation!

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