Otis Taylor - Hands On Your Stomach - Classic Blues Videos

sharing his Trance Blues in Rotterdam, Netherlands

 

Blues legend Otis Taylor performs "Hands On Your Stomach" at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands in 2011.  Features Anne Harris on violin. 

Artist BIO:

Otis Taylor (born July 30, 1948, Chicago, Illinois) is an American blues musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist whose talents include the guitar, banjo, mandolin, harmonica, and vocals. In 2001, he was awarded a fellowship to the Sundance Film Composers Laboratory.

Taylor moved at a young age to Denver, Colorado where he grew up. He originally grew up playing the banjo, but his father wanted him to be a jazz musician. Upon hearing that the banjo was originally an African instrument, turned almost exclusively into a white bluegrass instrument in part through the derogatory black-face minstrel shows  of the 19th century, Taylor dropped the banjo and began to focus solely on the guitar and harmonica. He played music professionally both in Europe and the United States in a variety of blues-oriented bands until 1977, when he left the music industry for other pursuits, including becoming an antique dealer. Taylor returned to music in 1995, and as of 2008, has released nine blues albums on several record labels. His music tends to focus on the hard realities of life, especially relating to the black community. Some common themes in his music are murder, racism, poverty, and the need for redemption. To date, Taylor has eleven Blues Music Awards nominations while White African was named 'Best Artist Debut'.

Downbeat Magazine Critics' Poll named Taylor's "Truth is Not Fiction" as Blues CD of the Year for 2002. (The song NastyLetter on this CD is featured in films Public Enemies and Shooter. See below)

Downbeat Magazine named Taylor's "Double V" as Blues CD of the Year for 2005.

Downbeat Magazine named Taylor's "Definition of a Circle" as Blues CD of the Year for 2007.

Downbeat then named "Recapturing the Banjo" as "Blues CD of the Year, 2008." This gives Taylor back to back recognition as the Blues CD of the Year for both 2007 and 2008.

His 2008 effort, Recapturing the Banjo, is an attempt to reconnect himself and the world with the true African origins of the banjo. "There may not be," claims Downbeat Magazine in a recent review, "a better roots album released this year or decade than Recapturing the Banjo."

Taylor was the support act on Gary Moore's 2007/8/9 European tours.

2008 - Santa Cruz guitar company releases an "Otis Taylor" model acoustic guitar.

In May 2009, Otis won a Blues Music Award for his banjo playing.

Work in Film:

    * In 2005, "Purvis of Overtown" featured a score by Otis Taylor"
    * The song "NastyLetter" from Taylor's 2003 album, Truth Is Not Fiction, was featured on the soundtrack for the 2007 film Shooter. "
    * Michael Mann's 2009 film Public Enemies features two of Taylor's songs, "Ten Million Slaves" and "NastyLetter". The former is also featured in the film's trailer.

Television:

    * The song "Ten Million Slaves" was used as the closing song to episode 1x08 "Blowback" of the FX show Justified.
    * "An Otis Taylor song was played on American Idol as part of the 2008 "Idol Gives Back" show."

Family:

Taylor married Carol Ellen Bjork in 1985. They have two daughters, Cassie Taylor and Jae Taylor. Taylor's eldest daughter, Cassie, is featured on many of his releases. She also plays several instruments including bass and vocals.

Wikipedia contributors. "Otis Taylor (musician)." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 21 Jan. 2011. Web. 5 Feb. 2011.

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