Ed Taylor: TaylorMade

Veteran Motown session guitarist and producer Ed Taylor, who grew up in Los Angeles, has quietly been laying down his Wes Montgomery- and George Benson-inspired guitar licks for years at small clubs in the Pacific Northwest. He covered blues and soul standards on his long-overdue 2004 debut but now has finally released his first CD of all-original material. He slyly winks at that with the title, and continues its tongue-in-cheek wordplay on his last name with titles such as “Patterns,” “Funky Stitch,” “Sexy Threads” and “Happy Hem Line (Con Brio).”

Like his inspirations, Taylor lays down a bevy of notes on his electric guitar in an organic production that refreshingly sounds like it comes straight from a basement studio into your living room. Credit Taylor for giving ample room for his Ed Taylor Band- Dennis Blackmon on keys, Kevin England on trumpet and flugelhorn, Willy Fisher on drums and John Roberts on bass-to spread their wings. Relaxed, funky, bluesy and ’60s cool, TaylorMade is an ode to talented guitarists playing in small clubs everywhere.

Originally Published December 1, 2006