Otis Taylor is well aware of his ability to write, play and sing music that forms a profound connection with the listener.
“My music has an emotional edge to it,” the Boulder-based bluesman said recently. “There’s something in there.”
Indeed. That something has stumped critics and wowed fans the world over, so much so that the 58-year-old Taylor makes about five trips to Europe annually to take advantage of his popularity with the Europeans who have fallen for Taylor and his Trance Blues. As Taylor prepared for today’s release of his new CD, “The Definition of a Circle” (Tel- arc) – not to mention shows tonight in Colorado Springs, Thursday in Denver and Friday in Lafayette – he also had Europe on his mind. He’s touring the continent March 12-30.
“They definitely get it over there,” Taylor said. “Europe has always been my bread and butter.”
The avant-garde guitar, banjo, mandolin and harmonica player works in the United States as well, but since the release of his debut, 1997’s “Blue Eyed Monster,” he’s had a hard time finding respect and acceptance in stateside blues circles.
“I’ve won all these blues awards, but they don’t seem to understand me,” Taylor said. “Strangely, the jazz people, they get it. And for some reason, it’s always been that way for me and my music.”
Taylor’s music is anything but straightforward.
“Definition of a Circle” is a freewheeling and soulful exploration of blues in a decidedly modern setting. It’s unafraid to place a minimalist piano ballad, “My Name Is General Jackson,” alongside the psychedelic banjo rager “Maharaja Daughter.” “They Wore Blue” is a sprawling foray into echo, reverb and Cassie Taylor’s intoxicating vocals – a post-Katrina meditation on the human condition that positions Taylor, and all of us, in a vulnerable light.
It’s not your typical blues record. Nor is it your average jazz record. This music is Taylor’s alone, and his unique vision is what has made him semi-famous – and respected – by music fans the world over.
The soft-spoken Taylor is a gifted storyteller, but loath to talk about his music. He’ll go on for 20 minutes about his daughter’s immense musical talents – heard all over the record, as Cassie plays bass and sings – and he’ll tell you a terrific story about how he first met British rock guitarist Gary Moore in Brighton, England. (He later guested on “Definition.”) But ask him about a specific song and he deflects it to talk about his close encounters with Hollywood.
And that works, because that’s Otis.
“I’m not used to paying taxes, because I’m a starving musician,” he said with a smile. “But I landed a song in this new Mark Wahlberg film, ‘The Shooter,’ and when I got my first check for it, I was like, ‘Holy (expletive), babe! I’m just gonna wait for that check to clear!’ ”
Taylor is also composing the scores of a couple of independent movies – a natural outgrowth of a composition fellowship he was awarded in 2000 at the Sundance Institute in Park City, Utah. Taylor still holds that experience close to his heart. He worked with some of the industry’s top talents, and the organization treated him like a king.
“You’re always a fellow,” he said. “They can’t take that away from you.”
Pop music critic Ricardo Baca can be reached at 303-954-1394 or rbaca@denverpost.com.
