Dark? Yes and no.

I just heard "My Soul's In Louisiana" on Slacker Radio and despite being very new, this strikes me as being as authentic as the blues gets... and yet still has a modern vibe to it. Otis Taylor is taking an ancient tradition in a new direction without losing touch with its origins. Mr. Henderson claims that Mr. Taylor avoids happy melodies, but that track was both beautiful and infectious, quite in contrast with the dark story of a man wrongfully convicted and executed. The blues is about pain and despair, indeed, but can also be about faith, hope and love. Otis Taylor touches on all these elements in a refreshing but truly authentic way, drawing from both the Delta and Appalachian traditions. I admit my review is a little premature, but that one song alone is worth the price of the whole album. I can't wait for a credit refresh to hear the whole thing.

Long Tradition

Resurrection Blues, 3 Days and 3 Nights and My Soul's in Lousiana could be used in any Blues Class to describe what the music is all about. Resurrection Blues shows what happens when you consider Jesus deeply, 3 Days puts the long struggle of poverty into modern days but it's the same struggle, and My Soul's in Louisiana speaks to the powerless throughout time. It's a hard struggle but if you sing about it you can rise above it.

wonderful

please do your self a nice and listen.I love his music,lyrics and his singing.this is my first attempt at a review.please give this guy a listen.this cd an the other two listed her are great.I have not lyrics like this before.The guitars are just frickin wonderful.give him a listen all four cd's that i know of.pick one listen.

Otis Taylor has a knack for interesting titles; Blue-Eyed Monster and When Negros Walked the Earth are among the CDs that the Denver bluesman recorded before White African. Taylor also has a knack for very dark and sobering themes — this 2001 release, in fact, is full of them. On White African, Taylor’s subject matter ranges from lynching in the Deep South (“Saint Martha Blues”) to homelessness (“Hungry People”) to being unable to afford health care for a sick, dying child (“3 Days and 3 Nights”). And Taylor doesn’t try to sugarcoat his often disturbing lyrics with happy melodies. Greatly influenced by John Lee Hooker, the very soulful Taylor often favors moody, dusky, haunting grooves. So White African is as dark musically as it is lyrically. Over the years, dark humor has played a major role in the blues — like country and hip-hop artists, bluesmen are known for finding a variety of humorous, clever ways to tell you how cruel and punishing life can be. But White African isn’t dark humored; it’s simply dark. This CD is also incredibly compelling, and it is enthusiastically recommended to those who don’t expect lighthearted escapism from all of their music. – Alex Henderson