In a small intimate southern-feeling club (yet retaining some DC "charm") at 2651 Connecticut Ave, I sat at the corner of the bar and my attention was drawn to the front; I turned to look. Last Friday night at City Blues Cafe, The Linwood Taylor Band played in their front window, throughout the bar, and out into the city.
I had seen The Linwood Taylor Band play at my college before, always delivering soul stirrin' rocking blues. Again, they did not disappoint. In fact, they transported that bar to a wonderful place; the place where the blues are done right. A relatively local band, though having played long distances from this neck of the woods, The Linwood Taylor Band is a very accomplished blues band. Garnering numerous awards from WAMA over the past few years, they most recently were named 1996 WAMA Best Blues Band. Fronted by guitarist Linwood Taylor and supported by a quite able drummer and bass player (whose names were not available on their home page), the trio electrified the audience and that cafe for one wonderful night.
Playing confidently from the beginning note, the band played a solid 5 minute first set. As they were going to take their break, Linwood glanced at the applauding audience and said, "...that ain't nothing." Indeed, their tightest playing came during the second set, where the groove between the members had definitely been flushed out. However, the first set was still great, moving music.
They played all types of blues on Friday night, from New Orleans to old Chicago, to modern influences, and their own originals. It all fit together. Playing his guitar like a virtuoso, Taylor took a commanding lead on all songs, driving the group through the tunes, taking the intensity higher and higher, then bottoming out to throw solid single notes flying right through you. It was almost like watching a possessed man trying to play the demons right out of him.
Perhaps that is why a good blues band should never be missed. The blues represent a catharsis of pain, a primal despair and release that cannot just be "played." The musicians must feel to play, they have to play from within themselves, and sink into the music so as to truly play it. Then, the audience feels it too. And that is why people like the blues, because it talks to them, because it is face value.
Linwood's playing influences range from the driving, swinging solos of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix and Carlos Santana back to the fundamentals of expression of Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon. The dips and dives and ascent of the music was wonderful. Sticking to his reputation for flair while on stage, Linwood played his guitar with his teeth at one point, then behind his back. At another point, during a full-out here-comes-the-train solo, Linwood strolled through the cafe, and then out into the middle of Connecticut Avenue, never missing a note.
Last Friday night was a show. People yelled and cheered and smiled. The Linwood Taylor Band played their souls out for the music. They worked well together as a band, although more time for the wonderful bass player would be a greatly appreciated bonus. The frolicking time he had with "Talk to Your Daughter" was very enjoyable.
A guy next to me at the bar turned out to be from Alabama. (Oh, by the way, I checked. There is no Greenbow.) "I come here because this is the kind of music I grew up with," he told me at the beginning. During intermission, I asked if these guys were comparable to what he had seen in the south. Pete smiled and took a sip of his drink, "These guys would do just fine." Yes. They would.
Grant would like to thank Victor Voegtli for his assistance with this review.