Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Tasha Taylor: Honey For The Biscuit

7

Tasha Taylor: Honey For The Biscuit

By

Sign in to view read count
Tasha Taylor: Honey For The Biscuit
Born into music royalty, does not, in any manner, guarantee success. Quite the contrary, it makes one work harder, to not only maintain the legacy, but break out from the looming shadow. With Honey For The Biscuit, vocalist Tasha Taylor, the daughter of Stax soul legend Johnnie Taylor, passed the heirloom boundary and crossed over into her own territory. Taylor went into the studio with thirteen well balanced compositions, and produced a reputable exposition of contemporary rhythm and blues, with just the right touch of inherent soul.

The accompanying musicians, led by bassist Nathan Watts, do a commendable job of laying the required foundation for Taylor to present her vocals. They kick it off with the inspiring "Feels So Good," a testament about a woman who is moving on, after repeatedly tripping over a rocky relationship; but then she tunes into those "Wedding Bells," and hopes for an enduring romance. The sensual groove of "Weatherman," is accented by the compulsory horn section, Taylor conveying genuine mastery of the soul idiom.

It is in the ballads that Taylor proves that she has the voice to sing the blues. "One And Only," has a tinge of country, "I Knew," conjures up traces of Etta James in her prime, and "Don't Rush Off," rises majestically with the gospel oriented organ undulations. The beat moves into the rock lane on "How Long," and the exotic Latin rhythm of "That Man," has Taylor refusing to give up on love. "Places I Miss," might be the more pop leaning track, but the message compensates for the light arrangement. Several tracks feature special guest artists, "Little Miss Suzie," has Robert Randolph on lap steel, and "Family Tree," adds Keb Mo on vocals. A highlight number is the sultry "Leave That Dog Alone, reinforced by the fiery Samantha Fish on guitar and vocals. Tommy Castro sings a responding verse with Taylor on "Same Old Song," as the record winds up where it started, a strong woman deciding that it's time to make some drastic decisions and personal choices.

Tasha Taylor was raised in show business, and learned her craft from her father, a master showman. Tough she is well educated, and also has an acting resume, it is the call of the muse which brought her into music, back to where she came from. She has a formidable stage presence, and as evident on this record, has honed her production and songwriting skills. The family standard has been set and met; now it's her time to step into the spotlight.

Track Listing

Feels So Good; Wedding Bells; Family Tree; Weatherman; One And Only; Little Miss Suzie; I Knew; How Long; that Man; Leave That Dog Alone; Don’t Rush Off; Same Old Thing.

Personnel

Tasha Taylor: vocals, guitar, keys, percussion; Nathan Watts: bass; Don Wyatt: Wurlitzer, piano; John Notto: guitar; Jon Taylor: guitar; Jamelle Williams, Matthew Demerrit, Lemar Buillary: horns; Gerry Brown: drums; Ronald Bruner: drums; Stanley Randolph: drums; Munjungo: percussion; Keb Mo: guitar, vocals (3); Robert Randolph: lap steel guitar (6); Samantha Fish: guitar, vocals (10); Tommy Castro: vocals (13).

Album information

Title: Honey For The Biscuit | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: Ruf Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.