The Bluesmasters’ featuring Cassie Taylor

Exulans DMD Record Label

Cassie Taylor started her career as a bassist at the age of sixteen, and toured nationally with her father the critically acclaimed blues musician and songwriter Otis Taylor. Cassie  shared the stage and recorded with blues and rock legends including Joe Cocker, John Oates, Gary Moore, and Keb’ Mo’. After twelve years and an international tour, Cassie was struggling with her mental health taking a step back from the stage for the next  decade, “when I walked away from music at the age of 28, following a suicide attempt, the standard for female musicians was to be thin, pretty, white, and young. I felt like my viability as an artist was coming to a close. I was living inauthentically. In this new era my motivation is reclaiming my identity”.

The ensemble includes Cassie Taylor, bass, banjo and lead vocals; Kassidy Kent, bass,  and backing vocaks; Christian Teele, drums; Tim Turcker, guitar, and bass; Stella Ann, percussion and backing vocals; Eric Moon, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B-3, and  accordion; Sally Van Meter, lap steel; Doug Lynn, harmonica and backing vocalists Kylee Ribble, Larea Edwards, and Chrissy Grant.

The lead off track is “Downward Road”, a ‘call amd response’ written by Pops Staples and recorded by the Staple Singers in 1960, “it’s a downward road…yes it is, yes it is”. On “(It’s) Nobody’s Fault But Mine, recorded by Blind Willie Johnson in 1927 Cassie sings “nobody’s fault but mine…if I die my soul is gone, nobody’s fault but mine, if I die before I wake, it’s nobody’s fault but mine”, with some nice harmonica from Doug Lynn.

“Sit Down Servant”, is a gospel infused song, written by Margaret Bonds, in 1946; it was part of a collection for Five Creek-Freedman Spirituals, “sit down servant, sit down, why don’t you sit down and ask me why, and rest a little while…looking for my mother, looking for my father, sit down and rest a little while”. “Wade in the Water” was popularized by  the Ramsey Lewis Trio in 1966; the song is a spiritual about the African American  underground railroad; first published in 1901 and sung by enslaved blacks as they  migrated north, Cassie wails “wade in the water, wade in the water children…they must  be the children that Moses saved, God’s gonna trouble the water”.

“You’re Gonna Make Me Cry” is an R n’ B ballad originally sung by The Midniters in 1968, as Cassie chimes “you’re gonna make me cry…you’re gonna break my heart, baby, don’t  you break my heart…love can be anything, you’re gonna make me cry…I’m gonna make it  home, but you’re gonna make me cry”. “If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again”, dates  back to 1922, but was also recorded by the Reverend A. Johnson in 1953, as Cassie  chants “if I could hear my mother pray again, oh how happy I would be, if I could hear my  mother pray again, it would mean so much to me, if I could hear my mother pray again”.

“If You’re Ready” was recorded by the Gap Band in 1983, as Cassie belts out “come go  with me, if you’re ready…it’s a political combination…if you’re ready now, come go with me”. “I Wonder Why” was recorded in 1968 by The Staple Singers, as Cassie moans “a child is born…workin’ day and night to make ends meet…no friends to call his own, can’t sleep at night…don’t know how to cry, I wonder, why, why, why”.

“Respect Yourself” was co-written by Sir Mack Rice, and recorded by the Staple Singers in 1971, “if you don’t respect yourself, how is anybody goin’ to give a good co-hoot, respect yourself, if you don’t respect yourself nobody goin’ give a good co-hoot, respect yourself”. On the closer “Chain Of Fools” written by Don Covay, and recorded by Aretha Franklin, in  1967, Cassie croons “chain, chain, chain. chain of fools…for five long years I thought you were my man…but I found out, I’m just a link in the chain, chain, chain, chain, one of these mornings, I’m gonna go insane, I found out I’m just a link in the chain, chain, chain, chain, chain of fools”, with some more great harmonica from Lynn.

On this new collection of gospel infused blues and soul Cassie Taylor, reclaims her identity as an heir apparent to Otis’ legacy. This album is highly recommended listening.

Richard Ludmerer

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