Melvin Taylor

Melvin Taylor is the proverbial musical prodigy. He donned his first axe in 1962 at age six, not long after his family left Mississippi for the Windy City. He learned guitar from his uncle and from recordings by B.B. King, Albert King, Wes Montgomery and later Jimi Hendrix. In 1980, he joined veterans of the Muddy Waters Band in the Legendary Blues Band, where he began developing his devoted European fan base.

Melvin has acquired a rabid following among guitarists, who are overwhelmed by his lightning speed, technical wizardry and ability to blend blues, rock, soul and jazz into a dazzling, coherent and unpredictable whole. As All Music Guide said, “Melvin may well be the most talented guitarist to come along since Stevie Ray Vaughan.” Melvin and The Slack Band can usually be found “picking up the slack” at his Northwest Side home base, Rosa’s Lounge, unless he’s on one of his frequent European tours.

Discography

1982 Blues On The Run (Evidence, originally issued on French Isabel)
1984 Melvin Taylor Plays The Blues For You (Evidence, originally issued on French Isabel)
1987 The New Bluebloods (Alligator)
1995 Melvin Taylor and the Slack Band (Evidence)
1997 Dirty Pool (Evidence)
2000 Bang That Bell (Evidence)
2002 Rendevous With The Blues (Evidence)