A Chicago Song of Survival - Larry Hill Taylor: Stepson of the Blues - News

Larry Visits BLUES on Halsted

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Larry sat in with his uncle Jimmy Burns and guitarist Rockin' Johnny at BLUES on Halsted Jan. 29, the birthday of Larry's late stepfather, guitarist Eddie Taylor.

Sterling Plumpp: L. Taylor is "deep blues"

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0700

"Larry Taylor is the real deal. He is steeped in what Robert Palmer calls "deep blues." He is able to go into the blues landscape that people associate with the likes of Howlin' Wolf and Elmore James. His timing is impeccable, and his vernacular is clear, passionate and persuasive."

--Chicago African American poet and essayist Sterling D. Plumpp after hearing Larry Taylor's album They Were in This House ), Oct. 18, 2011

Sterling D. Plumpp, poet and essayist, was born to a sharecropping family in Clinton, MS, in 1940. Living 10 miles from school and wanting for a school bus, he spent less than a year in elementary studies. Nevertheless, when his family moved to Jackson, he graduated high school as class valedictorian. He moved to Chicago in 1962, spent two years in college and two in the military, then worked at the post office, before finding his niche in the University of Illinois faculty, 1971-2001, in the African American Studies and English departments.

Plumpp won a million dollars in the Illinois lottery, which has allowed him to travel and continue his writing. His books include Ornate with Smoke, Black Rituals, and Blues Narratives. He edited Somehow We Survive, a collection of South African writing, and taught in the master of fine arts program at Chicago State University during the mid 2000s. In 2003 Third World Press published his poetry collection, Velvet BeBop Kentecloth. Plumpp listens to live jazz and blues and knows the musicians; his poetry follows these musical rhythms. He was a featured elder speaker at the Dominican University Blues and Spirit symposia in 2008 and 2010.

larry talks about howlin wolf

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700

larry joined howlin wolf stepdaughters Bettye and Barbra and mc Dick Shurman talking about the history howlin Wolf on a panel at the Chicago blues Fest on june 10th.he told about how his mom Vera Hill Taylor would cook greens for Wolf when he visited their house. Larry own tunes are base on Howlin Wolf music.

Larry's little sis Demetria has Delmark debut

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Demetria Taylor, youngest daughter of Eddie and Vera Taylor and Larry's kid sister, kicked off her Delmark Records career May 20 2011 with her CD "Bad Girl." A solid traditional Chicago blues performance with her own style, the record includes her brother Eddie Taylor Jr. and well-known musicians like Eddie Shaw, Big Time Sarah, Billy Branch. Roosevelt Purifoy "Mad Hatter," a standout on Larry's CD, played piano and organ on the record. Mike Wheeler led Demetria's band for the evening, and guests included many of 'Metria's fellow divas as well as brother Larry and guitarists Vance Kelly and Linsey Alexander.

Pinetop, other blues elders pass

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0700

In a space of three weeks in March 2011, we've lost three great blues elders: Eddie Kirkland (who often played with Larry's uncle Eddie Burns in Detroit); guitar and mandolin player and singer Big Jack Johnson; and Pinetop Perkins. Larry was part of a show honoring Pinetop sponsored by Brother Rob and the Christian Parish in South Bend, IND in 2004, and Pinetop attended Larry's CD release party at Rosa's Lounge in May 2004. This picture shows Larry with Pinetop the weekend of the Handy Awards in Memphis in May 2004. The passing of the elders makes it even more important to recognize Larry's generation of blues artists while they are still younger and have the power of the music at hand.

St. Pats Day Blues Buffet with Larry, Killer Ray

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0700

St. Patrick's Day means the biggest party of the year in southwest Chicago, and Larry Taylor and Killer Ray Allison had folks of all ages and backgrounds dancing in the aisles Thursday March 17 at Favia Cafe. Thanks to Gina and Cathy at the Cafe for putting on hosting us. Members of Southsiders for Peace, Unity and Diversity and friends from the Beverly Bakery joined us for the celebration. Located by the Metra tracks at 107th and Hale, Favia is a place where people meet, greet and eat!

Larry talks on WGN TV

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0700

http://www.wgntv.com/news/middaynews/chicagoscene/wgntv-chicago-scene-bonni-mckeown-stepson-of-the-blues-a-chicago-song-of-survival,0,4588599.story

WGN's Steve Sanders interviews Larry and Bonni on the Midday News, before Larry's St. Patrick's Day gig with Killer Ray Allison at Favia Cafe.

Black History Month Tour 2011

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Oak Park Library talk excerpts, YouTube: see under LINKS: VIDEOS.

Chicago area libraries and community centers from all the way south at West Pullman to west at West Chicago and Oak Park, have been hosting the co-authors of Larry Hill Taylor’s autobiography, Stepson of the Blues: A Chicago Song of Survival, for African American History Month 2011.

Jan. 29, Blackstone Library, Feb. 5, College of Complexes, at Lincoln Restaurant, Feb. 7, North Austin Library, on North Avenue; Feb. 9, Brainerd Library and W. Englewood; Feb. 10, Forest Park Library; Feb. 16, Legler library, Feb.18, 4^th Graders Talk at Douglass Library; Feb. 20, 3 p.m., Blue Island Library; Feb. 23, Oak Park Library; Feb. 24, W Chicago Library; Feb. 26, W. Pullman Library, Feb. 27, Beverly Art Center, Feb. 28, Monday 5:30 p.m., Wrightwood-Ashburn Library. March 1, Tuesday 6 p.m., Back of Yards Library, 4650 S. Damen, Chicago IL 60609

Because of the blizzard, three days of the tour were rescheduled and continued into March: March 3, Walker Library, March 8, Tuesday 6:30 p.m., Bellwood Library, March 9, Wednesday, 6 p.m, Bezazian

The tour resulted in some nice hometown reports like this one from the Garfield/Lawndale/Austin Voice:

http://thevoicenewspapers.blogspot.com/2011/02/larry-taylor-brings-stepson-of-blues.html

Q&A in the Hood

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0800

http://www.austinweeklynews.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=3152&TM=54413.81

This week Larry got a hometown writeup in the Austin Weekly News, and engaged in thoughtful discussions at the Oak Park Library and West Chicago. People in Oak Park pondered what it's like to grow up with gangs all through your neighborhood. People in West Chicago debated whether blues are always sad. To which Larry answered a resounding NO: blues are about whatever you're feeling!

Forest Park: Larry Slams Lack of 2nd generation blues promotion

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0800

http://forestparkreview.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=38&ArticleID=5524&TM=53096.64

In a story by Jean Lotus who attended the Stepson of the Blues talk at Forest Park Library Feb. 10, Larry criticized the predominantly white blues industry which ignores his generation of African American blues men and women while promoting imitators from other cultures. He also took Buddy Guy, a well promoted blues guitarist, to task for failing to promote fellow Black artists.

"Buddy Guy thinks when him and B.B. King die, the blues is gonna die. But it's not.," Larry said. He quote the great blues composer, bass man and arranger Willie Dixon: "Blues is the root, the rest is the fruit."