Recapturing the banjo

"This ain't your daddy's bluegrass ... It’s a misnomer to believe the banjo’s start point in the musical lexicon was along the Appalachian Trail. The five-stringer actually was an import - from Africa. Yes, you read that correctly: Africa. Slaves who migrated to the United States brought the instrument over to the colonies in the 1700’s. And it’s bluesman Otis Taylor’s mission to remind everyone that this isn’t a Kentucky or Carolina or West Virginia thing. Hell, it ain’t even a white thing ... Otis Taylor is the only “modern day” bluesman who can make the blues sound primitive without being phony or contrived. And it really doesn’t matter what weapon he’s using to fire his musical provocations. In this case, he’s chosen a banjo as the primary cannon from his arsenal. Yes, it’s only February, but something way better than Recapturing the Banjo is going to have to come along to knock this off the pedestal as the bestbluesrelease of 2008".

"Taylor has yet to make a disappointing album, and Recapturing the Banjo is yet another striking example of how he combines the past and the present in a powerful contemporary cultural statement that informs and instructs even as it keeps the feet moving. So don't expect "Orange Blossom Special." This is the banjo in its original habitat given a 21st century twist while still paying tribute to its African past, and that's quite an impressive hat trick indeed".

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"In sum, beauty and darkness go hand in hand on this singular and uncompromising album of devotion to past black banjoists, among them Gus Cannon, Ikey Robinson and Etta Baker".