| 2nd September 2006 06:44 PM |
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| Tom |
Ex-Stone is a solid musician
Sep 1 2006
By The Evening Chronicle
Next weekend's International Guitar Festival at The Sage Gateshead brings together a choice collection of players from the fields of flamenco, classical, jazz, blues and world music.
There is, despite the array of talent, little doubt as to the headliner. Former Bluesbreaker, Rolling Stone and Bob Dylan associate Mick Taylor clearly has a wealth of experiences to relate to guitarists and fans alike.
I spoke to him this week in a rare interview, and he was happy to talk about his current projects and remarkable career.
Travelling, predictably, is central to his current plans. He said: "After The Sage show I'm going to Helsinki to do a documentary film with a Finnish group [the Wentus Blues Band] that I play with. It's their 20th anniversary. I do some shows with them after filming and then I hope to be back in the studio making a record.
"I just want to go in with a sort of nucleus of musicians, probably a rhythm section, and have some people come in and play on different tracks. I want to keep it as simple as possible.
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"My roots are very much in blues and jazz, all the kind of people I heard when I was growing-up - Ray Charles, James Brown, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis to BB King - that's my roots and I can't escape from that."
Over the years, Mick has been re-united with John Mayall (still thriving and touring at the age of 72) on a number of occasions and I asked if his first spell with the "father of British blues" was the happiest of his career to date.
"It was awe-inspiring because of my young age - I was only 17," he said.
"To have the opportunity to tour America and play in those wonderful places and play with Jimi Hendrix and Albert King and also to get the chance to play in some of the legendary blues clubs of Chicago with people like Buddy Guy, Otis Rush and Muddy Waters, was an amazing experience for somebody my age."
Then came the call to join the biggest band in the world at the time, the Rolling Stones.
Taylor was with the Stones for six albums and at what many judges consider to be their artistic peak, with massive-selling records like Exile On Main Street and Sticky Fingers now regulars in the frequent all-time top album lists.
What, as an insider, was his take on those epic releases? "We'd been working on Exile for so long we had no objectivity. When I listen to it occasionally now, it sounds wonderful." It typified the Stones at that time, I suggest. "It did, it did. It also typified the Stones because it was recorded in Keith Richards's basement in France. It was very much a homemade record. Staying up all night, having breakfast and going to bed!
"I love Sticky Fingers - that didn't take so long to make. A lot of that was recorded at Mick Jagger's house in Berkshire."
He has particularly fond memories of the tracks Moonlight Mile and Sway, to which he made a significant contribution - and there has been much written about the lack of writing credit he received.
Was it one of the reasons he chose to leave? "It was one of the reasons. But there were other reasons."
You can pose some questions yourself and hear Mick fill in some of the gaps by attending the question and answer session on 1.30pm on Sunday, September 10. Get the inside track on other key recordings which Mick worked on, like Bob Dylan's Infidels and Empire Burlesque albums.
He is an engaging and forthright individual with a wealth of stories and opinions on performers like Hendrix, Jack Bruce, Eric Clapton and many more. All of which should translate into a great autobiography - it is currently a work in progress - when time allows him to complete the task.
The Mick Taylor band will play in Hall One on the Sunday evening (7.30pm) with two of the UK's most promising young guitarists, Matt Schofield and Aynsley Lister, also on the same bill.
The weekend includes workshops from some of the country's best tutors and gigs by flamenco star Gerado Nunez (Friday) and his dancer/wife Carmen Cortes, Tom Kerstens and his G+ ensemble on Saturday and other events with Stuart Ryan, Amanda Cook, Georgio Serci and Thomas Leeb.
NTicket and other general info from The Sage on (0191) 443 4661.
THE Cluny has the New Zealand singer Bic Runga this Monday. Her three albums so far, Drive, Beautiful Collision and Birds, have all been huge commercial successes in her homeland and abroad. Of Maori-Chinese descent, she has toured with the Finn Brothers, with Tim Finn appearing on Beautiful Collision.
On Thursday there is a great double-header, also at the Byker venue. St Louis-based quartet the Bottle Rockets, one of the leading alt-country outfits of the 90s and firm Jumpin' Hot Club favourites, return to the city in support of new album Zoysia (Evangeline Records), which was has 11 tracks of their Crazy Horse-style blue-collar country rock.
Opening the night is a scaled-down set by the Los Angeles roots-rocking four-piece Stewboss, who appear at the venue for their own headline show on September 25 and should have their own new CD out by then. Both are highly accomplished bands with a strong following in the region
NCluny info on (0191) 230 4474.
FINALLY, Durham Gala theatre has folksters Rachel Unthank & the Winterset on Thursday. The four Geordie girls were a big success at the recent Cambridge Folk Festival.
ALAN NICHOL |
| 2nd September 2006 06:52 PM |
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| Tom |
Wednesday, July 12nd 2006
International Guitar Festival at the Sage Gateshead
IGF 06
International Guitar Festival at the Sage Gateshead- 8-10 September
New Guitar festival announced in the North East
The Sage in Gateshead will host to a new guitar festival this September. The International Guitar Foundation has teamed up with the Sage to stage a 3 day festival with a diverse line-up of artists.
Highlights include a British Blues night featuring Mick Taylor. Mick Taylor is best known for having been in the Rolling Stones at their peek (Exile on Main St and Let it Bleed), but replacing Peter Green in John Mayall’s blues breakers and working with Bob Dylan on Infidels also adds to one of rock & rolls most legendary Cvs. Mick is supported by two of the hottest young guitarists on the scene: Matt Schofield and Aynsley Lister.
Also headlining will be flamenco giant Gerardo Nuñez. Widely regarded as one of the greatest flamenco guitarists of the modern times.
Other concerts include Tom Kerstens with his G+ Ensemble, a Global Guitar night three exceptional European guitarists. Sardinian guitarist Giorgio Serci’s mixing Arabic and Indian rhythms with Latin and Flamenco influences, Thomas Leeb’s natural sense of rhythm and melody, combined with tasteful use of gravity-defying extended techniques takes listeners on a National-Geographic-style musical rollercoaster whilst Sylvain Luc’s jazz guitar infused with Basque folklore demonstrates his eclectic and astonishing technical ability.
Amanda Cook and Stuart Ryan complete the performance line-up as part of the TOMORROW PEOPLE YOUNG ARTISTS PLATFORM.
Workshops include a subsidised programme for players aged between 12-18yrs covering Modern Metal with Jimi Savage , Rock Rhythm with John Wheatcroft and Acoustic Guitar Techniques with Stuart Ryan. Other workshops covering British Blues Popular Fingerstyle, Total Classic Rock will also be taking place at the Sage.
SAGE GATESHEAD TICKET OFFICE: 0191 443 4661. http://www.thesagegateshead.org
More information on see 'What's On' for concerts and 'Workshops' for classes. |
| 2nd September 2006 07:01 PM |
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| VoodooChileInWOnderl |
The greates news here is that he's going to record a new studio album !!! |
| 2nd September 2006 07:02 PM |
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| VoodooChileInWOnderl |
I renamed your thread to give some emphasis in the new studio album |
| 3rd September 2006 12:57 AM |
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| gustavobala |
great mick taylor, great man |
| 4th September 2006 12:51 AM |
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| glencar |
"bout time he makes a new record... |
| 4th September 2006 06:47 PM |
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| F505 |
I am so excited that I fell asleep while reading this thread. |
| 4th September 2006 08:28 PM |
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| gotdablouse |
Well yes, but who here has listened to his latest album recently, was it sometime in 1998, only a Japanese release at first ? I seem to remember one version had a bonus cut with "Separately" from the GHS sessions. Honestly MT doesn't have a huge knack for writing memorable songs, even the RS "Leather Jacket" was weakish. |
| 5th September 2006 03:51 PM |
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| Steel Wheels |
With the amount of people on here who bash Woody and the Stones post-Taylor, I'm shocked this thread isn't more popular. |
| 5th September 2006 03:55 PM |
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| F505 |
quote:
Steel Wheels wrote:
With the amount of people on here who bash Woody and the Stones post-Taylor, I'm shocked this thread isn't more popular.
Wood may be bad but Taylor nowadays is not much better! |
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