Jazz guitarist Joe Taylor strums at The Homestead

By Ross Boissoneau

Sun contributor

Guitarist Joe Taylor has received many accolades over the course of his career, from praise by his peers to consideration for a Grammy award. Perhaps none mean more to him than being called “a funky mix of Jeff Beck and Chet Atkins” by The Mississippi Press. “That’s very flattering,” says Taylor from his South Carolina home. “Both Chet Atkins and Jeff Beck, not being singers, played guitar as a vocalist. Like me, it became a way to express (music) in a vocal fashion.”

Taylor cites Atkins as one of his musical heroes. “Growing up there was a lot of music. One of the first things that turned me on was Chet Atkins,” he says. In fact, late in Atkins’s life, Taylor became part of the acclaimed guitarist’s Saturday morning breakfast club. Taylor even plays one of his hero’s guitars on the title track of his new album, Last Boat Home. “It was a resonator guitar. Paul McGill built it,” says Taylor. An expert luthier, McGill became known for building copies of the acclaimed but fragile Brazilian Del Vecchio resonators, ones that as Taylor says “wouldn’t fall apart.”

Taylor will perform Aug. 21 at The Homestead as part of its Music on the Mountain Series. He will be bringing the core players from the new album with him: pianist Jeff Franzel, drummer Ray Marchica and bassist Paul Adamy. They came to the recording session with specific instructions from Taylor: they could bring riffs and ideas, but the songs would be written in the studio by the quartet.

The moody “Melba” opens the disc, while the title track prominently features that resonator guitar as part of the mix. “Bumba” may be the best tune on the album, with its mix of electric guitar and Franzel’s electric piano recalling the late great Joe Sample and his band the Crusaders. “Well, I Reckon” is pushed along by Adamy’s slinky bass. Marchica’s in the pocket throughout, prompting Taylor to say, “Ray is the closest thing to Gadd I know.” The album will be officially released Aug. 22, the day after his show, when it will be available at retail outlets and streaming services.

Taylor says the audience can expect a show encompassing a wide range of styles and songs. About half will be drawn from the new album, while the other half will include songs from across his career and others. “We’ll do a handful of my favorite songs. My favorite song is ‘Wichita Lineman’ by Jimmy Webb,” which he intends to make part of the set.

Also likely part of the show will be another Taylor favorite, Sting’s “The Hounds of Winter.” “I’m a big fan of Sting. I’m jealous of Dominic Miller (Sting’s guitarist). He’s got my gig,” Taylor says with a laugh. He explains that he and the band will also play “Rumble” by rockabilly legend Link Wray and a Beatles medley. “It’s a fun evening. It’s peppered with songs you know and love. We work hard to do a show people will enjoy.”

Taylor is comfortable with the label of jazz guitarist, but he brings a variety of elements to that language. “I grew up where country was very popular. Those beautiful sounds resonated with me.”

He picked up an old guitar of his dad’s and it wasn’t long before he was hooked. “I got the calling. I’d spend eight hours a day learning things. It was a time when music was great, the 70s – there was a lot of great guitar stuff.”

Taylor strives to make the music accessible, creating melodies that lingers in listeners’ minds while giving himself and his bandmates enough complexity to stay engaged. “We do more than cowboy chords under the music,” he laughs.

“There are so many YouTube heroes on guitar. I don’t play like that,” he continues. For him it’s about the groove, the song, with everyone contributing when and where they think it fits. “Jeff Franzel says he loves the spaces between the melodies, as opposed to playing lots of notes all the time.”

Taylor has worked with a variety of artists including Donna Summer, Dave Koz, The Roches, Kenny Aronoff, Nile Rodgers and Al B. Sure! among others. He has also written and performed music for networks such CBS, ABC, A&E and Discovery Channel, as well as in theater.

While he always has one foot firmly in the jazz camp, he incorporates a variety of other elements into his music. Taylor’s previous album, Westside Chill, featured a lot of mellow vibes and a mix of electronic and acoustic instrumentation. Rock, pop, classical and an occasional country twang are all part of the mix on his dozen albums. He also recorded two albums under the Oracle sobriquet, incorporating choir and ambient sounds on the first and Celtic music on the second.

Taylor’s show is the fourth of six concerts at the revived Music on the Mountain series, with two remaining. On Sept. 11, blues-rock guitarist and vocalist Jabo Bihlman will perform with his band. The series will conclude Sept. 18 with the smooth jazz of East Bay Drive, touring behind its debut album. The group will be joined by popular vocalist Miriam Pico.

The show at The Homestead is Taylor’s debut appearance in Michigan. This is also the first year for the return of the popular Music on the Mountain music series since prior to the pandemic. Taylor says he is looking forward to the show, with its backdrop of a Lake Michigan sunset.

All the shows begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 and are available for all the remaining performances. They are available at TicketTailor.com.