EDDIE TAYLOR

Eddie Taylor was born in Benoit, Mississippi, in 1923.
During his youth, Eddie was mesmerized by the music of Memphis Minnie, Charley Patton, Robert Petway, Son House, and Robert Johnson.
It was in Mississippi that Eddie first teamed up with Jimmy Reed. Relocating to Chicago, the duo recorded for VeeJay Records, with Eddie's strong rhythm guitar defining "The Jimmy Reed Sound".
He also appeared on many of John Lee Hooker's VeeJay recordings. In high demand as a sideman, he backed up Homesick James, Snooky Pryor, Floyd Jones, Elmore James, Big Walter Horton, John Brim and others.
Eddie Taylor's solo recordings for VeeJay gave him the opportunity to stretch out and showcase his fine vocal abilities, but despite his outstanding guitar playing, were eclipsed by the success of Jimmy Reed's hits.
Nonetheless, Eddie was highly respected by other Chicago blues musicians, as his lengthy sideman credits indicate. His style emphasized a solid, driving rhythm and what would best be described as an electrified version of Mississippi Delta blues.
Eddie could play seemingly endless variations on what would appear to be, at first glance, basic shuffle rhythms. His thumbpick & finger style is the quintessential Chicago blues sound. Eddie's metronomic time was legendary, and his services were often sought for sessions involving certain "unruly" blues musicians who would play 13½-bar verses without proper "guidance".
You can't call yourself a "blues guitarist" unless you've studied his recordings...modern "blues artists" could stand to learn a thing or two from Eddie's playing.
Eddie Taylor passed away on Christmas Day, 1985.

Listen to Eddie Taylor's "Big Town Playboy"