New Feature Article in The Houston Chronicle
Andrew Dansby has written a wonderful new article for the Houston Chronicle covering the recent release of Early Eric Taylor. Read more about the article and download a PDF of the entire piece.
New Live Album – Available Now
Fingerprints, he called them.
Eric Taylor loved fingerprints. Those slight imperfections on a record or on a stage – a missed word, an errant note, seeing a song through after fingerpicks had come off. Not that he tried for these moments, but to his mind they made the concert or recording more real somehow, gave it authenticity. Soul.
This is a soulful record. A 19-song collection (10 songs unpublished until now) that comes from a handful of Eric’s performances in the 1970s, mainly from two concerts (1975 and 1978) at Anderson Fair Retail Restaurant in Houston, Texas, recorded on a Pioneer reel-to-reel machine with a Tapco 6-channel mixer set on a front table by the stage. “Charlie Ray McWhite” taped at Bill Flanagan’s house (1979). “Chicken Fried Steak” from a KPFT appearance with Don Sanders hosting.
Remarkable that this is Eric Taylor in his 20s.
Already brilliant. Already a storyteller. Already tuning his guitar to sound like a piano.
And sing-alongs! A revelation to me, as I didn’t meet Eric until after this inclination had passed.
Co-producer James Gilmer, Engineer Rock Romano, and I worked hard on this record. There were challenges we didn’t expect and some literal bumps along the way. We poured our love into the production of these performances that are already so full of friendship and community. Putting this together has brought me much joy…and some healing, too. I hope it will bring you the same.
Our gift to you.
May Eric Taylor live on forever in our hearts and souls. And fingerprints…
Big love, Susan
What People are Saying About Early Eric Taylor
“I am blown away! The quality is unbelievable. And those songs! It’s so cool hearing young Eric. All of the elements are there, but how different his voice sounds. What a treasure!” – Jon
“I almost made it through the opening song without tearing up. Almost…” – Bailey
“I listened to all of it and all I can say is WOW! I completely loved it. Thank you so much for getting this project done. I really am so thankful. Loved it!” – Ruby
“This is amazing. My eyes well up just hearing him again. Thank you so much for this amazing gift. It’s so, so good.” – Ron
“We love the CD. And the insert is amazing too! What a treasure of old photos and hand written lyrics!!! Just beautiful. Congratulations. Thank you again.” – Louise
About Eric Taylor
A sage musician, a lyrical genius and a master of the guitar. If you’re familiar with the intricate Texas singer/ songwriter jigsaw puzzle, you probably already know a lot about Taylor. If you’re not familiar with Taylor by name, you’ve probably heard his songs performed by people such as Nanci Griffith and Lyle Lovett. He has created a multitude of fans and devotees that are legends themselves in the singer/songwriter realm, artists who have long considered Taylor to be a teacher and a lantern bearer whose time is long overdue.
Taylor grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and started playing soul music in his early years, steeping himself in the rich cultural heritage of the black South. “I’ve written poetry all my life,” Taylor recounts. “When I learned how to play guitar, it was a natural progression to write songs.” After high school, a brief stint at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, just “didn’t work out,” according to Taylor.
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