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Raised in the country, got up raised in town/ Got two kids and they’re all look like mine…
Written by: Eddie Taylor Recorded: British Grove Studios, London, England, Dec. 11, 14–15 2015 Guest musicians: Darryl Jones (bass), Chuck Leavell (Hammond B3), Matt Clifford (Wurlitzer piano)
Benoit native Eddie Taylor, an architect of the post-World War II Chicago blues genre, was renowned for his work both as a bandleader and accompanist. He was best known for shaping the distinctive sound of Jimmy Reed, a childhood friend with whom Taylor reunited in Chicago. The Benoit area was also the birthplace of James DeShay, a mainstay of the St. Louis blues scene; James “Peck” Curtis, famed for his work on “King Biscuit Time” radio; and southern soul star Nathaniel Kimble.
Taylor (January 29, 1923 – December 25, 1985) is revered as one of the most influential guitarists in Chicago blues history, known for his versatility, impeccable timing, and consummate musicianship. As a child Taylor was influenced by Delta bluesmen Charley Patton, Son House, Big Joe Williams, and Robert Johnson, but learned to play guitar from a musician named “Popcorn.” Taylor performed in local jukes around Leland and Clarksdale and taught guitar to Jimmy Reed in nearby Meltonia. In the 1940s he moved to Memphis and then to Chicago, where he helped pioneer the city’s new electric blues style.
During the 1950s and ‘60s Taylor and Reed collaborated over dozens of sessions to create many of Reed’s hits for Vee-Jay Records, including “You Don’t Have to Go,” “Baby What You Want Me to Do,” “Honest I Do,” and “Ain’t That Lovin’ You Baby.” Taylor also recorded “Bad Boy,” “Bigtown Playboy,” and other singles for Vee-Jay as a solo artist, followed by albums for a number of different companies. Always in demand for studio sessions and nightclub dates, Taylor recorded and performed with John Lee Hooker, Elmore James and his Broomdusters, Carey Bell, Sunnyland Slim, Homesick James, Big Walter Horton, Johnny Littlejohn, Snooky Pryor, Floyd Jones, and the Aces, among many others. (Ref. ride’em on down)
He began to tour internationally in the late ‘60s and remained active in music until his death. Although never as well known to the public as many of his comrades in the blues, Taylor was rated so highly by critics, historians, and musicians that he was elected to the Blues Hall of Fame in 1987.
Taylor’s wife was blues vocalist Vera Taylor (1943-1999), a native of Dublin, Mississippi, and the niece of bluesmen Eddie, Jimmy, and Willie Burns. She often appeared on stage with her husband. Their children, Eddie, Jr., Larry, Milton, Tim, Demetria, Brenda, and Edna, all became singers or musicians, and Vera, Eddie, Jr., and Larry Taylor also recorded CDs of their own.
Benoit has been home to several other performers of note, including Nathaniel Kimble, James “Peck” Curtis, James DeShay, and Jessie Clay. Music from Benoit was also featured in the 1956 movie Baby Doll, which was filmed at the antebellum Burrus house and other local sites. In the film, a harmonica player sings the blues classic “Baby Please Don’t Go” and a woman at a cafe sings the traditional spiritual “I Shall Not Be Moved.” The cast credits in the film acknowledged the singers and most of the other local extras simply as “Some People of Benoit, Mississippi.” (Ref. ride’em on down)
“Ride ’Em on Down” is credited to Eddie Taylor, the guitarist chiefly known and admired for his work with Jimmy Reed. Historians of the blues have suggested that he can even be seen as the originator of the “Jimmy Reed sound” (a combination of the nonchalant Louisiana blues and the very electric modern Chicago blues) He was certainly an important influence on the Rolling Stones, who were playing “Bright Lights, Big City” even before they first signed a contract with Decca.
In fact, Eddie Taylor’s recording of “Ride ’Em on Down,” made in 1955 for Vee-Jay (the rival recording company to Chess Records), draws an old Delta blues number, “Shake ’Em on Down,” recorded by Bukka White in Chicago in 1937 for Vocalion Records. “Shake ’Em on Down” was subsequently covered, with various changes, by a large number of blues musicians—Big Bill Broonzy, Big Joe Williams, Doctor Ross, Mississippi Fred McDowell, and later still, between 1960 and 1990, by Savoy Brown, Led Zeppelin, and the Black Crowes, and finally by the Rolling Stones in 2015. (Ref. ride’em on down)
This cover version by the English group is a perfect demonstration of their commitment to this kind of music. These musicians really love the blues. Their version is more dynamic than Eddie Taylor’s, and more electric, Keith’s and Ronnie’s guitars having a saturated tone. Ronnie has a solo (beginning at 1:24), proving that he, too, knows the workings of the genre, performing with great talent and passion. Charlie Watts once again distinguishes himself with some superb drum playing, magnificently supported by the excellent Darryl Jones. Their rhythm section really grooves, and it’s easy to see why this invigorating number was chosen for a video.
Mick Jagger’s performance is him at his best, sensual and harsh, and he concludes the song with an expressive harmonica solo. Chuck Leavell’s contribution on the Hammond organ is worth noting, highlighting discreetly but effectively the arrangement of the piece. Once again, the sound of poor Matt Clifford’s Wurlitzer is very difficult to pick out. The video for “Ride ’Em on Down” with Kristen Stewart was made by moviemaker François Roussel, who had previously worked with Madonna (“4 Minutes [feat. Justin & Timbaland],” 2008); Depeche Mode (“Peace,” 2009); and Snoop Dogg (“So Many Pros,” 2015) (Ref. ride’em on down)
