Larry Taylor

Bringing peace and fun to a park in a neighborhood trouble spot

Larry returns for an encore helping make a safer park.  More HERE about BUILD's program

Rain busted in on Larry's show but did not stop it! Thanks to Ike Carothers for hosting this great annual event. I'd like to thank my opening act Tina Marie and her band "Marie Levon" featuring their special guest vocalist Sharon Monique and Rocky.

Ronnie G, a band leader in his own right, was Larry's featured saxman.  He played on both Larry's CDs.

Platform Stage will start a series of blues acts at 6 p.m.: first, Lil Daddy, keyboard showman; followed by OScar Wilson and Joel Paterson, Delta blues duo; and LARRY TAYLOR at 8:55.  Let's rock this cool little city, south of Chicago!

Since 1969, BUILD has aimed to reduce the violence in Chicago’s challenged neighborhoods,  through violence prevention/intervention, youth development, and coalition building.  Music on the street is one way to show peaceful and fun ways of interacting in public spaces.  Larry Taylor and the Soul Blues Healers are proud to be part of this.

Sponsored by the Old Town School of Folk Music at Englewood's Kusanya Cafe--this "Sing your own blues" music lesson with Barrelhouse Bonni was arranged by E'a the holistic dance teacher.  Cafe owner Phil accompanied us on guitar. Uday Sharad Joshi, right attended along with some  neighborhood ladies who already knew the history of the blues.  It was fun!

 Since 1969, BUILD has aimed to reduce the violence in Chicago’s challenged neighborhoods,  through violence prevention/intervention, youth development, and coalition building.  Music on the street is one way to show peaceful and fun ways of interacting in public spaces.  Larry Taylor and the Soul Blues Healers are proud to be part of this.  We got the kids up to rap some positive rhymes at the end of the show.

Two days before the Chicago Blues Festival, hear some Chicago history and true traditional tunes from Larry, accompanied by Barrelhouse Bonni on piano.

Everyone enjoyed the show!  Taildragger  (in white cowboy hat) stopped by and sang a couple of songs with Larry's band.

Larry Taylor performed in Madrid, Alicante, Valencia, Tarragona with guitarist/promoter Jay Be Rodriguez and other musicians in Spain.    He was, like the Eddie Taylor song says, a Bad Boy a long way from home!

SEE VIDEOS

Larry sang a couple of blues favorites as guest with the R&B band West End 40  at the 3rd annual West Side Blues fest sponsored by Ike Carothers and Ald. Chris Taliaferro.

Sponsored by the Chicago West Community Music Center.    Details at Austin Weekly News "West Side Blues"  HERE

It was an honor to play this show in tribute to West Side blues, from traditional Chicago blues to our neighborhood soul blues favorites by Howlin' Wolf, Magic Sam, ZZ Hill, Joe Simon, Bobby Rush...

Special thanks to Howard Sandifer for sponsoring the concert, and our MC, Doris Davenport.

SEE THE VIDEO: Leak in My Drain

Larry Taylor sang two songs as his brother Eddie Jr. hosted the tribute to Eddie Sr., the father of this great Chicago blues family.  Larry was the oldest and the first to play with Eddie Sr. Tim Taylor played drums, making 3 Taylor Blues Brothers on stage together on the Front Porch Stage.   Sister Demetria Taylor held own show Friday June 9 at the Budweiser Crossroads Stage.

Chicago’s West Side has a deeply-rooted history of blues and soul music. What if we could promote it to help develop a local tourism industry?  Featuring Rep. LaShawn Ford, vice chair of IL Legislature Tourism committee; Crystal Dyer, travel agent; Larry Taylor, blues band leader; Dr. Janice Monti, leader of tours and seminars at Dominican University; Bonni McKeown, writer of Chicago's Austin Weekly News West Side Blues Blog.  MORE INFO AT THE BLOG

One of the Horse Thief's very special Third Tuesday acoustic shows.  Old fashioned piano and heartfelt blues singing.

Sakofa is raising funds  to support up to five families with residential housing by rehabbing and
renovating two additional resident properties for grandparents who are raising grandchildren.i

Information and tickets, contact Rosie at
773-542-9900, or Email: wsafechild@sbcglobal.net
Sankofa Safe Child Initiative,
4041 W. Roosevelt Rd., Chicago, IL 60624

Pick up one of Larry's new mini-CDs, "New Chicago Sounds of Larry Taylor" --four original tunes with his West and South Side band, full of grooves, songs in the key of life,  great musicians, even horns.  Your donations will go to complete his upcoming CD, featuring his Taylor brothers and sisters, as well as the short feature film about his life, "The Rhythm and the Blues."

Properietor Tony "piece of cake", a veteran himself, invites all veterans and friends to celebrate with the blues of the Larry Taylor band--the Soul Blues Healers. 

It was a BLAST yall!    

Killer Ray

and Larry!

Ike Carothers

and Hawk

on horns with Larry

(The Original Willie Dixon Chicago Blues Allstars)
Freddie Dixon, Dr.Jimmy Lee Tillman, John Watkins & Steve Bell....
Along with Honorary Family & Artist Allstars ...
Keshia Nelson Dixon ,Keith Nelson Dixon, Tomiko Dixon, Alex Dixon ,Johnnie T Dixon , Tanya Luckett, Daniel Luckett, Patricia Mohamed, Bobby Dixon, BB Dixon, Jacqueline Dixon & Marie Dixon..

with Special Invited Allstar Performers & Guests
Marshall Thompson ( Chilites) Larry Taylor, Jay B Ross (The Rappin Lawyer)
Larry Mud Morganfield , Billy Branch & the Sons of Blues, Sugar Blue, Goffe Briggs, Johnny Nader , Keith Hudson ,Walkin Cane Mark & Ken Tuckers Band & many more.

Sponsored by the following....
The Wiilie Dixon Blues Heaven Foundation (The Old Chess Records Building) , The Chicago Blues Allstars Inc. & Tomiko Dixon's Grand Blues Music Presents , Chicago Recording Academy (Grammys) & The Blues Foundation Membership Referrals ,Holiday Inn Suites
506 West Harrison discount Referrals (Downtown Chicago) 
& BMI ,Ascap & Seasac Artist Referrals

Acoustic Duo with  Barrelhouse Bonni

Join King George 10am to 1pm Fridays on WHPK 88.5 FM chicago, www.whpk.org , and tune in radio for Riding with The King" Summer Blues ,"REAL BLUES" Live Interviews with Legendary Chicago Blues Men "MISSISSIPPI WOLF" & LARRY Taylor (plus a Few Surprises) plus all your favorite Blues old & new..Call 773 702 8424 for comments and requests

 Rain messed up the show but hopefully will grow more vegetables for vendors to sell at future markets!

Featuring Killer Ray Allison and the Bottom Dollar Blues Band, Ms. Rodeo and the Night Riders. With other guest singers: Little Johnny from the Southside, and Special guest Natdog from Memphis.

Featuring the Larry Taylor Blues and Soul Band!  To raise money to finish the short movie about Larry's life growing up in the Eddie and Vera Taylor blues family: http://www.therhythmandtheblues.com 

People from all walks of life came to help Larry celebrate his 60th birthday at a vintage West Side industrial bar, the Water Hole, which has been offering occasional blues shows for years.  He says he wants to make the most of the years he has left, and to pass on his music to new generations. 

   Grown Mann and Larry used to play together on the road with A.C. Reed, back in the 1990s. 

Larry coaches actor Sheridan Bates on how to be a drummer for a club scene in "The Rhythm and the Blues."  Then he describes to actor Leon, playing Eddie Taylor Sr., on how Eddie used to stand and play his red guitar.  Film Session at Uptown Underground club.

Larry rocked the house with Jon McDonald and Joe B on guitars.

Two soulful West Side singers held court at the BBF youth center at 15th and Pulaski, West Side Chicago. Joe B, Curtis LaBon, Bootsie Lee, Barrelhouse Bonni and Jon McDonald played in the band. (see "Just a Little Bit" of the show) The event was one of a series of concerts Larry and Bonni donated to West Side community groups in the summer of 2013. 

Larry Taylor helps Eddie Shaw lead the finale after a day of outstanding artists. He celebrates with Howlin' Wolf daughter Bettye Kelly.

Stepson of the Blues book tour of Chicago libraries, Feb.-April 2011 including UIC on April 4.

Larry and Killer Ray Allison wowed the evening crowd of all ages at W.Va. State U. They played daytime educational and community shows while in the Charleston WV area.  Killer and Larry go way back; they used to each play drums for Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, back in the 1980s.  Great WV horn players Bob Redd, trumpet, and Dugan Carter, sax, joined in.

Chicago Blues Festival, 2005(with Taylor Family), 2007 (on history panel and as guest singing with fellow New Blues Legends Vernon and Joe Harringon); 2008 (producer of three Crossroads Stage acts—his own West Side band, the Taylor Family, and a West Side blues act with Joe B and Al Harris.)  

Chi Fest June 2008: Larry sings with sisters Brenda, Edna, Demetria; brother Eddie guitar, Tim on drums.

PREVIOUS DATES:

West Virginia Tours; Blues Brews BBQ Fest Charleston WV, June 2005;

Snowshoe Resort Blues Brews BBQ, Morgan County Arts Council, Romney Bottling Works 2008; 

Blues & Spirit Symposium May 2008: panel and band leader, Dominican U, River Forest IL

Harrah Horseshoe Casino, New Years Eve 2007-08: Hammond IN 

Dublin Ireland, Blue Note Club, Aug. 2007, special guest of Bobby Dixon, Dublin, Ireland

Bay fest train, Duluth, MN Aug. 2007 w/ Maurice John Vaughn

Master Musicians Festival, Somerset KY concert and Q&A with Honeyboy Edwards, 

SummerFest, Camp Spring and Upper Marlboro, MD, with Maurice John Vaughn, June 2007

DC Blues Society 20th Anniversary panel & acoustic show Washington DC, April 14, 2007

W.Dixon Wang Dang Doodle Fest, Vicksburg, MS, Oct, 2006:

Chicago Harold Washington Library, “Speaking of Blues,” concert and interview July 14, 2006:

Downtown Octoberfest, Oak Park, IL Sept, 2005:

Navy Pier Beer Garden; House of Blues; Buddy Guys Legends; Rosa's; Kingston Mines Chicago 2005

Zazu Club, Owensboro KY July 2004