If you ever wondered where mystical bluesman Otis Taylor gets much of his dark,
brooding, mysterious textures, look no further than departed sideman/guitarist
Eddie Turner. He’s been blues’ best-kept secret for some time now,
providing the electrifying voice of Taylor’s mounting intensity. Turner’s
edgy contributions spliced with ethereal background vocals and séance-inducing
atmosphere are most evident on “Rise,” the opening song that connects
a Delta sensibility to a futuristic, cosmic frontier. After that, Turner’s
multi-faceted personality subdues itself briefly on the creamy “Ask Myself
Why,” the string-snappin’ “The River” and Jimi Hendrix’s
surreal “The Wind Cries Mary” before roaring back to life on “It’s
Me” with “Devil Boy” Turner in blistering form. Even given
the classic blues vibe of “Play It Cool,” Turner consistently envelops
his crafty material with a hip, urban sensibility with drum loops, arrhythmic
beats and cool effects seeping in everywhere. But it’s not just his searing
guitar work (“Privileged Life”) that’s worth taking note of—“Sin,” a
dubbed vocal spiritual testimony, brims with creativity with only minimal guitar
support. Produced by former Taylor bassman Kenny Passarelli, Turner’s debut
is a head-turning, neck-snapping one that’s almost frightening when contemplating
what could come next.