 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Taxi Chain
official Web site
articles/contests
Track List:
1. Memphis
2. Smarten Up!
3. James Brown Ate My Bagpipe
4. Cut Me A Key
5. Buck A Joy
6. Tandoori Mustache
7. It's Your Birthday
8. Zimbobby
|
|
|
|
Taxi Chain - Smarten Up!
(Northernblues)
By Lou Friedman
Want to pigeonhole the Canadian-based quintet Taxi Chain? Good luck. You'll need about 20 different compartments. Taxi Chain's new album, Smarten Up!, is a radio programmer's worst nightmare. The record is not likely to garner airplay on the conglomerate stations, but that's just fine — you have to look below the radar to find hidden treasures nowadays.
"Eclectic" only begins to scratch the surface when describing Smarten Up! Throw a mix of rock, R&B, blues, country, soul, swing, and a pinch of Celtic into a bowl, stir vigorously, and pour out Taxi Chain. (The group's aptly titled 1995 album was called Bagpipe Juke Joint.) Even the songs that sound like they're over the top are really straight ahead in the band's little world, and somehow, they all make perfect sense. While bassist Joe Burns and drummer Ron Rooth remain constant throughout, bandleader Grier Coppins alternates between vocals, tenor guitar, and bagpipes, Ayron Mortley handles electric guitar, mandolin, tenor banjo, and backing vocals, and Jim Bish switches off between four saxophones (alto, tenor, baritone, and soprano), harmonica, and piccolo.
With all that in mind, opening track "Memphis" is a straightforward homage to one of the band's favorite places in the States. Guest Mark Wessenger's B3 organ and Bish's sax give the song a lush, soulful feel. The band really stretches out and shows off its musical chops on the record's four instrumental songs, including the title track's mandolin, harmonica, fiddle, bagpipe, and piccolo lineup. The aptly named "James Brown Ate My Bagpipe" makes listeners marvel at Taxi Chain's ability to utilize bagpipes, fiddle, piano, and sax to create a slow, funky groove. Two vocal cuts follow, the blues/ragtime-flavored "Cut Me A Key" and the swing-laden "Buck A Joy." Next up are the Indian strains of "Tandoori Mustache" and the reggae/samba sounds of "It's Your Birthday." Smarten Up! closes with "Zimbobby," the closest thing to a full Celtic song on the disc (not that traditional Irish music typically features jazzy sax solos).
Although the group's album lacks a consistent focus, Taxi Chain plays everything consistently well. Smarten Up! is a record tailor made for those with a sense of adventure, and gets better and better with repeated listens for those will take the musical leap of faith. This reviewer is already reserving a spot for Smarten Up! on his "best of 2004" list.
top of page
|
|
|
