Dudley Taft Rips Into You With Skin And Bones
The Guitarist’s New
CD Out October 16, 2015
“… making paint
peel from the walls with the heat of his guitar blitzkrieg…”
- Deep Roots
Atlanta GA – American Blues Music Group recording artist
Dudley Taft brings his own version of the blues to the table with Skin
And Bones, a hair-raising collection of blues, rock and a slice of
grunge pie to be served on October 16, 2015. Recorded at Muchmore studio in his
home in Cincinnati and Omni Sound in Nashville he and bassist John Kessler
co-produced the record.
Skin And Bones came from three sessions with
Jason Patterson on drums and John Kessler on bass at Taft’s home studio once
owned by legendary rock icon Peter Frampton in Cincinnati, OH. Yes, that guy.
Taft bought the house with the intent of utilizing the studio full time.
He didn’t know the support phone number when setting up the room would lead him
to Frampton himself. Taking cues from Neil Young and his studio approach of
using the first takes, Dudley gives Skin And Bones a raw feel
with fresh air weaving in and out of the arrangements. Never mind the
blemishes, let the soul of the songs shine through.
As the creeping chord progression starts the CD with the
title track, “Skin And Bones”, Dudley sings about Bourbon Street in New
Orleans. You can almost feel the hot pavement under your shoes as you walk
through the Crescent City. He gives nods to the past musicians, the voodoo, and
its patina history.
He grooves and
boogies through riffs and melodies all while keeping his shades on
“Fuzzy Dice” is a musical air raid that started out as a
riff using the Buzzmaster Fuzz Pedal and then researching the rearview mirror
classic to get inspired to write the lyrics. Fuzzy dice were hung in B-17
cockpits showing 7 for good luck as the fighters carried out their missions.
The heavy driving guitars and being honest with the subject matter makes this a
standout. You can almost feel the plane soar and dive and shoot.
“Coming Home” is a simple yet expressive reflection of what
matters in life. As we all know, life pulls us in 25 different directions, and
we get lost; sometimes the home front is where we belong. Built off a classic
50’s fingerpicked riff, Dudley uses his bare knuckles to emulate Lightnin’
Hopkins and Hubert Sumlin. Another nod to a guitar hero of Taft’s is the
straight forward, “Leland Mississippi Blues” from Johnny Winter. Never mess
with a classic. “The descending riff is totally cool and fun to play. It’s one
of my favorite songs to perform live,” Dudley states.
“I like blues
because it touches on dark and heavy things. I’ve always believed that it’s
important to have old and new influences.“ - Dudley told Premier
Guitar in 2013
If you listen close, his influences range from Johnny
Winter, Elmore James and ZZ Top to Alice Chains’ Jerry Cantrell. A gear head
geek at heart he uses all the tools in his shed to create his sound. His
relationship with Reese Wynans of the legendary Stevie Ray Vaughan band
continues as he supplies the hum with his signature organ sounds. The backing
vocals of Rachel Williams and Ashley Christensen add a sweetness to the
choruses.
Dudley’s music career began in high school when he founded
the band Space Antelope with friend Trey Anastasio (of Phish). In the
1990’s he joined Seattle band Sweet Water, touring the states with Monster
Magnet, Flaming Lips, Candlebox, and Alice in Chains. After recording two
albums for Atlantic, he left the band to join Second Coming. More touring
followed with an album on Capitol Records and a taste of success thanks to the
single “Vintage Eyes” which made it to #10 on the Rock Radio charts.
In his music, you’ll hear Delta roots mingling with Seattle
grunge, a southern twang with a high-octane crunch. Dudley’s music is a visual
film that comes to life with his dark look and respect to the music itself. He
honors the players that came before him and those around him but is always
looking down the road into the future.
Dudley will be playing Seattle and Midwest cities throughout
the fall in the U.S. and will return to Europe for festivals and club gigs in
the summer. Look for that upcoming information on his website
www.dudleytaft.com
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