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"To say that Eric Taylor is one of the finest writers of our time, would be an understatement," Nanci Griffith says. "If you miss an opportunity to hear Eric Taylor, you have missed a chance to hear a voice I consider the William Faulkner of songwriting in our current time."

Taylor grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and started playing soul music in his early years, steeping himself in the rich cultural heritage of the black South. "I've written poetry all my life," Taylor recounts. "When I learned how to play guitar, it was a natural progression to write songs."

"Music lured me away," says Taylor. "I thought I'd make my way to California like everybody else back then but I ran out of money and ended up in Houston." The musical environment in Houston during the '70s was just what Taylor needed to inspire him. Taylor learned intricate blues guitar stylings from music legends Lightnin' Hopkins, Mance Lipscomb and Mississippi Fred McDowell while working at the Family Hand club. Later, he developed his own unique guitar picking style, one that would be imitated by many of his contemporaries from the early Houston days, such as Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Robert Earl Keen, Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle, and Nanci Griffith. "There were no lines drawn in the sand between musical genres in Houston back in those days," Taylor remembers. "You were just a musician. I believe so many great writers came out of that scene because you could learn from others. Isn't that the point of this whole thing?"

"Peppercorn Tree," the song in the video, is from Eric's 2007 cd release, "Hollywood Pocketknife." It is an example of Taylor in his glowing prime, a short story rendered in a six-minute song. If you ever get a chance to catch Eric Taylor in a concert setting, do so. In the meantime, if you haven't already, pick up a few of his recordings.

Eric Taylor's Official Website
http://www.bluerubymusic.com

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