The Bluesmasters - The Bluesmasters Featuring Cassie Taylor (2025)

The creative collaborative group The Bluesmasters embark upon their eighth studio release with a gospel infused album of soul and blues featuring blues scion Cassie Talyor. The activist, vocalist, bass playing daughter of legendary guitarist Otis Taylor leads the ensemble through ten inspired tracks originally made famous by heavy weight musical heroes - The Staple Singers, Ramsey Lewis, O.V. Wright, Aretha Franklin and more. The ten tracks were recorded live at Exulans Studio by an eleven-piece group with Taylor on vocals sharing bass duties with Kassidy Kent bolstered by Christian Teele on drums, Eric Moon on keyboards, Tim Tucker on guitars, Sally Van Meter on lap steel and Doug Lynn on harmonica with background vocals from Stella Ann, Kylee Ribble, Larea Edwards and Chrissy Grant creating a wall of sound styled production.

The Bluesmasters boldly open the set by taking the sparse call and response number, “Downward Road,” from The Staple Singers 1960 release and revving it up over a heavy Chicago shuffle and adding sacred steel and greasy blues harp setting the stage for what’s ahead. “Nobody's Fault But Mine," one of Blind Willie Johnson's most interpreted songs, is transformed by Taylor and Company with glorious harmonies and swinging sophisticated testimony. Conversely the group removes the highbrow composition, “Sit Down Servant,” from the opera house and brings it back to the juke joint for a gritty late-night blues altar call. Taking rhythmic cues from the 1966 Ramsey Lewis version of “Wade In The Water,” The Bluesmasters add a hundred pounds of heft to the back beat and pumping bass to create a truly modern cover of the much-loved folk song. Taylor shows off her dynamic range during her emotional reading of the bittersweet R&B ballad “You’re Gonna Make Me Cry.”

The 1922 hymn “If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again,” is brought into the 21st century over a rousing boogaloo beat. Taylor channels Mavis on the re-creation of the heady blues treatise, “I Wonder Why,” from The Staple Singers and the tribute continues with a loving turn on the family’s most beloved song “Respect Yourself.” Everyone gets a moment to shine on the album finale “Chain Of Fools.”

On this new collection of gospel infused blues and soul, The Bluesmasters and Cassie Taylor give living proof to the oft said phrase “There is a fine line between Saturday night and Sunday morning.” ~Rick J Bowen