Taylor Hicks and the November Chronicles...

Don’t think that November is down time for Taylor Hicks just because the bus may be parked.

November, 2005
Taylor Hicks had his golden ticket to Hollywood and American Idol. Very few people knew that. He was on the verge of a new life that he had chased for ten years. Those of us who had never heard of Taylor Hicks had no idea this November how our lives would change forever… before the next November.

November, 2006
Taylor Hicks had just finished headlining the most successful American Idol tour ever. He had won with the largest number of votes ever cast, more than in the previous Presidential election. In November, he was heading into the studio in California; he lived where he could smell the ocean in the morning through his open windows; he said then that it was the happiest time of his life. Remember Rehearsals.com and “Hollywood Nights?” This was a November to remember. He rocked “Christmas at Rockefeller Center” with what critics called a “show-stopping” “Runaround,” and a never-heard-like-this “White Christmas.” He was a presenter at the American Music Awards in Hollywood. The finishing touches were going on his first post-Idol album, “Taylor Hicks” to be released December 12, 2006. Taylor fans were finding each other; fan sites had launched or were in creation. For many of us, a new side of our life was taking shape.

November, 2007
November 1, 2007, at Pearl River Casino in Philadelphia, MS, Taylor was closing his first National Modern Whomp Solo Tour after a killer 10-month concert schedule that had taken him across the country performing 4-5 concerts a week.

I was there in Pearl River and followers after that prayed for one thing that November—that this never-slows-down young man would get some rest!

He didn’t. In a few weeks he kicked off his first international tour headlining the Asian Idol Finale in Djkarta, Indonesia, and continued a ten-day tour of The Philippines.

November, 2008
This November Taylor Hicks was preparing for a different kind of tour. He had just closed a very successful summer run on Broadway starring as Teen Angel in “Grease”!!! Like everything else that he did, he owned the role that he debuted in June and was credited by the New York News with significant weekly increase at the box office as fans from all over came to see Taylor Hicks on a new stage—the Broadway stage. So much did he impress the Broadway powers that he was getting ready to take it on the road and would open the National Tour of Broadway Across America’s “Grease” Providence, RI on December 2. He was also back in the studio working on his second album—this time an independent release, The Distance, on his own recording label, Modern Whomp Records. He would be an independent recording star and Broadway’s Teen Angel side by side!

A few days earlier in October, this blog was launched. I can still feel the excitement of having this place to share our thoughts and enthusiasm for Taylor Hicks and the new road on which we had embarked! Heading into our first November here, I was obsessed with it all, and that hasn’t changed very much!

November, 2009
The “Eat to the Beat” Concert Series at Epcot Center was host to Taylor and full band this November. Fans were ecstatic to enjoy six shows in two days and many flew in to enjoy Epcot and all the shows. Veterans’ Day was special when Taylor released a free download of “Nineteen” and invited fans to share personal stories of their veterans on his website at www.taylorhicks.com. Taylor as Teen Angel was still flying across the country and Canada, while he took with him his new album, The Distance, that had dropped in March. Shadow tours brought his new music to the fans and “Grease” theatre goers could have it hand delivered and meet the “real” Taylor Hicks after each show. He was bringing his music directly to the people and building a fan base that a writer would later say would “serve him well.” It would also serve as a springboard for his aptly-named “kick ass” tour for the summer coming up.

November, 2010
This touring musician was still on the road wrapping up the summer’s “kick ass” tour that had crisscrossed the country and ended in Maplewood, MN Performing Arts Center. Then he gave his heart and talent, as he so often had done, to a charity performance—the “Dawn of a Dream” Gala for Children’s Cancer Research Foundation in Minneapolis, MN. Just when it all seemed to be winding down, he had a personal call from Clint Eastwood who asked him to sing the beautiful “Gran Torino” at the Museum of Tolerance Gala honoring Mr. Dirty Harry in Los Angeles. The only glimpse that we've seen of that appearance was captured in a future “Riding Shotgun with Taylor Hicks” which was launched this November. The Taylor Hicks TV Channel on YouTube takes followers along on the travels and escapades of Taylor and his band. “Riding Shotgun” episodes continue to be a very popular connection between Taylor and his fans. He concluded a busy November bringing the holiday cheer to tree-lighting ceremonies in Leeds, AL and Hollywood, CA.

November, 2011
Another November and Taylor Hicks is back in the studio, now in Nashville working on a new album of what he has called “country soul,” with his mentor, KebMo, who may influence the “soul” more than the “country.” It’s time to again wait and anticipate—new music, new touring, new travels.

There is something exciting about the “unknown.” What will the new music sound like? Country…soul…blues? What will be completely new; what will be perhaps familiar covers? What talented musicians will give it all the background that creates that incomparable sound that Taylor Hicks always creates?

Questions evoke anticipation. The answers will be even better.

And we’ll have those NEXT November!

~~~
If there is a theme for November, it is getting back to what Taylor Hicks is all about—the studio, recording music, and then touring it. November may be when followers “wait,” but Taylor is busy doing what he does.

In its first November, this blog was finding its legs. It has evolved; it has touched a few hearts and minds, I hope. It will be here for more Novembers, I can promise you. So, we too, are getting back to what we do—sharing the music and career of Taylor Hicks and remembering that excitement that we felt five years ago in November.

November is the breeding ground for next year—the next “what’s just around the bend…”

Stay tuned folks…! As Taylor might say...

~~~

Taylor Hicks ~~Biography: The Journey, Birmingham to Broadway

In summer, 2008, Taylor Hicks celebrated another milestone on a different stage—the Broadway stage. On June 6, he debuted on The Great White Way starring as Teen Angel in the revival production of “Grease.” In an Elvis-style pompadour and a rhinestone-encrusted midnight blue suit reminiscent of the 1950s’ flashy designs by Nudie Cohn, Hicks brought a new blues-inspired Teen Angel to Broadway. He said that he was channeling a little Elvis as he sang a soulful “Beauty School Dropout” to Frenchy. “We’re packing the place out. It’s sold out every night, and I get to play a little harmonica, which is cool.”

In August, Hicks revisited the roots music from years before with the release of Early Works, the first offering on his own label, Modern Whomp Records. Early Works compiled remastered tracks from his two previous independent releases, In Your Time and Under the Radar. In Your Time, featured Hicks originals—“Son of a Carpenter,” “The Fall,” “In Your Time,” and “Somehow.” He covered two classic tunes, “Tighten Up” and “Georgia.”

Under The Radar was exclusively the works of Hicks. Early Works includes his most often performed song and what he has called his personal mantra, “Soul Thing,” about life on the road and getting by. Other tracks are lyrical messages about love and friends: “The Deal,” “Hold on to Your Love,” “Heart and Soul” (originally entitled Blues and Soul), “West Texas Sky” and “My Friend.”

“…these two albums represent who I am and who I am trying to represent as a songwriter.” [They were] “songs that were hitting home with me at the time. …the songwriting was getting better and my direction as an artist was getting clearer,” Hicks wrote in the liner notes for Early Works.

After closing a very successful Broadway run in “Grease” on September 7, Hicks returned to the recording studio to work on a new album. He collaborated with some highly acclaimed musicians, including Nashville songwriters, Tom Hambridge and Gary Nicholson. He describes this work as “…some of the best music I’ve ever written, and from an artistic standpoint, this album, being in my control has allowed me to really breathe as a songwriter. …As an artist, you kind of understand the times and what your surroundings are and write from them. So there’s some political undertones on the album. It’s a serious time for us.”

Tomorrow: "The Distance" - "Before closing in 'Grease,' Taylor Hicks announced a cutting edge deal..."

Two Years and Still Going--The Distance!

On this day in 2009, Taylor Hicks released The Distance, on his own Modern Whomp Records label, with stellar collaborations of songwriters and producer, Simon Climie. Stellar, too, were the back up musicians—from Eric Clapton’s band!

One record, so much music!

“What’s Right is Right” was the first pre-release single with the beautiful retro-chic Chicago-on-a-snowy-night music video by New York filmmaker, Jake Davis.

As The Distance hit the streets, fans were packed for Roxy’s where in just a few days, we would experience the real music of The Distance—Taylor’s first live concert after its release. He bounded onto the stage that night to the striking notes of the title song.

Taylor Hicks at Roxy's March 18, 2009, after release of The Distance (photo by San)

The eclectic music of The Distance would come to many stages in so many places as it went along on the National Broadway Tour of “Grease.” Taylor sang “What’s Right is Right” and later, “Seven Mile Breakdown,” as an encore on the “Grease” stage after every performance. It was the “cutting edge” for releasing a new album onto the music scene.

I took an initial look at the tracks in “The Distance…first impressions” the day following its release:

http://thetaylorhickscommunity.blogspot.com/2009/03/taylor-hicksthe-distancefirst.html

And reaction to the music grew and evolved.

“I Live on a Battlefield” was not a favorite at first. “Talk about a dark horse coming on strong.” It has become the most pounding, energetic track on the album. In concert, it is unparalleled for getting the heart pumping.

“Maybe You Should” was the heartthrob song with pure Taylor voice. There isn’t anything not to like about the beautiful lament of lost love. Taylor has said on several occasions that “Maybe You Should” is on hold for a major country singer.

“Nineteen” took us out of ourselves and gave us all the opportunity to honor our heroes, and Taylor began an effort to always thank our troops whenever we see them. The poignant story and Jeff Lopez’s “Dixie” flute line at the end took us out of the music and made it something much more.

“Seven Mile Breakdown,” the second single release, was raucous delta rock with country down laid on top! And a music video from Oregon film maker, Spence Nicholson, was miles and miles from the first snowy Chicago one. Delta country went to the California hills and the two married very well in a fun music outing that was No. 1 on the AOL and MuVids music video charts for months.

And “Seven Mile Breakdown” took Taylor Hicks back to the American Idol stage that year for one delta-rocks-with-attitude evening! Delta down was up that night. Way up. Taylor Hicks brought it!

Taylor Hicks rocks American Idol, 2009, performing "Seven Mile Breakdown" (screencap by Gypsee)

The Distance has seen glorious days and rocked out stages in two short years.

A good run—but it’s not over.

Taylor Hicks always mixes it up. With his unique performances and infusion of new covers, The Distance concert that first played at Roxy’s in 2009 is as new and vibrant today as it was then.

There is still an opportunity to enjoy The Distance music on tour before it is, at least slightly, eclipsed by a new and exciting album from Taylor Hicks slated for “late fall,” that he describes as country soul.

Taylor has said that you have to live with the music you record for a long time.

Fair enough. We can live with the music on The Distance for a long time!

Check out our TTHC Discography for music from The Distance.

http://www.thetaylorhickscommunity.com/distance.html


Check out the Taylor Hicks 2011 Concert schedule for The Distance music LIVE…the best way to go… The Distance!

~~~

Taylor Hicks ~~ Americana Music

Some time ago, a friend sent me music by Irma Thomas including a beautiful version of “Loving Arms,” one of my all time favorite songs. I had not heard her music—Miss Irma, New Orleans’ Soul Queen. I liked her rich, soulful sound. “Break Away” is one of her own songs, and “I Wish Someone Would Care” is a soulful jewel.

She is representative of the great artists out there who aren’t charting hit makers or mainstream pop culture icons. But they have a loyal following because they are good.

Music blogger, Bob Lefsetz, has said that he’s not a fan of hits, but a fan of music and that we need a “filter” to find the good music out there—there is so much of the other kind. He thought someone could make money by presenting really good music and artists, not just performers with deep pockets.

Musical talent was discovered in a somewhat unusual way in the 1930s.

It was the Thirties’ version of a government stimulus package—part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal.

This is from an intriguing history, “Highway 61 Revisited The Tangled Roots of American Jazz, Blues, Rock, & Country Music,” by the master sax musician, Gene Santoro.

“Under the New Deal, the government sent out squadrons of researchers, writers, artists, and collators to document and disseminate local American folkways and history. This was part of the broader push to put to work the armies of unemployed, but it also reflected a country awakening from the social elite’s Eurocentric cultural dominance, partly thanks to emerging mass media…”

John and Alan Lomax were part of this unique effort.

“Alan Lomax worked with his ex-banker father, John A. Lomax, from age 17, crisscrossing the South making irreplaceable field recordings… adding oral histories and interviews that nest among the jewels of the Library of Congress.

“The biggest prize the Lomaxes snared on their 1933 Library of Congress trip to Louisiana’s Angola State Penitentiary was Huddie 'Lead Belly' Ledbetter. …
He carried in his head a fathomless bag of Americana.”

The Lomaxes were enthralled by Lead Belly and were able to get his release. He was turned over to Moses Asch, an independent label head with a small studio just off New York’s Time Square.

“Asch is one of those independent label heads who played vital roles in postwar American music. At Folkways, Asch recorded culture that was vanishing beneath urbanization and the growing mass media. He ran his several labels on love and a shoestring.”

“Lead Belly was the first folk artist Asch recorded, and his songs fed a powerful underground stream into folk and rock music of the 1950s and 1960s: songs he claimed to write…include 'Goodnight Irene' and 'Cottonfields,' which were covered by everyone from [Pete] Seeger to Creedence Clearwater Revival, and defined others like 'House of the Rising Sun.'"

I was fascinated by an “under the radar” DVD, “Deep Blues, a Musical Pilgrimage to the Crossroads,” by Robert Palmer and others, captured much in the same way as the Lomaxes did—recorded in tucked away roadhouses, bars, and front porches in the Deep South. It is “real” blues and soul music that is about as far away from mainstream as one could get.

It made me realize that there are live music places, much like the ones where Taylor Hicks “cut his musical teeth” all over the country in out of the way byways and housed in old buildings on busy city streets where good music is humming. Raw talent is performing on Wednesday night hoping just to get a Friday or Saturday night gig.

It makes you want to go out to the local bar or club and check out the talent. Support live music!

If you are lucky enough to be in or around New Orleans, one of the most fascinating cities I’ve ever had the privilege to visit (yes, to see Taylor Hicks), Irma Thomas has an impressive musical resume and is appearing there in December.

And she is good.



From Rounder Records: "She remains one of America’s most distinctive and classic singers, a treasure from the golden age of soul music who remains as compelling and powerful as ever..."

Check out Miss Irma, New Orleans’ Soul Queen:

http://www.irmathomas.com/

If music is your passion or your diversion, Gene Santoro’s comprehensive history of 20th century Americana music is outstanding. As a non-musician, I didn’t understand much of the music lingo, but the histories of great musical legends from Woody Guthrie to Bruce Springsteen were fascinating. It is an in-depth study of the people and influences that create the basis for our Americana music scene today. It is not just about Southern roots, but also the legacies of the West Coast, New York City, and Detroit.

All of these musical treasures are available on Amazon!

Miss Irma’s soulful albums
“Deep Blues, A Musical Pilgrimage to the Crossroads” by Robert Palmer and others “Highway 61 Revisited The Tangled Roots of American Jazz, Blues, Rock, & Country Music,” by Gene Santoro, Oxford University Press
Taylor Hicks’s music, “Taylor Hicks,” “Early Works,” “The Distance,” and “Whomp at the Warfield,” live performance DVD.

And all are wonderful presents for the music lover on your holiday gift list!

Final Reflection:
The music I have discovered in the past few years, not only from Taylor Hicks, but from friends and online communities has enriched my life anew. I have always loved music—sang in church choirs as a teenager, studied a little bit of it in college, and then I got busy with life. Except for an occasional concert, popular vinyl album, or a radio in the background, I missed a few decades of music.

The last four years has been a reconnecting with music from the past and good music of today.


I am forever grateful to Taylor Hicks for that!

~~~

To subscribe to The Lefsetz Letter, visit: www.lefsetz.com

Photos: Miss Irma Thomas from www.irmathomas.com; Taylor Hicks at Museum of Tolerance International Film Festival.

Taylor Hicks ~~ Whomp train running

Try to understand the music industry and the major changes happening today and be confused and perplexed. It is in flux, to say the least. According to widely-read bloggers, the major labels are dead, fans are fed up paying high prices for tickets for bad seats, Madonna is not singing live on stage, and the biggest music stars in the world can’t sell out stadiums or arenas. Music is shared for free all other the internet and available to purchase by the track. How to sell an album?

What are artists to do?

Stick to the music. Make good the live performance. Carve their niche. Connect with the fans.

In January of this year, Taylor Hicks released the long awaited DVD, “Whomp at the Warfield,” captured at the historic Warfield Theatre in San Francisco near the end of the first leg of his 2007 National Modern Whomp Solo Tour. The second leg of the exhausting tour continued until November 1, ending in Philadelphia, Mississippi, at Pearl River Resort.

The killer schedule paid off, and the American Idol alum set course on a road to long term success.

This long term success of the reality music show alumni was the subject of a recent blog.

As American Idol prepared to launch Season Nine, Jayelle Hartley, a blogger at open.salon.com/blog looked “beyond the 15 minutes of Idol fame.” Taylor Hicks was on her list of 15. Her focus for his longevity was his “touring mindset.”

“So what will it take to keep their careers going into the future? Diversification is key to extending a run on the show into a lasting career. …Touring is providing the Lion's Share of income, while Broadway is cherry picking the stage proven performers. Film and TV offers are also in the works for many. Diversification is key and these alums must work hard to maintain momentum.

“Which idol alum are most likely to achieve long-term success in the entertainment industry? Here is an alphabetical list of 15 idols who may have the best chance for extended careers in entertainment.

“Taylor Hicks (2006 Season Five, Winner)
Hicks utilized his decade of experience as a professional singer-songwriter/musician /performer to sail to Idol victory. His joyful, uninhibited performances and soulful voice mobilized an enthusiastic fanbase dubbed the 'Soul Patrol'. Post-Idol, He debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with his single 'Do I Make You Proud'. The album 'Taylor Hicks' debuted at #2 and was certified platinum, but sales soon flatlined due to the music industry's lack of interest in promoting the 30 year old's hybrid rock/soul/blues sound.

“Touring proved his strength when he became the first alum to come directly off the show as a successful solo concert headlining act, a status he maintains to this day.

“After a mutual split from Arista, Hicks went indie, formed his own music company and produced 2009's 'The Distance' and the 2010 concert DVD 'Whomp At The Warfield'. In summer 2008, Hicks surprised many with his Broadway debut as 'Teen Angel' in Grease. The part went over so well that he was subsequently offered a lucrative deal as their marquee star on the national tour. His box office draw has the charismatic Clooney look-alike fielding future Broadway, TV and film offers. Hicks emphasis on business and artistic control as well as a tireless touring mindset has him in the game for the long term.”

That touring mindset has served him well.

The 2007 snapshot taken in “Whomp at the Warfield” showcases mindset turned magic that made his Modern Whomp Solo Tour the …

27th highest grossing tour of 2007!

That’s pretty amazing considering how many long-established artists toured that year!

As Ms. Hartey points out:

“…he became the first alum to come directly off the show as a successful solo concert headlining act, a status he maintains to this day.”

In a cover article in the Birmingham Magazine in July, 2009, Michael Douglas of Taylor’s management team, recounted the tour’s success and said that it gave the necessary jumpstart for Taylor to pursue business ventures like forming his own recording company, Modern Whomp Records, as well as a touring and merchandising company.

With Taylor’s unwavering devotion to his music, business acumen, and tireless work ethic…

He looks headed for way beyond 15 minutes of fame.

He has said over and over that this is a marathon, not a sprint.

From Warfield to WorkPlay…

Taylor Hicks is on a long train running…

And it’s on track.


Photo by Natalie Goik: Taylor at WorkPlay, September, 2009.

Quotes from:
Jan. 8, 2010 4:06PM
Beyond 15 minutes of American Idol Fame
http://open.salon.com/blog/jayelle_hartley/2010/01/08/beyond_15_minutes_of_american_idol_fame

Taylor Hicks ~~ Music -- What is it, really?

Have we perfected ourselves right out of the music game?

I was intrigued with an article sent to me about the latest recording by Michael Buble, who is stepping away from “perfection” and going for the “groove” in an “old fashioned” way of recording.

Imagine the concept—musicians all playing on the floor in the same room and recording it LIVE! And he admits that the idea was not well received by the “experts,” and that it is risky, and may not be “commercially” successful!

There was something more important to Michael Buble—the music—real and moving.

“Despite the massive success of his first three albums, the Vancouver crooner had fallen out of love -- not with the music he was making, but with the way he was making it.”

Although he says he was very proud of his first three albums that sold 21 million copies, “there was something missing.”

“They sound really good; sonically, they're beautiful. They're all about perfection -- everything is recorded onto ProTools, and if something isn't perfect, you pull it out and fix it. There are no mistakes.”

And so, to “rekindle” an old flame, he listened to recording of Frank Sinatra, Elvis and the Beatles.

“And I would feel something -- I can't really explain it, but there was a great presence in some of those records. I kept wondering why they had this great presence and why I didn't always feel that when I was listening to myself, or to other records that are made today. And one of the first things I realized was that we live in a ProTools, American Idol generation. We've become used to listening to this absolutely perfect music, but the heart and the soul are gone. It's so antiseptic.

“At the same time, he admits, he was getting slightly tired of hearing an eternal refrain from fans and critics: That his live shows are more enjoyable than his studio albums. Putting the two ideas together led to his eureka moment. ‘I realized that maybe I could meet somewhere in the middle and capture the energy and the raw excitement that comes from doing it in a live setting.’”

The old fashioned way.

His fans were not the only ones saying live shows were better. Prolific music blogger, Bob Lefsetz, has said many times that he is blown away by live performances of artists whose recorded music he would not buy and listen to. He recently “discovered” Taylor Swift live at the Ryman and was moved to tears by the “real” music.

“Music done right is life itself,” Lefsetz said.

Have we ProTooled ourselves right out of music itself? If it no longer speaks to us, is it music? Or is it engineered sound…beautiful, yes, and listenable, and commercial.

Is it music?

Michael told his producer, David Foster:

“'I need to do this in a different way. It has to be far more organic. I don't want to record to a click track. I don't want to tape everything separately. I want to shove those microphones in the room and I want the band just to go in there and play. I don't care if the tempo speeds up or slows down. I just want it to feel great. I want those drums to be bleeding into the bass, and the bass bleeding into the strings, and them bleeding into my vocals. I want this to have some real edge.' "

He took a chance:

"I got my 18-piece big band, threw them in a room, chucked up the microphones, set up a little vocal booth, and we did Stardust with (a cappella septet) Naturally 7. My rhythm section was 10 feet away, and nobody wore (headphone) cans, and we played. We played the song three times and we ended up using the first take. It was so satisfying."

Who knew what the commercial success of “Crazy Love” would be?

We recently witnessed the “real” music of Taylor Hicks at WorkPlay and much has been written about it.

Could the “music” of WorkPlay have been produced on ProTools? Can you imagine Billy Earl McClelland in one room, Taylor in another, and Brian Less in another with the keyboards…making music like that?

What is music? Is it perfect sound? Or, are heart and soul essential ingredients for “music.”

How far can we go electronically and call something “real.” Call it “music.”

What is it? Really?

Engineered sounds, or a human experience?

Michael admits that he possibly erred:

“But I erred on the side of integrity. I tried to make a record that really moved me. And I hoped that if it moved me it would move other people.”

Music moving people—an old fashioned idea? Was that the magic of Sinatra, Elvis, the Beatles? Not the voices, nor perfect sounds.

Here is the uniqueness of Taylor Hicks and his music. Listen to recordings of “The Distance,” and “Early Works.” The music moves you. Taylor so lives his music that the recorded sounds capture the intensity of that human experience. Add the ProTools environment. The heart and soul—the real music—still comes through.

It just gets better on the live stage.

The live concert is the artist’s recorded music kicked up a big notch. Why artists tour. Why Taylor has said touring is where it’s at. Why Bob Lefsetz says give away the recorded music—live music is where it’s at. Recorded is the enticement to see it live?

OR, record it live?

Anyone for “Taylor Hicks—Live at the Fillmore!”


Sources: The Lefsetz Letter, http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
“Buble is Crazy” by Darryl Sterdan, http://www.thewhig.com/

Taking a chance paid off commercially too for Michael Buble. “Crazy Love” is Number 1 on the charts in Canada.

~Thanks to KarinP for sending me this article on Michael Buble. It started the wheels turning.

Thanks to Wonder for the photo above: "Taylor at WorkPlay"

Taylor Hicks ~The Birmingham Blogs ~Leave me with the music

Taylor Hicks is never the star. It is the music.

Watch him on stage. He is lost in the music. He closes his eyes and channels the passion and essence of the music. He is oblivious of his own stage presence. He makes faces as the music inspires. This is not about Taylor Hicks.

It is always about the music, and the music never takes a back seat.

“I gotta be honest. For me, you can take it all, but leave me with the music.” Taylor Hicks

Now, days after WorkPlay, what remains paramount in my mind is the music—the funky sounds of “chicken pickin”, with Josh Smith, the wailing sax of Jeff Lopez, the fired up keyboards of Brian Less and the deep, emotional, and strong vocals on songs like “Maybe You Should” by Taylor Hicks.

Music industry blogger, Bob Lefsetz recently wrote about the power of the music as he attended a concert by the Hollywood Philharmonic:

“... Dudamel [orchestra conductor] did not deal with the music from a distance, he charged right in, bringing the orchestra with him. And not having attended a classical concert in eons, I didn't know they now put the conductor on the big screen, from the musicians' perspective, so you can see him in action.”

“The passion! This isn't someone searching to be famous, to get rich, it's clear he's moved by one thing only, the music! At times he jumped up and down, smiled, but when he closed his eyes in reverie to the music, seeming to channel heaven, not only were you turned on, you connected. For this is the experience of listening to one's favorite tunes.”

“The passion! This isn't someone searching to be famous, to get rich, it's clear he's moved by one thing only, the music!”

Taylor never deals with music from a distance. He dives right in and takes everyone along with him. He is moved by one thing only—the music!

Take it all…but leave me with the music. That is the real legacy of WorkPlay…music to inspire the next WorkPlay, the next song, the next journey. Music to touch our lives.

While in Birmingham, Taylor talked to Alabama Public Television Profile host, Wendy Garner, about his music saying that touching lives is what it is all about. I think that Taylor knows that when he walks off the stage, sweat pouring off his face, that he has touched lives and made them happier. He’s made himself a little bit happier too. The music is what he lives for and what challenges him—make it new, make it better, make it touch lives.

It is the magic of Taylor Hicks--touching lives through his music.

It is the greater good that trumps success, money, CD sales, or sold out venues.

Someday, I think Taylor will look back, not at how many CDs of The Distance he sold, but on places like WorkPlay and remember “Dust my Broom” with his mentor Billy Earl McClelland, and his jazzy duet with friend and musician, Ona Watson. I believe he will look back on the music and the people with whom he shared it. He will remember Brian, Josh and Jeff and the good sounds he made with people like the UAB Gospel Choir.

I believe this is how Taylor Hicks will measure his success and his time well spent. His legacy and his life’s joy will be his music and sharing it with others.

He will remember the WorkPlays.


May Taylor have many more WorkPlays.

May we all have more WorkPlays in our lives!

Thank you, Taylor and Birmingham, for WorkPlay.

Thank you, everyone, who made Birmingham memorable.

I was blessed to be there!

Photo by Natalie Goik: Taylor at WorkPlay.

Taylor Hicks ~ The Birmingham blogs ~ City of Iron

The biggest star in Birmingham is not Taylor Hicks!

It is the iron man who stands high above the city with outstretched hand holding a spear.

“Vulcan, Birmingham, Alabama's colossal statue is the world's largest cast iron statue and considered one of the most memorable works of civic art in the United States. Designed by Italian artist Giuseppe Moretti and cast from local iron in 1904, it has overlooked the urban landscape of Alabama's largest city since the 1930s.”

The Roman god of the forge is the revered symbol of Birmingham’s rich history as an industrial town. He was cast originally for the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. After returning to Birmingham, there was uncertainty about what to do with the metallurgic giant.

When the hollow statue was filled with concrete and weather badly corroded the iron man and caused Vulcan to crack, he was repaired, partially recast, and relocated to the top of Red Mountain, a peak between Birmingham and Homewood. Given his own grassy knoll, he is the central attraction in a panorama of Birmingham history.

http://www.visitvulcan.com/about-vulcan-vulcans-story.html

I am a history nut, so I love to explore the past everywhere I go. Vulcan looks over the beautiful “Magic City,” founded in 1871 and so-named because it grew so quickly. Located on rich mines of coal, iron ore, and limestone, Birmingham became a leading producer of iron and steel.

Birmingham was a city in turmoil during the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. The Civil Rights Institute, across the street from the 16th Avenue Baptist Church, houses a dramatic look at Birmingham’s tumultuous past.

“The opening of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute in 1993 did more to heal the city from within and in the eyes of the nation than any other single event. With the opening of the Institute, the city was able at last to tell its own story, and by telling, soothe the wounds of the past.”

I find the real look and get the feel of a city on its streets. In a walking tour, I discovered a beautiful section of Richard Arrington Drive with trees, flowers, quaint eateries and mounted policeman. In two blocks, I passed two beautiful churches. There were many old buildings just waiting for a new life that seemed to be just around the corner.

There is no doubt that Birmingham is Taylor’s town. At the Birmingham Weekly, I briefly talked to the editor who told me that Taylor used to tug at his sleeve and say, “Come on, you gotta cover me.” And he would tell him, “Taylor, I always cover you!

He was covering Taylor again in that week’s edition with “From Idol to Angel,” where Taylor talked about his vision for “The Distance.”

“I wanted to go back to my roots and write a really organic, serious record and I feel like I accomplished that. I didn’t rally care about how much radio would love it –I wrote it because I wanted the songs to be great, and I wanted people to understand me as a songwriter.”

Hometown reporter for The Birmingham News, Mary Colurso, who has also “covered” Taylor since American Idol, made her Idol choice clear:

“Over time, it's become clear: Taylor Hicks is the most dynamic, interesting and consistently entertaining member of Birmingham's "American Idol" trio.”

Birmingham is in the musical heart of the South with Nashville and New Orleans influences. The legends who made it in those towns, foster the dream that, “If they can do it, I can too.” And three American Idols from The Magic City have followed that dream and captured that magic—Bo Bice, Ruben Studdard, and Taylor Hicks.

In part of Saturday night’s concert at WorkPlay, Taylor showcased the area’s rich gospel music culture when the UAB Gospel Choir joined him on stage for the encores, “New Found Freedom” and “My Sweet Lord.” Young people grow up singing in the many churches.

The city breathes to a musical beat. There are numerous clubs where unknown musicians can hone their art, like Ona’s just down the street from Five Points entertainment district and The Oasis, where Taylor says he learned the visual aspect of performing by walking on the bar. Another is WorkPlay, a place I would soon know well.

Birmingham felt like a town, not a city. It has that comfortable feeling of a place you could move to and be at home.

It is no wonder that Taylor always says, “It’s good to be home.”

Taylor Hicks was home at WorkPlay and the Soul Patrol was in for a treat.

“The Soul Patrol Woodstock”—next.

Source: http://www.birminghamal.org/about-history.html

Photo by San: Taylor at WorkPlay, 9.25.09

Taylor Hicks ~ Birmingham week!

Taylor Hicks has been to Asia. He’s been to Broadway, to Canada and California, and to hundreds of places in between.

This week he goes home to Birmingham.

At age 15, Taylor stepped onto the stage to entertain at Corey’s Sports Bar, a biker’s joint in downtown Birmingham. There were only a few more than his age in the audience. Taylor’s first “gig” was almost 20 years ago!

The next ten years took him all over the South—the Chitlin’ Circuit—bars, roadhouses and clubs from Nashville to the Gulf Coast. He said in his autobiography, “Heart Full of Soul,” that he could always count on coming home to Birmingham for a few gigs—City Stages, WorkPlay, Marty’s, Open Door.

In May, 2006, Taylor came home as a finalist in the biggest show on the planet, American Idol. He received a huge welcome—a parade and a meeting with Governor Riley who declared a “Taylor Hicks Day.”

A few months later, he returned to Birmingham as Season Five American Idol. In the famous purple jacket with a rock star entrance and Elvis’ Jailhouse Rock, he entertained the hometown crowd on the American Idol Tour.

Taylor was home again in March, 2007, on his own beautiful tour bus with full road band and entourage in tow. He performed at the historic Alabama Theatre in downtown Birmingham as fans came from all over the country to see Taylor in his hometown.

This week Taylor is back in Birmingham on yet another stage and another rung on the American Dream ladder. He stars as Teen Angel in the Broadway Across America production of “Grease.” He also entertains in his own concerts at WorkPlay with music from his new album, The Distance, out on his own label, Modern Whomp Records.

It’s Birmingham Week again!

September 22 ~ 27 “Grease” at BJCC starring Taylor Hicks as Teen Angel. Opening Night Cast Party at Rogue’s Tavern benefits Black Warrior Riverkeepers.

September 25 ~ WorkPlay concert SOLD OUT with Buffalo Black opening. Taylor appears after “Grease”

September 26 ~ WorkPlay concert with Bonnie Bishop opening. Taylor appears after “Grease.” Tickets are going fast!

Join Taylor and fans for the Birmingham experience!

It’s all special in B’ham!

Ticket for WorkPlay Saturday night:


http://www.workplay.com/workplay.asp?Page=http://www.ticketbiscuit.com/WorkPlay/BuyTickets.aspx?EID=38569&

Photos by san ~ Alabama Theatre marqee and Taylor in Atlanta, March, 2007. (No pictures were allowed inside the Alabama Theatre.)

Taylor Hicks ~~ "Maybe You Should"

What’s not to like about “Maybe You Should.” It is the pure, rich voice of Taylor Hicks singing a powerful song from the heart.

The heart rending lyrics of “Maybe You Should” have the feel of resignation. When all the words have been spoken and silence is broken only by tears, there is nothing left. Painful words recall the way love once was. Yet, in spite of the resolve and promises, all that remains is to give in to the inevitable.

“If you can leave here tonight,
Baby, maybe you should.”

We hold on to love, fight for it, live for it. Sometimes, we finally give up on it. “Maybe You Should” is a last acquiescence, a death knell in “this room” now filled only with memories.

The acoustic simplicity of “Maybe You Should” leaves a blank canvass for the emotional lyrics and rich vocals. Taylor’s simple delivery is straightforward, a sigh of resignation, even as plaintive words make a last attempt to rekindle those “tender years.”

“Baby, I just keep on seeing all that moonlight shining down
The way our love could light up this little Alabama town.
I keep holding on to hope still finding reasons to believe...”

If there is a trace of underlying anger it is in realizing “there’s a lot that I misunderstood” –an anguished moment when neither words, nor music, can change life.

“If you can tear down everything we built,
Deny everything we felt,
I guess there’s a lot that I misunderstood.
If you can leave here tonight,
Baby, maybe you should."

An austere, but rich piano track moves hand in hand with expressive lyrics. Bass, guitar, drums, organ and pedal steel are so finely interwoven that they are almost indistinguishable. Their blending is such a smooth musical backdrop that the mood of “this room” is all we hear.

Vocals fade at the end like someone walking out of the room. A final “maybe you should” is a whisper in an empty room sung only for the singer. Like the door closing or the final curtain falling and the lights coming up, the last musical notes take us to another inevitable—life goes on.

“Maybe You Should” is a hauntingly beautiful, bittersweet song that finds a place in each of us where love did not last forever. It plays in that deep, hidden spot in our hearts that we cover and deny that the pain is still there. But in remembering lost love, we also remember the bright spots when love could “light up this little Alabama town.”

And so for that, we go on gambling, leaning on love, and, sometimes, walking away.

Stunning lyrics are the fire in this song. They contrive to place us in the past, the present and the probable future. Words and phrasing are creatively unpredictable—not the usual “ losing you” lyrics. They are matched by beautiful melodies that carry us through a story that comes together for the kind of musical experience that we will listen to for a lifetime.

Smokey Robinson told Taylor that the songs you record, you have to live with for a long time.

“Maybe You Should” is a song that Taylor Hicks can live with for a long time!

And so can I.


“Maybe You Should,” written by Taylor Hicks/Gary Nicholson/Michael Reid is from the album, The Distance, by Taylor Hicks on Modern Whomp Records.

Photo courtesy of RagsQueen, The Magic Bag, 6.22.09

“Maybe You Should” video capture by RagsQueen at Smith’s Olde Bar, Atlanta, 8.16.09




Listen to an MP3 sample of “Maybe You Should” from The Distance at TTHC Discography:

http://thetaylorhickscommunity.com/discography.html

Taylor Hicks ~~ the West Coast finale...

From Tucson to Seattle, the West Coast run for Taylor Hicks was memorable. But just like the iconic pop show where it all started on the West Coast, it’s ending soon—at least for this season.

Taylor makes his last Shadow Tour appearance on the West Coast at Seattle’s Triple Door on May 27th and "Grease’s " run in Seattle ends May 30th. Then “Grease” packs the lockers, the cone, and a lot of memories and makes the long haul back to the Midwest for its opening in Appleton, Wisconsin, on June 2.

For West Coasters, it is a sad realization that Taylor’s not a short flight or a day’s drive away. But our memories are vivid and sweet.

In late February, a warm and sunny Tucson welcomed Taylor and the “Grease” cast from the cold wintry climes of the Midwest. “What’s Right is Right” was out, and Taylor brought out his “Arizona shoes”—snakeskin boots to honor the appreciative Southwestern fans that packed Music Hall. Tucson was his second visit to Arizona. He brought his Modern Whomp Solo Tour to Tempe in 2007.

The first West Cost Shadow Tour performance was in San Diego. One of the songs he did was “Nineteen,” the emotional story of a war hero, from his album, The Distance. It was well received by the many Navy men and women attending the Belly Up show. Taylor dedicated it to our troops, a tradition he began with “Do I Make You Proud.”

In the glitzy LA/West Hollywood circles, Taylor rocked with the beautiful people as “Grease” played at the historic Pantages Theatre just down the street from the Kodak Theatre where he won the American Idol title in 2006. It had to bring back memories.

In March, Taylor joined in a day of purpose at the Los Angeles County Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, in its 13th year to raise awareness, fund research and provide breast cancer screening and treatment to the citizens of Los Angeles County.

The long-anticipated release of The Distance on Taylor’s own label, Modern Whomp Records, hit the streets on March 10th. On March 18th at Roxy’s on the renowned Sunset Strip, the stage was set for the first performance of all the new music from The Distance done Taylor’s way—live on stage! It was a night to remember for West Coasters and visitors from everywhere! The Soul Patrol was there from many Western states and as far away as Tennessee.

As if the warm Western sun were fermenting the creative juices, the phone in the cone was born. Taylor became a "tweeter" at twitter.com/TaylorRHicks and pretty good at standup zingers from the cone, such as the latest one liner from a few hours ago: “The Cone Ranger rides again.”

Why make a video about the wrong side of Mississippi in Mississippi? Why not make it in California when you are Taylor Hicks and Spence Nicholson? So, Seven Mile Breakdown, the video, was shot in Ojai, California, with Taylor performing for the first time (I think) on a grassy hillside. It debuted on AOL Music’s Popeater.com on April 27th. It took West Coast fun to a new high. And the video has well over 84,000 views on muvids.com!

The real high in the West had to be when Taylor returned to the American Idol stage to perform his newly released country rock single, “Seven Mile Breakdown” just over a week ago. He brought down the house, brought Simon to his feet, and brought tears to the fans who remembered why they had started this journey.

Looking back, it was a pretty darn good West Coast run! A new album, over 100 performances in “Grease,” four Shadow Tours, a cone phone, a video, the National Anthem on Opening Day at the ballpark, more media appearances than anyone can count, and an Idol appearance that redefined Taylor Hicks, American Idol—not bad for a harmonica player from “back there.” Dare I say, he best return more often? Okay, that’s just wishful thinking.

Thank you, Taylor, for giving the Left Side great memories! You did okay out here! We will miss you, but we’re packing our bags.

It’ll just be a little longer flight next time… and a little more humid!

Safe travels to you and the Grease cast as you continue on tour. And come west again…soon!

~~
Important note: If you are reading this from the West Coast and you haven’t seen Taylor Hicks in "Grease" or in his own Shadow Tour concerts, don’t miss this opportunity to see an amazing performer. Blogcritic Another Chad recently called Taylor the greatest talent to come out of American Idol. Grab a ticket for Seattle and enjoy some West Coast fun!

Screencap by san from AI/FOX capture by Gypsee. Please do not repost.