(Telarc Records)

www.telarc.com

In the past, bluesman Otis Taylor has written about racism, social injustice, poverty, and drug abuse, imbuing each song with dark humor and the darker-hued, acoustic-based music that he calls "trance blues." With Pentatonic Wars And Love Songs, the uncompromising songwriter turns his creative attention to love and romance, tragedy and loss.

As he has with eight previous albums, Taylor brings his characteristic insight and personal experience to bear on the material here. Sung with enchanting beauty by his daughter Cassie, "Sunday Morning" is an ethereal tale of waiting for one's long ago lost lover to return. British blues-rock guitarist Gary Moore lends his talents to the horrifying tale "Lost My Guitar," but the interracial romance by two kids too young to have been taught differently in "I'm Not Mysterious" is simply brilliant in its haunting beauty. Driven by a raging circular riff, and sung with wicked charm by Cassie Taylor, "Mama's Best Friend" is a true story of a woman finding love and acceptance in the arms of another woman.

An underrated and skilled multi-instrumentalist, Taylor has never been afraid to experiment beyond blues tradition musically, and he does so gleefully here. Still, it's Taylor's uncanny ability to capture human behavior in song, warts and all, that is his artistic trademark. With Pentatonic Wars And Love Songs, Taylor has created a master work that not only perfectly captures the energy and emotion of romance and relationships, but has also taken blues music as an art form to a higher level altogether.

Standout Tracks: "Sunday Morning," "I'm Not Mysterious," "If You Hope" REV. KEITH A. GORDON