Great American Taxi
(Thirty Tigers)
The Great American Taxi somehow manages to shift gears repeatedly as it travels from the Mississippi Delta to the Colorado Rockies, with the whole of the heartland sprawling in-between. First formed five years ago by singer, guitarist and mandolin player Vince Herman, late of Leftover Salmon, and vocalist and keyboard player Chad Staehly following an all-star jam, Great American Taxi now find themselves reaping the rewards of an ever-increasing populist following.
A jam band at their essence, their sophomore set mines a wide array of unmistakable influences, from the riverboat revelry of "One of These Days" and its crosspollination of Little Feat and Dr. John, to the Deadhead euphoria of "New Millennium Blues" and the aptly-titled "American Beauty," with the communal feel of the Band ringing through the weary "New Madrid." In fact, the album plays out as a veritable name-check of likely influences as the record winds on, with Randy Newman, the New Riders, the Byrds and the Allman Brothers all vying for ready references. A giddy combination of boogie, blues, bluegrass, nu-grass and honky-tonk, it's as readily infectious and genuinely freewheeling as its eclectic content might imply. Hopefully this Great American Taxi will continue to take listeners along for similarly spirited rides in the future.
Standout Tracks: "One of These Days," "American Beauty," "New Madrid" LEE ZIMMERMAN
