Folk Roots Radio Episode 517: feat. Julian Taylor – The Ridge & More New Releases

Julian Taylor joins us on Episode 517 of Folk Roots Radio to chat about his wonderful new singer-songwriter recording “The Ridge”, an album which has a quite lovely Americana sound to it. Originally intended for a fall release, the eight-song recording was brought forward in the hope that it might bring joy to listeners in troubled times – as we all cope with the on-going coronavirus pandemic. The Ridge is a fantastic album, and, it’s always a pleasure to chat to Julian Taylor about his music. We wrap up the episode with more of the great new music we’ve received, and this time around we hear from Birds From Paradise, Kylie Fox, Elisa Peimer, For Lua, Sultans Of String, Forest Sun, Woody Woodburn and Mike McKenna Jr. Check out the full playlist below.

Interview

A prolific artist Julian Taylor prefers to describe himself as a musical revisionist, rather than a revivalist – as he masterfully re-combines and updates the vintage sounds that inspired him, to create bold, innovative songs.

While clearly at the top of his game fronting the Pilgrims of Funk, Soul and Roll known as the Julian Taylor band, he also loves the opportunity to showcase the singer-songwriter side of his music, as he does on his eight song new album “The Ridge”.

“I’d really like the heart of this record and the stories to connect with people. These are letters to members of my family. It’s something that everyone has – family (whether chosen or not) and memories.”

The new album was recorded at The Woodshed, Blue Rodeo’s studio in downtown Toronto and co-produced with longtime collaborator Saam Hashemi. Joining Taylor in the studio were some of the best musicians on the Southern Ontario music scene; Derek Downham (piano), Miranda Mullholland (fiddle) and Burke Carroll (lap steel) joining cousins Barry Diabo and Gene Diabo (from the Julian Taylor Band) on bass and drums/congas respectively, with backing vocals from Sheila Carabine and Amanda Walther from Dala.

The title track is based on the true story of summers that Taylor spent with his aunt and grandparents at their farm in British Columbia – telling the story of the young boy’s life, in snapshots, before they had to sell the farm and move on.

Check out the great video mentioned during the interview:

A portion of the sales from The Ridge will go to a scholarship Julian Taylor started in honour of former bandmate Bruce Adamson (from Staggered Crossing).

“This is something near and dear to my heart. Bruce was my bandmate for over a decade before he ended his own life. I started this scholarship in his name to help at-risk children who are interested in pursuing music.”

That’s all we have time for. Thanks to all the artists who share their music with us, and thank you for listening. We have a lot of great music and interviews to bring you on future episodes.

If you enjoy the music we play on this show and want to support the artists – many of whom aren’t able to play live at the moment because of the Covid-19 pandemic, don’t just stream their music – that earns them much less than a penny per play. Instead, buy their music – and really make a difference to their income. They’ll love you for it!

Listen

You can listen to this episode again on Soundcloud by following the link below. You can also listen to episodes of Folk Roots Radio, on demand, via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Tune-in Radio. (Click on the highlighted link to reach your chosen platform.)

Playlist

Nicolas & The Iceni (Theme)
Lucy She Rises
Roll Right (2019, self)

Birds From Paradise
The Ride
Birds (2020, Self) CDN

Kylie Fox
Cool Feet
Green (2020, Self) CDN

Elisa Peimer
Slipped Into A Dream
Navigator (2020, Self)

For Lua
Bruises
(single) (2020, Self)

Sultans Of String
Hypnotica (feat. Gündem Yayli Grubu)
Refuge (2020, Self) CDN

Julian Taylor
The Ridge
The Ridge (2020, Howling Turtle Inc.) CDN

Interview: Julian Taylor discussing his new solo album “The Ridge”.

Julian Taylor
Human Race
The Ridge (2020, Howling Turtle Inc.) CDN

Julian Taylor
Ola Let’s Dance
The Ridge (2020, Howling Turtle Inc.) CDN

Forest Sun
Let Your Love Shine
(single) (2020, Self)

Woody Woodburn
Better Man Today
Better Man Today (2019, Self) CDN

Mike McKenna Jr.
At The Edge Of The World
At The Edge Of The World (2020, Self) CDN