This second installment from an electrifying concert should thrill Taylor fans and win a few converts. It defies odds that the pianist, after so many years, continues to astound with his totally original performances. This one is vintage Taylor, with the pianist in full throttle, winding and turning phrases with characteristic brilliance…
Recorded in 1989, Is That You? is very much a studio session, making ample use of overdubs and Bill Frisell's highly selective doubling on bass, banjo, ukulele, and clarinet, as well as his usual guitars. Producer Wayne Horvitz adds keyboards and some drum programming, with Joey Baron playing drums and Dave Hofstra appearing occasionally on tuba and electric bass.
Recorded by the band in 1969, this was a frantic year for the Bonzos, and the album shows the lads going in several directions, but still with many strong numbers and the Bonzos trademark brand of whimsy (such as "Mr. Slater's Parrot", "Sport", and the Rhinocentric "We Were Wrong.") I was delighted to learn from the liner notes that the "hexachloraphine" referred to in "Keynsham" is the red stripe in a well-known brand of toothpaste. There are no coincidences, but sometimes the pattern *is* more obvious.