Taylor Pie

"Taylor - I love your "Long Ride Home" CD so much I'm going to feature it on the FRONT PAGE of CD Baby for a few days. We're REALLY picky about what goes on the front page.... and your CD is one of the best I've ever heard!" -Derek Sivers, CDBaby - CDBaby

The Pozo- Seco Singers were one of the groups I had a strong affinity for when I “discovered” folk music in the late 80's, and early 90's. Sure it was some twenty odd years after the great folk scare was over, but I was much too young to experience it first hand. And while punk and grunge may have been the predominate movements at the time, I felt more comfortable strapping on an acoustic guitar and wailing on my Hohner harmonica. (still do) I took it all in – from the protest music of Woody Guthrie, Phil Ochs, Pete Seeger, and early Bob Dylan to the traditional mountain music of the Carter Family, Doc Watson and on to the more introspective folk stylings of Tim Hardin, Fred Neil, Leonard Cohen, Ian and Sylvia, and Gordon Lightfoot. At about that same time, a New Folk Movement was brewing and featured a new breed of articulate folk artists like John Gorka, Shawn Colvin, Suzanne Vega, and Tracy Chapman. The faces may have changed, but the great folk tradition lived on.

I remember the first time I picked up a Pozo- Seco album. It was in one of those quaint little used record stores that don’t exist anymore. The cover comprised a photo of the trio that made up Pozo- Seco: Don Williams, Lofton Kline, and the fetching blonde in the center – Susan Taylor. As it turned out, Taylor had the heavenly voice to match the angelic visage. She teamed up with Williams and Kline in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1964 and helped propel the group to national fame. The song that provided the spark the group needed was Time, written by a wise beyond his years Michael Merchant. Merchant was a friend of Taylor’s and immediately impressed her with the words and melody. The song was a bittersweet rumination on what else…time. The song would rise to the top of the charts in the influential Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston radio markets. This success garnered attention from the promotion team at Columbia records. The trio were signed to a record deal and later managed by the legendary, influential folk impresario Albert Grossman. One cannot over-emphasize the importance of the Grossman connection. He did not waste his time on the untalented and the undedicated. His roster over time also included Dylan, Peter, Paul & Mary, Ian & Sylvia, Lightfoot, The Band, and Janis Joplin. Kline would later leave the group and was replaced by Ron Shaw (he of the Hillside Singers I’d Like to Teach The World To Sing fame).

The Pozos disbanded in 1970, but the individual members went on to productive musical endeavors. Williams catapulted to country music superstardom in the 70's and 80's. Kline and Shaw would stay engaged with musical projects. And Susan Taylor? Well, as it turns out, she didn’t do so shabby herself. Now performing as Taylor Pie (her friends just call her Pie), it seems the music never died. These days she is just as busy as she ever was. It was a thrill to catch up with her recently and discuss life after The Pozo-Seco Singers.

We started off by discussing the imminent release of Finally Getting Home on her own label Puff Bunny Records. Susan-Taylor-crIt’s a company started with the help of old high school chums Kathy Harrison, and Eben Wood. It was her first solo effort after the breakup of Pozo-Seco. Produced by the highly regarded Allen Reynolds, the album was originally released in 1972 but didn’t receive a fair shake due to disagreement about how to market it. It didn’t fit into a nice and neat category. Rooted in folk, the songs veer toward country, blues, and pop as well. We would call it Americana now but in 1972 that format didn’t exist. And back then radio was the be all and end all for a record’s success. What should have been one of the best albums of 1972 is poised to become one of the best albums of 2012. It sounds as fresh today as it did back forty years ago. Standout tracks include Looking Through The Looking Glass, Sand Mountain Blues, and a cover of Dolly Parton’s Blue Ridge Mountain Boy. It is with Blue Ridge Mountain Boy that Pie takes the song to a place where Parton was afraid to go. Ignoring an up-tempo shift in the middle of Parton’s version, Pie lays out that beautiful voice of hers and wrings out every bit of emotion laden in those heartbreaking lyrics. While Parton may have seen a sliver of hope, Pie makes no pretensions and that makes her version that much more powerful. Also coming in January is a rerelease of Pozo-Seco material called Shades of Time by Real Gone music.

It was about the time of the initial Finally Getting Home recording that Pie decided to head out for New York and began to hone her skills as a songwriter. She played at venerable folk clubs like Folk City and The Bottom Line. These clubs, essential to the spread of the earlier folk movement began to transition to singer/songwriter venues in the 70's in order to survive. Pie told me the story about the night Bette Midler wandered into Folk City and heard her play. Pie offered to buy Midler a drink but Bette replied “I need to - Les Marcott inView/Scene4 Magazine December 2012

The Pozo- Seco Singers were one of the groups I had a strong affinity for when I “discovered” folk music in the late 80's, and early 90's. Sure it was some twenty odd years after the great folk scare was over, but I was much too young to experience it first hand. And while punk and grunge may have been the predominate movements at the time, I felt more comfortable strapping on an acoustic guitar and wailing on my Hohner harmonica. (still do) I took it all in – from the protest music of Woody Guthrie, Phil Ochs, Pete Seeger, and early Bob Dylan to the traditional mountain music of the Carter Family, Doc Watson and on to the more introspective folk stylings of Tim Hardin, Fred Neil, Leonard Cohen, Ian and Sylvia, and Gordon Lightfoot. At about that same time, a New Folk Movement was brewing and featured a new breed of articulate folk artists like John Gorka, Shawn Colvin, Suzanne Vega, and Tracy Chapman. The faces may have changed, but the great folk tradition lived on.

I remember the first time I picked up a Pozo- Seco album. It was in one of those quaint little used record stores that don’t exist anymore. The cover comprised a photo of the trio that made up Pozo- Seco: Don Williams, Lofton Kline, and the fetching blonde in the center – Susan Taylor. As it turned out, Taylor had the heavenly voice to match the angelic visage. She teamed up with Williams and Kline in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1964 and helped propel the group to national fame. The song that provided the spark the group needed was Time, written by a wise beyond his years Michael Merchant. Merchant was a friend of Taylor’s and immediately impressed her with the words and melody. The song was a bittersweet rumination on what else…time. The song would rise to the top of the charts in the influential Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston radio markets. This success garnered attention from the promotion team at Columbia records. The trio were signed to a record deal and later managed by the legendary, influential folk impresario Albert Grossman. One cannot over-emphasize the importance of the Grossman connection. He did not waste his time on the untalented and the undedicated. His roster over time also included Dylan, Peter, Paul & Mary, Ian & Sylvia, Lightfoot, The Band, and Janis Joplin. Kline would later leave the group and was replaced by Ron Shaw (he of the Hillside Singers I’d Like to Teach The World To Sing fame).

The Pozos disbanded in 1970, but the individual members went on to productive musical endeavors. Williams catapulted to country music superstardom in the 70's and 80's. Kline and Shaw would stay engaged with musical projects. And Susan Taylor? Well, as it turns out, she didn’t do so shabby herself. Now performing as Taylor Pie (her friends just call her Pie), it seems the music never died. These days she is just as busy as she ever was. It was a thrill to catch up with her recently and discuss life after The Pozo-Seco Singers.

We started off by discussing the imminent release of Finally Getting Home on her own label Puff Bunny Records. Susan-Taylor-crIt’s a company started with the help of old high school chums Kathy Harrison, and Eben Wood. It was her first solo effort after the breakup of Pozo-Seco. Produced by the highly regarded Allen Reynolds, the album was originally released in 1972 but didn’t receive a fair shake due to disagreement about how to market it. It didn’t fit into a nice and neat category. Rooted in folk, the songs veer toward country, blues, and pop as well. We would call it Americana now but in 1972 that format didn’t exist. And back then radio was the be all and end all for a record’s success. What should have been one of the best albums of 1972 is poised to become one of the best albums of 2012. It sounds as fresh today as it did back forty years ago. Standout tracks include Looking Through The Looking Glass, Sand Mountain Blues, and a cover of Dolly Parton’s Blue Ridge Mountain Boy. It is with Blue Ridge Mountain Boy that Pie takes the song to a place where Parton was afraid to go. Ignoring an up-tempo shift in the middle of Parton’s version, Pie lays out that beautiful voice of hers and wrings out every bit of emotion laden in those heartbreaking lyrics. While Parton may have seen a sliver of hope, Pie makes no pretensions and that makes her version that much more powerful. Also coming in January is a rerelease of Pozo-Seco material called Shades of Time by Real Gone music.

It was about the time of the initial Finally Getting Home recording that Pie decided to head out for New York and began to hone her skills as a songwriter. She played at venerable folk clubs like Folk City and The Bottom Line. These clubs, essential to the spread of the earlier folk movement began to transition to singer/songwriter venues in the 70's in order to survive. Pie told me the story about the night Bette Midler wandered into Folk City and heard her play. Pie offered to buy Midler a drink but Bette replied “I need to - Les Marcott inView/Scene4 Magazine December 2012

Now and again, one can feel like a latecomer to the party. It can be so obvious that something wonderful has been missed. It might invoke the question, “Where have I been.” And, while enlightening, it can be almost embarrassing that you didn’t arrive on time. Take that feeling into listening to an album called SO LITTLE HAS CHANGED. Realize now that the pickers on the album have been around long enough for you to know who they are. You’ve probably even heard their work before, but yet, you might not know any of them by name. Name or not, you will now know them by their music. Their fearless leader, Taylor Pie, is not a newcomer to this scene. None of the pickers are up-and-coming, guitar shredding, next-new-thing slingers, either. No, this bunch has seen some great times in some great places and recorded with some great folks. But now, here they are, together again, and guess what.. so little has changed. Veterans for sure, but once you bite into this music, you will realize that Taylor Pie can hold her own vocally with anyone singing today. She can stand lyrically next to any writer you can name, and these musicians, often with just ad lib noodles, have been able to record one of the most masterfully orchestrated studio pieces around. I experienced the disc through headphones, which I might suggest, is an awesome way to listen to this record. The engineering is genius through out, taking simple, tasteful performances and sitting you right in the middle of them. Each instrumentation, each fill, each solo, is another object, seemingly floating at you as if in an underwater sea of beauty; methodic, enlivening, and perfect in form. A good number of co-writes and covers are peppered in with Taylor Pie’s offerings, and the list of pickers is certainly known by those who know, but it’s time that music fans get a taste of what’s been behind the curtain for so long. Introduce yourself to Taylor Pie. Once you know that so little has changed, you will wish you had arrived at the party much earlier. - MyTexasMusic.com

"I listened to her song ‘Long Ride Home’ about 100 times in a row, so, I had no choice but to record it. I loved it. Her guitar work, lyrics, and vocals are amazing and their depth gets to me with every listen.”
- Hill Country Happenings

"Taylor Pie fully embraces and emphasizes the very spirit of the Americana music genre according to our interpretations and standards. Her lyrics are rich and her vocals are fully captivating. Taylor Pie is a Texas Rebel Radio defining artist!” - Hill Country Happenings

Discovered at CD Baby, I was there when Pozo Seco started hitting the airwaves, so was interested in Taylor Pie. Jubal is a real singer/songwriter delight, very listenable with songs that resound and rebound nicely. I am very pleased to hear Susan's continuing contributions to the music world. Don't miss this one!

After hearing Long Ride Home, I had to own this. I commute every day, and this album is perfect for driving. Taylor's voice is still outstanding; it's filled with emotion and honesty, making every track worthwhile. I'm so glad she's back.

I listened (sort of) to this
CD-meaning, I played it in the background while I did other things. I neither liked nor
disliked it. It sounded interesting, but didn't "blow my socks off". Since then, I've listened carefully, fully attentively - many times. I will treasure this CD as a favorite for a long time. Careful listening made me appreciate the range of music and the apparent careful selection of the material. It will be high on my recommendations to friends.

Leaves me with a lump in my throat, and smile in my heart... Nobody can listen to the love, pain and hope in a song like good bye and not be moved. Celebrating the joy of a special someone, the loss, and the strength that was left to carry you on in every new day. The amazing thing with Pie's music is that it all speaks to the core soul of every person, and whether the wild dance of joy in one song or the heartbreak in another each rings true on it's own merit.
Thanks Pie for doing it again and again.

I am an unabashed music junkie of great songs and great voices. One individual that has enchanted me and consistently delivered both since 1966 is Taylor Pie. And like great wine – Taylor Pie gets better with age. Pie, formerly the angelic female voice of the Pozo Seco Singers (as Susan Taylor) has now released Jubal, her third solo album since leaving this legendary group, and the third time really is the charm. The entire album has a brilliant and consistent flow highlighted by three Pie compositions First Real Love, I Don’t Like It and Somethin’s Movin' that could all be hit singles. Buy this album now and stay tuned for her next outing, which may just be a reunion of Pozo Seco.

As the reviewers suggest, Pie's singing remains strong, clear, and passionate. Listening to her music is like putting on your favorite pair of blue jeans, so comfortable and the fit is perfect, voice, words and music matched with real experience, character, grace, and charm. I was particularly moved by, 'Walkin' on The Moon'...this song is ageless. It works well for children and for anyone that is interested in improving, growing in life, and facing demons without fear. Dick Renko, Muzik Management.

Playfully moving between musical landscapes, Pie's voice, words and music are matched with real experience, character, grace, and charm. This is her best effort yet.

In an email, Derek Sivers of CDBaby wrote:” Taylor - I love your "Long Ride Home" CD so much I'm going to feature it on the FRONT PAGE of CD Baby for a few days.
We're REALLY picky about what goes on the front page. We get about 75 new albums a DAY coming in here now, (about 30,000 total), and yours is one of the best I've ever heard!”
Now, almost four years later, Taylor Pie has joined the growing list of highly successful independent artists represented here at CDBaby. Her listening audience began to expand with the “Long Ride Home” and “Jubal” cds, and the release of “So Little Has Changed” will certainly push her popularity to new heights.
This newest offering is a classic gem! Recorded in Nashville, TN, at Jack’s Tracks, the list of musicians is small, but impressive. Each one is an artist in their own right. Dave Pomeroy was on bass, Kenny Malone, percussion, Eben Wood, acoustic lead guitar, and Russ Pahl, pedal steel and electric guitar. The approach was to create an improvisational feel with little or no overdubbing, so one hears exquisitely pure arrangements of finely crafted songs. These musicians support Pie’s superb vocals with perfect sensitivity and taste, and with co-producer Mark Miller at the board mixing, and Don Cobb and Eric Conn of Independent Mastering in Nashville sprinkling magic dust for the final touch, this is Pie’s best album so far.
Pie’s songs range in texture and rhythm from the jazzy first cut, “Jar of Kisses” to the final title cut, “So Little Has Changed,” which is reminiscent of a Tom Paxton socially conscious folk commentary. “Back to Balsam Blues” slow drives you down a back country road and “Be Here With You,” takes your breath away with Appalachian power ballad grace. “Full Grown Fool” is acoustic funk at its best and “Ocean of Lonely” an excursion into acoustic rock. “Cypress Lake” is already a video filmed during the recording session, now up on YouTube. This album has something for everyone!
Taylor Pie is the kind of folk artist who simply refuses to be kept inside the b - From CDBaby

So beautiful! Never listened to the music before, but heard about you from my Brother Kenny! Found you, and love your music! Thanks for the peacefulness!

Wow -- What an all-star studio group backing up a superb Pie !! I still listen regularly to the Pozo-Seco stuff and am so glad to see this on youtube. Thanks!

Just an awesome video shot in studio- so unusual. Soooo soothing. Pie is a real under the radar talent. 5 stars!

My God, what a beautiful love song. Touchs the strings of my heart as I think of someone very special. I never meant to love him...To the one who introduced me to Taylor Pie once again, thank you so very much.

I think this song and the video is absolutely fantastic! How can we see and hear more of Taylor Pie?

I heard her playing live on the local NPR station in Corpus Christi about a year ago and she blew me away. I pulled off the road to listen, and thought WOW this is a great tune. Sounds like a great movie soundtrack to me. I'm surprised some director has not found her to record for a movie.

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i2xBmdKPtE

I love the way you see beauty wherever you look..Pie...I reckon some of that shines right out through your music...!! Jim Clare, Rochester, NY – FaceBook

May 5, 2009 (MySpace)
Taylor you knocked my socks off! great sounds and intelligent, moving words! I need to play your work on the air at WPKN 89.5fm in Bridgeport, CT and WPKM 88.7 Montauk NY. .. may I request you send me your work? ...would love to have you stop by for an on air visit!
Doug Echols, WPKN Radio
244 University Ave., Bridgeport, CT 06604 dougonwpkn@yahoo.com

May 3, 2009 (MySpace)
My husband just really loves Dancing on the Sunny Side of the Moon (it makes him laugh hysterically, btw;-) I had others I thought I might play, but his enthusiasm made me veer towards that one!
Lisa "What's A Girl to Do?"
KOOP 91.7FM Austin, TX -Mon., 11-noon

May 14 2009 (MySpace)
Hi Taylor,
Greetings from Minnesota. Exceptional music. It's a pleasure to hear your songs...Happy to be a friend.
Ron Colby, The Platte Valley Boys

April 21, 2009 (MySpace)
powerful stuff. perfect for a house concert!
http://concertsinyourhome.com
Best, Fran Snyder


- Various Entries

I began to pay attention to what was being said...I really listened when my 90 year old mother told me of struggling on her meager Social Security Check. I listened when I heard that babies of illegals in this country are American citizens, that workers with green cards who are not citizens can and will draw Social Security; I listened, horrified, as I was told the amount of money we as tax payers pay for medical bills, schooling, etc. for illegals, and for the upkeep of illegals in prisons. I listened when I heard that American companies now are American in name only. Greed now is the motto. I listened as I heard of the increasing deaths of those sent to war to protect us from a phantom enemy. I listened when I heard the fantastic song written and sung by Taylor Pie, "So Little Has Changed", tagged a modern day protest song by many. I listened. I listened. And I cried. - http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/The/gG5tCk