Otis Taylor savors the mysteries of the blues (there is no Volumes One or Two in this “series”). While his music features some tough ensemble playing the kind of guitar lines that showcase the band’s virtuosity, it’s only one element that makes Taylor’s records such essential listens. “Little Willie” is a great band workout and a stunning tale of a young boy killed on a playground, but it’s the slow doomed folk melody of “Lee and Arnez” that creates the deepest emotive connection to the heart. Taylor’s looked at life from all sides and there’s a fatalistic stomp to his best material where there’s also no shortage of empathy. “It’s Done Happened Again” shadows the ghosts of old rockabilly in its blues. “Past Times” aches with a memory that no amount of booze can blunt. “She’s Ice in the Desert” adds a glimpse at glee. “Hands On Your Stomach” kicks up the tempo. “Harry, Turn the Music Up” throws things into the old-style gin mills. “Ain’t No Cowgirl” warns against a woman that any experienced man should know better than to chase, but can’t help himself. The blues tradition remains very much alive in the hands of a genuine practitioner.