By Scott McGowan

Paul and Scott McGowan, of PS Audio, are proud to announce the third album from Octave Records, Hey Joe by renowned American musician Otis Taylor. This exclusive Direct-To-Master collector’s disc is a bit perfect copy straight from the original master.

You can check it out here: https://www.psaudio.com/products/hey-joe/

As a resident of Boulder since 1967, Otis Taylor has been writing, composing and performing right in our backyard for more than 50-years. In his illustrious career he’s been honored with numerous accolades including five Downbeat Critics Awards. In 2001 he was awarded a Fellowship to the Sundance Composers’ Laboratory, with a 2002 follow-up Blues Music Award for Best New Artist Debut. His music is featured in many major motion pictures, he’s performed the world over, and in 2016 he was inducted into the Smithsonian National Museum’s Inaugural Exhibition of African American History and Culture. His musical talent is nearly unmatched, and he’s also one of the nicest, most genuine guys I think I’ve ever met.

We’re super proud to have him on the roster here at Octave Records.

Hey Joe was recorded exclusively on the Sonoma DSD Multitrack Recording System and was mastered by none other than Gus Skinas. Every detail of Taylor’s signature vocal and instrumental style has been captured in the Direct-To-Master version (that also includes an exclusive needle drop version from the metal stampers). Otis is joined by Warren Haynes, Ron Miles and Langhorne Slim, along with violinist Anne Harris (and others).

For this album, we truly left nothing on the table. I hope you love Hey Joe as much as we do.

Otis Taylor is a critically acclaimed American blues artist who blends blues, rock, and trance blues – in his own words, “to take you on a journey”. His songs typically illuminate the themes of injustice, particularly racism, poverty, the darkness that gives birth to murder, and the unrelenting desire for redemption. Taylor has been performing Hey Joe—written by folk artist Billy Roberts and covered by many—during his live shows since 1995 and chose to use his own artistic version as a framework for this opus surrounding eight of his own songs which, Taylor states, “explore the decisions we make and how they affect us”. Having recorded his last five albums in Pure DSD, we know Otis is a fan of the DSD technology and has enthusiastically endorsed this reissue, particularly during these challenging times. You do not want to miss out on this limited reissue mastered for SACD, now available for the first time as a direct-to-master version from Octave Records.