Joanne Shaw Taylor Lights Up the Vogel
At the Vogel Theater in Red Bank, Joanne Shaw Taylor made a strong case for why she’s still one of the most respected players on the blues-rock circuit. No big production, no wasted moments—just a tight, guitar-first set that landed from the start.
She opened with “In the Mood” and didn’t take long to find a groove. Songs like “Hell of a Good Time” and “Wicked Soul” carried a steady pulse, but it was the playing in between that stood out. Taylor doesn’t overdo it. She lets phrases hang, builds her solos instead of rushing them, and knows when to pull back.
There’s a clear lineage there—discovered young by Dave Stewart—and shaped alongside contemporaries like Joe Bonamassa, who has also collaborated with her in the studio. Still, nothing about the set felt derivative. A couple of covers, including Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain,” fit naturally into the mix without slowing things down.
For a Tuesday night, the room was in it. Some longtime fans, some clearly seeing her for the first time—but by the end, it didn’t really matter. The response was the same. True converts to the Joanne Shaw Taylor fan club!
Setlist
In the Mood
Hell of a Good Time
Sweet 'Lil Lies
Two Time My Lovin
Look What I’ve Become
Dyin' to Know
Wicked Soul
Wanna Be My Lover
The Chain
Fade Away
Black Magic
Summertime
I Gotta Stop Letting You Let Me Down
Change of Heart
Watch ’em Burn
Joanne Swift Taylor The Vogel Bill Baumann
