Article & Photos: Jim Summaria
Taj Farrant/ photo: Jim Summaria
Taj Farrant at Arcada Theater, St. Charles, IL, October 25, 2024
Fifeteen-year-old guitarist extraordinaire Taj Farrant took the stage at the Arcada Theater in St. Charles, IL on October 25 and put on a performance equal to any artist who's been in the business many more years than he. His confident command of the stage was influenced earlier in his career when he got to perform with famed guitarists Santana and Orianthi. Taj was backed by Nathan Bryce and Loaded Dice who are terrific musicians in their own right.
Australian born and bred, Taj first got interested in the guitar at the age of nine when he attended AC/DC’s concert. After experiencing fellow Aussie Angus Young's performance, he is quoted as saying “I want to do that forever.” Taj is also heavily influenced by Gary Moore and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Taj and his family have recently moved to the USA and he is on a major tour of the States – along with his supportive family members. His parents do their best to have Taj and his sister have a normal life. This comes across as he is very humble on stage and appreciative of his audience.
In August of this year, Taj released his first LP titled Chapter One that showcases his songwriting ability, vocals and guitar chops. It hit #2 on the Billboard Blues Chart and contains several original tunes that have meaningful lyrics about his family - plus a couple of blues rock covers. It was produced by Grammy winner Ken Lewis who has worked with a diverse group of artists like Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga.
Taj's set list consisted of some of his original songs from his Chapter One album, "Bad Trip," "Cruz" and the biographical "Mumma Raised a Man." The young prodigy also included the Bill Withers chestnut "Ain't No Sunshine" and Stevie Ray Vaughan's “Tightrope." Both covers were played with Taj's originality.
Taj paid tribute to Prince, one of his favorite artists, with "The Ride" and "Purple Rain." He also played two more Stevie Ray Vaughan songs "Cold Shot" and "Texas Flood" and Eric Johnson’s "Cliffs of Dover."
One song that really stood out was Gary Moore's "Parisienne Walkways." Taj busted loose on this one and seemed to get lost in the moment while he played with great passion.
The highlight of the evening was the Jimi Hendrix classic "Red House." Taj called out Libertyville, IL native guitarist Pete Dankelson of the band Pete's Diary. Guitarist Nathan Bryce also came to center stage and all three exchanged solos that made the audience rise to their feet and shout out -- a thrilling moment in the show.
L to R: Nathan Bryce, Pete Dankelson, Taj Farrant/ Photo by Dianne Bruce Dunklau
Taj Farrant is following in the footsteps of other kid prodigy guitarists like Joe Bonamassa who started his career at age 12, when he opened for B.B. King. Also on that list are Johnny Lang, who released his debut album Lie to Me at 16, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd who was 13 the first time he played on the big stage. Starting out so young, Taj has a chance to become one of the all-time greats and I think he'll get there.
Photographer Jim Summaria and writer Mark Plotnick are co-authors of ‘70s Chicagoland Rock Concerts available on Amazon.
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Jim Summaria began professionally photographing rock concerts in 1973 at the age of 19 when he became the staff photographer for the Chicago rock concert promoter Flip Side Productions. Jim's photos have been published in numerous books, magazines and CDs. His rock ‘n’ roll photos have been viewed at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum and Hall of Fame on Rt.66 and the Grammy Awards. Jim and writer Mark Plotnick co-authored the books Classic Rock: Photographs From Yesterday & Today and the October 2024 release ‘70s Chicagoland Rock Concerts.
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