With his blazing guitar album gaining international attention, 15-year-old blues prodigy Taj Farrant is coming into his own.

The teenager from Sydney, Australia is currently on a U.S. tour to promote his 2024 album Chapter One. Recent appearances included Lollapalooza in Chicago and the Meteor Guitar Gallery in Bentonville, which has been one of the young artist’s early supporters.

The album and some of its singles have reached top positions on streaming services and the U.S. and Australian blues charts. The well-produced recording delivers all the bursting hormonal energy that fans expect from a young player.

Several hard-rocking originals like “2×2” and “House Always Wins” complement a couple of jazzy and ballad-style songs. An obligatory cover of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Tightrope” showcases high-wire solos. Tarrant’s flashy playing is reminiscent of earlier teen blues sensations like Jonny Lang and Joe Bonamassa, both of whom mellowed with age. 

Performing since he was nine years old and barely able to lift a Stratocaster, Farrant was considered a novelty act until recently. He has matured into a wispy young man in dreadlocks and a floppy hat. 

The album is good, but Farrant’s live show is sensational. Playing in bare feet and wearing baggy surfer clothes, he shreds at warp speed. Farrant displays the tech savvy of Gen Alpha in torturing his guitars and effects boxes to re-interpret Hendrix and Prince standards. His current touring band includes a percussionist, bass player and second guitarist. Younger sister Jazel sometimes sits in on drums.  

Bonamassa once said he realized early in his career that up-and-coming blues guitarists face a choice. The difference between being a high-earning headliner or a perennial sideman can be the ability to give a convincing vocal performance in front of an audience. That can require even more dedication and practice for young performers like Farrant, who sings on all the new album’s songs. 

TAJFARRANT.COM

Photo: Taj Farrant at the Meteor Guitar Gallery in September 2024 (by Mickey Mercier).

 

 

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