In a creative community where genre bending and out-of-the-box collaboration is welcomed and encouraged, Athens musician Jim Wilson’s project TaxiCab Verses took this a step further, across the ocean even, when deciding to create an internationally collaborative album with Ghana’s Kofi Atentenben and the Warriors. Now, nearly a decade after the collective released its only studio album, Is What You Make It is being re-released via the New West Records imprint Strolling Bones Records on Oct. 20.
TaxiCab Verses was born out of Wilson taking three separate trips to West Africa, where he documented the comically ambiguous phrases he’d see on the backs of taxicabs. While exploring the community, Wilson befriended musicians who allowed him to record some of their get togethers. Inspired to form a makeshift band, he invited Kofi Atentenben and the Warriors to join him in the studio and work on a series of songs based on the taxi cab phrases. When Wilson returned to Athens, he introduced the in-progress project to fellow trusted musicians. Over several days, he assembled nearly 20 musicians at Flicker Theatre and Bar to record the stateside portion of the music. For an in-depth chronicle of these events and the project’s major label revival, Strolling Bones Records has released a narrated animated video.
The resulting project features traditional Ghanaian instrumentation such as djembe, African congos, xylophone and various bells, rattles and shakers in conjunction with a classic American lineup of electric guitar, bass, cello, drums, violin and saxophone. Is What You Make It tells a story of unique circumstances leading to a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration, and in doing so it also creates a bridge between two cultures. The spirited throughline of the album is worn on the sleeve of its title.
“During that time, I was diving into more and more West African music… and I was at Wuxtry all the time looking for anything I could find. There was one compilation, it was like Ghana Sounds or something. There’s a song on there that actually says the phrase ‘life is what you make it,’ and that was just in my head all the time because it’s true,” says Wilson. “With that album and the nature of just going with the flow and letting the art guide you, then making decisions, that’s what I’m doing. So that was kind of my theme song in my head for the whole time.”
The concept of new experiences offshooting opportunities that have a way of circling back is a common theme in Wilson’s life, and he often chooses to “go with the flow.” He’s a dedicated veteran of the local music scene, and has made many connections through his various occupations. Wilson has served as the venue manager of the 40 Watt Club since January 2019, although he’s worked at the club in nearly every capacity since 2001. It was through the 40 Watt that Wilson began working with the Drive-By Truckers, first selling merch in 2003 before becoming the merch manager in 2015 for eight years. He believes this experience and learning how to run an operation at an administrative level primed him for his current position at the 40 Watt.
“Everything is just always feeding each other. I just keep trying to learn and grow on the way. If there’s an opportunity, I grab it; if it works out, awesome. If it doesn’t, then I already didn’t know how to do it before. Now I still don’t, you know?” says Wilson.
All of Wilson’s endeavors have always led back to the goal of creating music. Having worked on solo projects and other group efforts, his most recent active band is Los Cantares, a stoner desert rock band he formed with Jim Willingham in 2015. The band has one rule: “The only mandatory thing is that nothing is mandatory.” Players are free to show up for practices and shows, or not. Wilson says that wherever he turns there’s always someone awesome to fill in, and Los Cantares is there to “provide the vibe” organically. As the ultimate testament to the band’s goal of having fun and laying back, Wilson brings cookies to the show. “They’re delicious. I love baking. That’s more fun, more happiness, my expertise,” he says.
Although TaxiCab Verses has been on a performance hiatus since its 2019 show at Go Bar—which was celebrating its farewell—Wilson never questioned that the group was over. However, its album re-release show on Oct. 7 at the 40 Watt does feel like a reunion, and almost all 13 performers playing this night are the group’s original members. TaxiCab Verses will be opening for Baba Commandant & Mandingo Band of Burkina Faso in West Africa. The group is steeped in the Mandingue musical traditions of its ancestral legacy, and it will be a fascinating and rare musical experience for the Athens community. Once again as Wilson’s opportunities come back around to bless him, the group’s contact emailed him from previously working with Wilson when the TaxiCab Verses played with Mdou Moctar on the Georgia Theatre Rooftop in 2017.
The process of re-releasing Is What You Make It, now for the first time on vinyl, has brought back a flood of memories for Wilson, who says going through the photos and materials was like time-traveling back to those moments. He’s grateful to Strolling Bones Records for giving this album a second life, and he looks forward to “releasing it into the wild and seeing what happens.”
“If people are into it and like it, and there’s a want to hear it and see it, then I would love to work towards providing that,” says Wilson.
WHO: Baba Commandant & Mandingo Band, TaxiCab Verses
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 7, 7 p.m. (doors)
WHERE: 40 Watt Club
HOW MUCH: $21 (adv.), $26
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