Taste (band)
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Taste was an Irish rock band formed in the 1960s and is notable for the fact that Rory Gallagher was an original member.
Taste recorded two studio albums with Richard McCracken on bass and John Wilson on drums – Taste and On The Boards; the latter showing Rory and the band's jazz influences with Gallagher playing saxophone on a couple of tracks.
Earlier recordings featuring bassist Eric Kitteringham and drummer Norman Damery emerged some years after the band's untimely split in 1970 after the Isle of Wight Festival. These are rough and ready runthroughs, some of which would appear on the first, official Taste album. Fascinating for fans, not least because of the quality of Gallagher's guitar playing is not evident. Whereas his fretwork would appear on the later version, the solo slots here are filled by his harmonica playing.
Taste's finest hour is generally thought to be their appearance at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970 where they were pulled back for eight encores before the audience would let them go. Part of the magic of this performanace is caught on the album Live at the Isle of Wight and on the film of the Isle of Wight Festival where the songs "Sinner Boy" and "Gamblin' Blues" are two of the movie's highlights.