By Sweet Baby J’ai
One of the beautiful things about living in the desert is that on any given night, you can stumble into a musical moment you never saw coming.
Last weekend, what started as a birthday celebration turned into something much more memorable—a reminder of the power music has to bring people together.
The destination was Eddie V’s on El Paseo, where a group of about twenty Black women gathered to celebrate a birthday. If you’ve ever attended a gathering of Black women celebrating anything, you already know we don’t exactly arrive quietly. We took up a healthy portion of the bar area, dressed for the occasion, laughing loudly, exchanging stories, and preparing to toast another trip around the sun.
What none of us expected was that the Rick E. Taylor Trio would become the unofficial soundtrack to the evening.
From the first few notes, it was clear this wasn’t going to be background music.
Bassist Rick E. Taylor and his bandmates, Aya Iwata on piano and Moyes Lucas on drums, settled into a groove that felt familiar, warm, and deeply personal. They weren’t simply playing songs. They were playing memories. Taylor’s deep, chocolate-baritone voice rolled through the room like warm honey over buttered cornbread as he eased into a Barry White classic. The women at our table looked at each other, smiled, and surrendered. From that point forward, it was on.
With Aya Iwata adding silky background harmonies and elegant piano lines, one classic R&B favorite after another floated through the room. Songs like “Betcha By Golly, Wow,” “Just My Imagination,” “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now,” “Close the Door,” “For the Love of You,” and “Always and Forever” reminded everyone why these songs have survived for decades while countless others have faded away. The reaction was immediate. People began singing from their tables.
Couples leaned closer.
Friends grabbed each other’s hands when a favorite lyric arrived. Servers smiled as they moved through the room. Strangers who had never met suddenly shared knowing glances as entire sections of the restaurant joined in on choruses they hadn’t sung in years.
At one point, it felt as if half the restaurant had transformed into members of The Temptations.
For a moment, the CVSN Coachella Valley Sistah’s Network transformed Eddie V’s into an episode of Soul Train. All that was missing was Don Cornelius stepping out in that signature smooth baritone with his timeless sendoff: “Love, Peace, and Soul.” The dancers didn’t need much encouragement. Before long, the music had people moving between tables, singing along, and celebrating like old friends at a family reunion.
Nobody needed sheet music. Nobody needed a rehearsal. Everybody already knew the words. That’s the thing about great music. It creates community in real time.
For a few hours, backgrounds, politics, professions, ages, and zip codes disappeared. The room became a gathering of people connected by songs that had traveled with them through first loves, heartbreaks, family cookouts, weddings, road trips, and long summer nights.
The beauty of Rick E. Taylor’s trio is that they understand this instinctively.
Their musicianship was polished and easy. Every song was delivered with respect for the original recording while allowing enough room for the musicians to put their own fingerprints on the music. The groove remained steady, the arrangements were tasteful, and the focus stayed exactly where it belonged—on creating an experience rather than showing off.
By the end of the evening, our birthday celebration had expanded beyond our table. Dancers were circling around us, drawn in by the laughter, the music, and the joy of the moment. The entire restaurant felt connected by one shared soundtrack. People who had entered as strangers left smiling at one another, united by songs they all somehow seemed to know.
In a world that often feels divided, moments like these matter.
Music remains one of the few places where people can gather without needing to agree on anything except the next chorus.
That’s exactly what happened at Eddie V’s on El Paseo. Judie’s birthday was celebrated. Old songs found new life. A room full of strangers became a community.
And the Rick E. Taylor Trio reminded us that sometimes the best nights aren’t the ones you plan. They’re the ones you stumble into while looking for dinner and leave with a memory.
Catch the Rick E. Taylor Trio at Eddie V’s. Bring your appetite, bring your friends, and if you know the words, don’t be shy. Chances are, the whole room will be singing right along with you. Visit www.eddiev.com and roll into your own unforgettable experience.
Now that’s rhythm.
Sweet Baby J’ai writes The Groove Report for Coachella Valley Weekly
