Billy Taylor
Billy Taylor was an amazingly articulate spokesman for jazz, and his profiles on CBS' Sunday Morning television program (where he was a regular beginning in 1981) were so successful at introducing jazz to a wider audience, that sometimes one could forget what a talented pianist he was for over half-a-century. While not an innovator, Taylor was flexible enough to play swing, bop, and more advanced styles while always retaining his own musical personality. After graduating from Virginia State College in 1942, he moved to New York and played with such major musicians as Ben Webster, Eddie South, Stuff Smith (with whom he recorded in 1944), and Slam Stewart, among others. In 1951, he was the house pianist at Birdland and soon afterward formed his first of many trios. He helped found the Jazzmobile in 1965. In 1969 he became the first Black band director for a network television series (The David Frost Show). He earned his doctorate at the University of Massachusetts in 1975 and founded and served as director for the popular radio program Jazz Alive. Despite his activities in jazz education, Taylor was rarely absent from performances and recordings, always keeping his bop-based style consistently swinging and fresh. He died of heart failure in New York on December 28, 2010, at the age of 89.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo
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Complete Jazz Series 1950 - 1952
Jazz - Released by Complete Jazz Series on Jun. 29, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Billy Taylor Trio with Candido (Remastered)
Latin America - Released by RevOla on Jan. 1, 1954
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Billy Taylor Trio With Ed Thigpen & Earl May
Jazz - Released by Ascension Records on May 30, 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Billy Taylor UpGraded Masters (All Tracks Remastered)
Jazz - Released by jjjedizionimusicali on Oct. 24, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Blue Eyes Soothe My Soul
Country - Released by Billy Taylor on Feb. 9, 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wouldn't It Be Loverly (Short Cut)
Arkadia Short Cuts, Billy Taylor
Jazz - Released by Arkadia Records on Feb. 23, 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ballade (Short Cut)
Arkadia Short Cuts, Billy Taylor
Jazz - Released by Arkadia Records on Feb. 16, 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Up Jumped Spring (Short Cut)
Arkadia Short Cuts, Billy Taylor
Jazz - Released by Arkadia Records on Mar. 8, 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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One for Fun (Album of 1959)
Pop - Released by Jazz Classics on Oct. 31, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Meets the Jazz Greats: Know Your Jazz
Jazz - Released by Ascension Records on Jun. 29, 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Billy Taylor Selected Favorites
Jazz - Released by Charly Records on Mar. 21, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Complete Jazz Series 1952 - 1953
Jazz - Released by Complete Jazz Series on Jun. 29, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Billy Taylor Trio with Candido (Remastered)
Jazz - Released by Avid Entertainment on Jan. 1, 1954
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Lover Come Back To Me (Music Keeps Us Young)
Traditional Jazz & New Orleans - Released by Arkadia Records on Jul. 15, 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Taylor Made Jazz
Jazz - Released by Fresh Sound Records on Nov. 1, 1959
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wouldn't It Be Loverly (Music Keeps Us Young)
Traditional Jazz & New Orleans - Released by Arkadia Records on Jun. 10, 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Custom Taylored
Jazz - Released by Fresh Sound Records on Jan. 1, 1959
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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