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| 5.454 Ft
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| 1. | Local Color/Can You Dig It?
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| 2. | Reclamation
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| 3. | Gracias Chucho
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| 4. | Etude
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| 5. | Conversio
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| 6. | Spoken
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| 7. | In Loving Memory
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| 8. | Like a Heartbeat
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| 9. | Invention/Looking for Another Theme
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| 10. | Transformation
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| 11. | A Duke-Ish Blues
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Jazz / Mainstream Jazz, African Jazz
Billy Taylor - Piano, Composer, Producer, Liner Notes, Arranger, Narrator
Chip Jackson Bass
Alan Silverman Mastering
Jim Anderson Engineer
Jimmy Katz Photography
Linda J. Bramble Project Coordinator
Phil Schaap Liner Notes
Winard Harper Drums
The ageless Dr. Billy Taylor describes himself as an urban griot ("In African tradition, a historian, a master musician, an educator, a storyteller," according to the pianist in his informative liner notes) and proceeds to prove the point with his moving suite, which was commissioned by Dr. & Mrs. Clifford Wharton and later dedicated to their son, Clifford Wharton III, after his untimely death. With bassist Chip Jackson and drummer Winard Harper, Taylor's 11 pieces convey a variety of messages and moods. The medley "Local Color/Can You Dig It?" alternates between a funky strut and an infectious dance groove. Dr. Taylor invites the listener to briskly waltz along with "Reclamation." "Conversion" is a feature for Jackson's considerable chops, while Harper is the focus of "Like a Heartbeat," a piece that finds the percussion in an almost conversational role à la Max Roach. Phil Schaap, who wrote additional liner notes, implies the chord changes of "Sweet Georgia Brown" are the basis for "Invention/Looking for Another Theme," though Dr. Taylor seems to disagree. "A Duke-ish Blues" is a superb finale in tribute to Duke Ellington that hints at the maestro's style without losing sight of Taylor's own distinct sound. Dr. Taylor's moving narrative about losing a son, "Spoken," honors not only the Wharton's son but also his own late son; it serves as a fitting introduction to the heartfelt ballad "In Loving Memory." jazz has been very fortunate to have Billy Taylor in its midst for so long; this recording should be one of the first acquired by this talented musician, composer, and educator who has shared his love of jazz in so many ways for so many decades. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide
Billy Taylor
Active Decades: '40s, '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s and '00s
Born: Jul 24, 1921 in Greenville, NC
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Bop, Ballads, Hard Bop, Mainstream Jazz, Standards
Billy Taylor has been such an articulate spokesman for jazz, and his profiles on CBS' Sunday Morning television program (where he has been a regular since 1981) are so successful at introducing jazz to a wider audience, that sometimes one can forget how talented a pianist he has been for the past half-century. While not an innovator, Taylor has been 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 Taylor formed his first of many trios. He helped found the Jazzmobile in 1965; in 1969, became the first black band director for a network television series (The David Frost Show); in 1975, he earned his doctorate at the University of Massachusetts; and he both founded and served as director for the popular radio program Jazz Alive. But despite his activities in jazz education, Taylor has rarely gone long between performances and recordings, always keeping his bop-based style consistently swinging and fresh.
---Scott Yanow, All Music Guide |
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