Art Taylor

Arthur S. Taylor Jr. was an American jazz drummer, who "helped define the sound of modern jazz drumming".

Early life

Born in New York, United States, Taylor grew up in the Sugar Hill section of Harlem. He was often nicknamed A.T. or Mr. Cool with those who knew him well.

Career

As a teenager, Taylor first decided that he wanted to become a musician after hearing Sid Catlett play at a jam session at the current site of the Lincoln Center. He joined a local Harlem band that featured Sonny Rollins, Jackie McLean and Kenny Drew. After playing in the bands of Howard McGhee, Coleman Hawkins, Buddy DeFranco, Bud Powell, George Wallington and Art Farmer, Wallington again, Gigi Gryce and Donald Byrd, he formed his own group, Taylor's Wailers. Between 1957 and 1963, he toured with Donald Byrd, recorded with Miles Davis, Gene Ammons and John Coltrane, and performed with Thelonious Monk; Taylor also was a member of the original Kenny Dorham Quartet of 1957.

1956-1962: Taylor's Wailers

Taylor formed his own group in 1956, the Taylor's Wailers. They recorded their debut album Taylor's Wailers in 1957, at the Van Gelder Studio in Hackensack, New Jersey, featuring Taylor's incredible talent as a jazz drummer, along with musicians Donald Byrd, Jackie McLean, Charlie Rouse, Ray Bryant, and Wendel Marshall. Their album featured modern hard bop and multiple swinging sessions. Two notable tracks, "Well, You Needn't" and "Off Minor", are compositions of Thelonious Monk. Other tracks include "C.T.A" which featured artists such as John Coltrane, Red Garland and Paul Chambers.

1963-1980: Europe

In 1963, Taylor moved to Europe, where he lived mainly in France and Belgium for 17 years, playing with local groups and jazz musicians such as Johnny Griffin, John Bodwin, and with travelling American musicians, such as Woody Shaw during the latter's tenure in Paris. Taylor also studied drums in Paris with Kenny Clarke. Having worked for fellow expatriate Powell throughout the 1950s, Taylor once again recorded with him in 1964 for the album The Invisible Cage, at Paris' Studio Acousti.
Taylor was the author of Notes and Tones, a 1977 book based on his interviews with other musicians. This was, for many musicians, a ground-breaking work, because it presented the interviewees' perspectives on the wider social, political, and economic forces in which they operated – topics normally not mentioned in mainstream coverage of jazz musicians. De Capo Press has released an extended edition of his book which features in-depth interviews of jazz musicians such as Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, Ornette Coleman and Dizzy Gillespie. Additionally, Taylor shares that his book had helped him put him on the "right track". Since writing his book, people assumed that he could not play well anymore, which only reignited the fire in himself to play better than he ever had in his life.

1980-1995: Return to the U.S.

He returned to the United States to help his mother, who was ill. He continued freelancing after returning to the United States.
In 1991 he organized a second band called Taylor's Wailers. In 1992, his group released albums such as Mr. A.T. and a live album called Wailin’ At The Vanguard recorded in New York City at the Village Vanguard and was his final recording as a leader.
In 1995 Taylor's last recording session was with Jimmy Smith on the album Damn! which was dedicated in his memory.

Style and influences

Taylor was originally influenced by American drummer J. C. Heard, who had "solidified his vision in becoming a drummer". In a 1994 interview with Modern Drummer magazine he shared childhood memories of his father taking him to the Apollo Theatre, to see J.C. Heard and other artists such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Buddy Rich and Charlie Barnet. Other influential names in his lifetime included Sid Catlett, Philly Joe Jones, Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, and Kenny Clarke who had encouraged him to study music.
Taylor also revealed in a 1994 voice recording interview by NPR that he first studied drums in Paris with Kenny Clarke. He explained that he was self-trained, but felt encouraged by Clarke to continue studying music. He states "Kenny always tried to encourage me… He said you're gonna be better, you're gonna be better... ".
While Kenny Clarke is regarded as one of the larger influences from his time in France, Taylor noted that Art Blakey and Max Roach were his most important influences on his personal style of jazz. He expresses his admiration for the technique and control of Roach's playing, the finesse of Philly Joe and the Power of Blakey. “I took something from all those people. I know I have, because when I hear a drummer play something I like, I learn to play. After playing it for a long time, it isn't like something you stole from somebody else. It becomes almost your own, because you sure can't play it like anybody else did... ".
His rhythmic conception is also influenced by Bud Powell’s piano rhythms, which he incorporates into his drum playing. Their collaboration can be heard also in Powell's live recording Birdland 1953: The Complete Trio Recording; pieces performed live included "Moose the Mooche", "Cheryl", "Budo", and "Un Poco Loco" featuring Taylor as the drummer. He can also be heard in John Coltrane’s album Giant Steps and Miles Davis's Miles Ahead, expanding his horizon as a collaborative artist.
Taylor mentions a few students he took under his wing, from places such as Germany, Australia, and Japan, and would come into the United States once a year and take multiple lessons. Taylor emphasized the importance of playing the bass drum on every beat of the song to become a better drummer and build a foundation for other musicians to play on.

Death

He died aged 65 in Beth Israel Hospital, Manhattan, in 1995.

Legacy

Art Taylor was known to be one of the greatest drummers of the 1950s but worked primarily as a sideman, recording 323 sessions. Coltrane described how he hired Taylor to record with him because Taylor's playing "doesn't interfere with his".
Whether playing with Johnny Griffin, Jackie McLean, Dexter Gordon or Coleman Hawkins, Taylor paid careful attention to the individual's sound and tone. When practicing to perform, he noted that he regarded himself as a "slow learner" compared to other drummers, but had "kept learning". He valued the importance of learning a section, or arrangement, permanently, helping his members play their sections when needed. Taylor's ability to adapt and play "with" the musician's playing style, rather than "at" them, was another one of his values.