John Taylor

John Taylor (25 September 1942 – 17 July 2015)

Early life John Taylor was a self-taught pianist.

Performing career Taylor first came to the attention of the jazz community in 1969, when he partnered with saxophonists Alan Skidmore and John Surman. He was later reunited with Surman in the short-lived group Morning Glory and, in the 1980s, with Miroslav Vitous's quartet. and performed in Europe, the US and Canada.

The 1980s saw Taylor working with groups led by Jan Garbarek, In 2004, Taylor recorded Where Do We Go from Here? in duo with Kenny Wheeler and Nightfall with bassist Charlie Haden. They subsequently performed at the Montreal International Jazz Festival. Also that year Taylor formed a new trio with Palle Danielsson and Martin France. They performed at the Vancouver Jazz Festival and recorded Angel of the Presence for CAM Jazz. This recording was released in January 2006 to coincide with their UK tour and has received critical acclaim.

Keyboard style While Taylor's unique piano style drew on the whole of the jazz pallette and considerable influence from classical music, his approach was characterised by a sophisticated and advanced rhythmic and harmonic sensibility. Rhythmically he specialised in asymmetrical meters and in employing "drumming" patterns on the keyboard. Harmonically, he significantly developed and expanded the harmonic vocabulary of musicians such as Bill Evans and Gil Evans.

Teaching Taylor was professor of Jazz Piano at the Cologne College of Music from 1993 onwards, and became a lecturer in jazz at University of York in 2005. He coached and taught undergraduate jazz musicians and was of central importance to the new master's degree jazz pathway and in advancing doctoral research and performance in jazz.

Family Taylor was married to jazz vocalist Norma Winstone from 1972 Leo Taylor, a drummer with indie rock band The Invisible; and Alex Taylor, a singer-songwriter. John Taylor was married to Diana (née de Courcy) until her death in 2004 from cancer, and his subsequent marriage to childhood sweetheart Carol Weston, lasted for the rest of his life.

Death Taylor died on 17 July 2015, following a heart attack he suffered while performing at the Saveurs Jazz Festival in Segré, France. Although he was resuscitated at the venue, he died after being taken to hospital.

Discography As leader Date Line-up Album title Label Notes 1971 octet w/ Norma Winstone, Stan Sulzmann, John Surman, Kenny Wheeler, Chris Pyne, Chris Laurence, Tony Levin Pause, and Think Again Turtle produced by John Surman; re-released 1995 on FMR 1973 John Taylor Trio w/ Chris Laurence, Tony Levin Decipher MPS/BASF cd released in Japan in 1998, remastered in 2000 and again in 2016; German reissue in 2017 by edel 1991 John Taylor Trio w/ Mick Hutton, Steve Argüelles Blue Glass Ronnie Scott's Jazz House live recording 1992 w/ John Surman Ambleside Days Ah Um 1992 solo Solo Sentemo 2001 w/ The Creative Jazz Orchestra (octet w/ Julian and Steve Argüelles a.o.) Exits and Entrances Oh No! 2002 w/ Kenny Wheeler, Riccardo del Fra Overnight Sketch 2003 w/ Marc Johnson, Joey Baron Rosslyn ECM 2003 solo Insight Sketch 2005 solo Songs and Variations CAM Jazz 2005 w/ Steve Swallow, Gabriele Mirabassi New Old Age EGEA 2005 w/ Palle Danielsson, Martin France Angel of the Presence CAM Jazz 2007 w/ Palle Danielsson, Martin France Whirlpool CAM Jazz recorded 2005 2009 solo Phases CAM Jazz recorded 2006 2011 w/ Palle Danielsson, Martin France Requiem for a Dreamer CAM Jazz recorded 2008 2012 w/ Palle Danielsson, Martin France Giulia's Thursdays CAM Jazz recorded 2006 2014 solo In Two Minds CAM Jazz recorded 2011 2015 w/ Alex Taylor, Oren Marshall, Leo Taylor 2081 CAM Jazz recorded 2014

With Norma Winstone and/or Kenny Wheeler Date Artist Album title Label 1972 Norma Winstone (w/ large ensemble) Edge of Time Argo 1973 Kenny Wheeler (w/ large ensemble) Song for Someone Incus 1977 Azimuth Azimuth ECM 1978 Azimuth The Touchstone ECM 1979 Azimuth with Ralph Towner Départ ECM 1984 Kenny Wheeler (quintet) w/ Mike Brecker, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette Double, Double You ECM 1985 Azimuth Azimuth '85 ECM 1985, 1996 Norma Winstone, Kenny Wheeler, Paolo Fresu, John Taylor, Paolo Damiani, Tony Oxley Live at Roccella Jonica Ismez/Polis, Splasc(H) 1987 Norma Winstone (trio) w/ Tony Coe Somewhere Called Home ECM 1987 Kenny Wheeler Quintet w/ Stan Sulzmann, Dave Holland, Bill Elgart Flutter By, Butterfly Soul Note 1990 Kenny Wheeler (feat. Norma Winstone a.o.) Music for Large and Small Ensembles ECM 1990 Kenny Wheeler Quintet w/ John Abercrombie, Dave Holland, Peter Erskine The Widow in the Window ECM 1992 Kenny Wheeler (tentet; JT on three of seven tracks) Kayak Ah Um 1994 Azimuth How It Was Then... Never Again ECM 1997 Kenny Wheeler (quartet w/ Joe LaBarbera, Riccardo del Fra) All the More (rec. 1993) Soul Note 1997 Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor, Norma Winstone w/ The Maritime Jazz Orchestra Siren's Song Justin Time 1999 Norma Winstone & John Taylor (duo) Like Song, Like Weather (rec. 1996) Koch Jazz 1999 Kenny Wheeler (w/ large ensemble) A Long Time Ago ECM 2001 Kenny Wheeler (trio w/ Gabriele Mirabassi) Moon Egea 2002 The Maritime Jazz Orchestra feat. Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor, Norma Winstone Now and Now Again (rec. 1998) Justin Time 2005 Kenny Wheeler (duo) Where Do We Go from Here? CAM Jazz 2005 Kenny Wheeler (quartet w/ Chris Potter, Dave Holland) What Now? CAM Jazz 2011 Kenny Wheeler w/ Hugo Wolf String Quartet Other People CAM Jazz 2011 Kenny Wheeler (trio) w/ Steve Swallow One of Many CAM Jazz 2012 Kenny Wheeler Big Band The Long Waiting CAM Jazz 2013 Kenny Wheeler (sextet w/ Stan Sulzmann, Bobby Wellins) Six for Six (rec. 2008) CAM Jazz 2015 Kenny Wheeler (duo) On the Way to Two (rec. 2005) CAM Jazz

As co-leader and sideman Line-ups in brackets indicate that names or format are not mentioned on the album front cover. Recordings with artists without wiki entry (for the most part), and the seldom guest appearances were not included. For initial alphabetical order of artists reload the page. Date Artist Album title Label 1981 Arild Andersen w/ Bill Frisell, Alphonse Mouzon A Molde Concert ECM 1975 Neil Ardley, Ian Carr, Mike Gibbs and Stan Tracey Will Power - A Shakespeare Birthday Celebration in Music Argo 1991 Julian Argüelles (quartet w/ Mick Hutton, Martin France) Phaedrus Ah Um 2014 Julian Argüelles (quartet w/ Dave Holland and Martin France) Circularity CAM Jazz 2013 Pierluigi Balducci w/ Paul McCandless & Michele Rabbia Blue from Heaven Dodicilune 2017 Pierluigi Balducci, Paul McCandless & Michele Rabbia Evansiana Dodicilune 1970 Harry Beckett (octet w/ Surman, Osborne, Skidmore, Ricotti, Laurence a.o.) Flare Up Philips 1971 Harry Beckett (sextet) Warm Smiles RCA Victor 1972 Harry Beckett's S & R Powerhouse Sections (septet) Themes for Fega RCA Victor 2009 Tore Brunborg, Thomas Strønen (trio) as Meadow Blissful Ignorance Hecca 1993 Ian Carr (duo w/ JT organ) Sounds and Sweet Airs (That Giveth Delight & Hurt Not) Celestial Harmonies 2015 Hayden Chisholm (trio w/ Matt Penman) Breve Pirouet 1970 Graham Collier (tentet) Songs for My Father Fontana 1970 Mike Cooper (w/ Alan Skidmore, Mike Osborne a.o.) Trout Steel Dawn 1972 Paolo Damiani's Musica Mu(n)ta Orchestra (w/ Lindsay Cooper, Gianluigi Trovesi, Fresu, Lauren Newton, Winstone a.o.) Annìnnìa Ismez/Polis 1972 John Dankworth Big Band Full Circle Philips 1998 Maria Pia de Vito (quintet w/ Gianluigi Trovesi) Phoné Egea 2000 Maria Pia de Vito, Ralph Towner (trio) Verso Provocateur 2000 Maria Pia de Vito (w/ Towner, Swallow, Patrice Héral) Nel respiro Provocateur 1978 Martin Drew Band (quintet w/ Bill Le Sage, Brian Smith a.o.) British Jazz Artists Vol. 3 Lee Lambert 1979 Jon Eardley (quintet w/ Pete King, Mickey Roker a.o.) Namely Me Spotlite 1992 Peter Erskine (trio) w/ Palle Danielsson You Never Know ECM 1993 Peter Erskine (trio) w/ Palle Danielsson Time Being ECM 1994 Peter Erskine (trio) w/ Palle Danielsson As It Is ECM 1999 Peter Erskine (trio) w/ Palle Danielsson Juni ECM 1983 Gil Evans (w/ Surman, Sulzmann, Don Weller, Ray Russell a.o.) The British Orchestra Mole Jazz 2006 Mark Feldman What Exit ECM 1993 Paolo Fresu (trio) w/ Furio di Castri EncontroS Egea 1977 Jan Garbarek Places ECM 1978 Jan Garbarek Photo with Blue Sky, White Cloud, Wires, Windows and a Red Roof ECM 1971 Mike Gibbs (big) Band Tanglewood 63 Deram 1972 Mike Gibbs (big band) Just Ahead Polydor 1993 Mike Gibbs Orchestra (w/ Wheeler, Evan Parker, Charlie Mariano, Swallow a.o.) By the Way Ah Um 2018 Mike Gibbs (big) Band (feat. John Scofield w/ Wheeler, Argüelles, Tony Coe, Swallow, Bill Stewart Symphony Hall, Birmingham 1991 Dusk Fire 2004 Charlie Haden (duo) Nightfall Naim 1970 Don "Sugarcane" Harris (w/ Volker Kriegel, Tony Oxley a.o.) Keep on Driving MPS/BASF 1988 Lee Konitz (duo) Songs of the Stars Jazz House 1971 Volker Kriegel (quintet) Spectrum MPS/BASF 1972 Volker Kriegel (octet w/ Albert Mangelsdorff, Eberhard Weber a.o.) Inside: Missing Link MPS/BASF 1973 Volker Kriegel (septet w/ Weber, Zbigniew Seifert a.o.) Lift! MPS/BASF 1971 Cleo Laine with the John Dankworth Quartet Cleo Laine in Australia World Record Club 1973 Bobby Lamb and the Keymen (tentet) Bobby Lamb and the Keymen BBC 2011 Marilyn Mazur w/ Josefine Cronholm & Anders Jormin Celestial Circle ECM 1991 Nick Purnell (big band w/ Wheeler, Gibbs, Argüelles, Django Bates, Erskine a.o.) Onetwothree Ah Um 1987 Enrico Rava (quintet w/ Bruce Ditmas a.o.) as Rava Secrets Soul Note 1971 Frank Ricotti & Michael de Albuquerque (quintet) First Wind Pegasus 1977 Ronnie Scott's Quintet Serious Gold Pye 1969 Alan Skidmore Quintet Once Upon a Time Deram 1970 Alan Skidmore Quintet TCB Philips 2003 Tommy Smith Sextet (w/ Joe Lovano, John Scofield, John Patitucci, Bill Stewart) Evolution Spartacus 1981 Soft Machine Land of Cockayne EMI 1970 Splinter (w/ Tom Scott, Chris Spedding a.o.) Harder to Live Dark Horse 1979 Louis Stewart w/ Sam Jones and Billy Higgins I Thought About You Livia 1987 Stan Sulzmann (duo) Everybody's Song but My Own? Loose Tubes 1988 Stan Sulzmann, Frank Ricotti, Tony Hymas, Chris Laurence Aspects of Paragonne MMC/EMI 2016 Stan Sulzmann (duo) Double Exposure (rec. 1990) InVersion 1970 John Surman (big band) How Many Clouds Can You See? Deram 1971 John Surman, Barre Phillips, Stu Martin as The Trio (plus big band w/ Wheeler, Beckett, Skidmore, Osborne, Chick Corea, Dave Holland a.o.) Conflagration Dawn 1971 John Surman / John Warren Tales of the Algonquin Deram 1972 John Surman, Alan Skidmore, Tony Oxley a.o. Jazz in Britain '68–'69 Decca Eclipse 1973 John Surman (sextet) Morning Glory Island 1993 John Surman Quartet Stranger Than Fiction ECM 1996 John Surman (duo w/ chorus, JT organ) Proverbs and Songs ECM 2005 John Surman (quartet) Way Back When (rec. 1969) Cuneiform 1995 Steve Swallow (duo) Parlance Instant Present 2008 Diana Torto (trio) w/ Anders Jormin Triangoli Egea/Astarte 1993, 1997 Colin Towns Mask Orchestra w/ Skidmore, Surman, Nigel Hitchcock a.o. Mask Orchestra (Bolt from the Blue) The Jazz Label, Provocateur 1982 Miroslav Vitouš Journey's End ECM 1998 Eric Vloeimans w/ Marc Johnson and Joey Baron Bitches and Fairy Tales Challenge 2000 Eric Vloeimans w/ di Castri and Joe LaBarbera Umai Challenge 1973 Ray Warleigh w/ Ron Mathewson, Frank Gibson Reverie Vinyl 1971 Mike Westbrook Orchestra Metropolis Neon/RCA Victor 1998Bruno Castellucci Quintet w/Stan Sulzmann, Uli Beckerhoff, Dieter llgLost and FoundQuetzal Records