I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free - Billy Taylor
Jazz legend Billy Taylor, in a performance of his renown composition, "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free," featuring Victor Gaskin on bass and Curtis Boyd on drums. "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" is a song written by Billy Taylor & Dick Dallas. Originally recorded by Nina Simone in 1967 on her Silk & Soul album. Billy Taylor's own version (as "I Wish I Knew") was recorded November 12, 1963 and released on his Right Here, Right Now album (Capitol ST-2039) the year after. His 1967 instrumental take was later used as the theme music for The Film programme on BBC television. Billy Taylor reports that "I wrote this song, perhaps my best known composition, for my daughter Kim. This is one of the best renditions I've done, because it is very spiritual." Please visit: www.billytaylorjazz.com for all things Billy.
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Billy Taylor and Ramsey Lewis Have Got Some Serious Rhythm
Piano Duo Ramsey Lewis and Billy Taylor from Billy's 80s TV show, Jazz Counterpoint. Ramsey Lewis was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Ramsey Lewis, Sr. and Pauline Lewis. Lewis began taking piano lessons at the age of four. At 15 he joined his first jazz band, The Cleffs. The seven-piece group provided Lewis his first involvement with jazz; he would later join Cleffs drummer Isaac "Redd" Holt and bassist Eldee Young to form the Ramsey Lewis Trio. Lewis is a graduate of DePaul University. The trio started as primarily a jazz unit and released their first album, Ramsey Lewis And The Gentlemen of Swing, in 1956. Following their 1965 hit "The In Crowd" (the single reached #5 on the pop charts, and the album #2) they concentrated more on pop material. Young and Holt left in 1966 to form Young-Holt Unlimited and were replaced by Cleveland Eaton and Maurice White. White left to form Earth, Wind & Fire was replaced by Maurice Jennings in 1970. Later, Frankie Donaldson and Bill Dickens replaced Jennings and Eaton; Felton Crews also appeared on many 1980's releases. By 1966, Lewis was one of the nation's most successful jazz pianists, topping the charts with "The In Crowd", "Hang On Sloopy", and "Wade in the Water". All three singles each sold over one million copies, and were awarded gold discs. Many of his recordings attracted a large non-jazz audience. In the 1970s, Lewis often played electric piano, although by later in the decade he was sticking to acoustic and using an <b>...</b>
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John Lewis and Billy Taylor - Jazz Piano Masters
Two Jazz piano masters make musical magic in a rare duo setting. Dr. Billy Taylor appeared on hundreds of jazz albums and wrote more than 300 tunes, including "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free," which became an unofficial anthem of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. It was the theme music of the 1996 film "Ghosts of Mississippi. John Lewis was among the most conservative of bop pianists. His improvised melodies, played with a delicate touch, were usually simple and quiet. The accompaniments were correspondingly light, with Lewis's left hand often just grazing the keys to produce a barely audible sound. His method of accompanying soloists was similarly understated: rather than comping—punctuating the melody with irregularly placed chords—he often played simple counter-melodies in octaves which combined with the solo and bass parts to form a polyphonic texture. Occasionally, Lewis played in a manner resembling the stride styles of James P. Johnson and Fats Waller, all the while retaining his light touch.
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Billy Taylor's Protege - Christian Sands
At the 30th Anniversary edition of Jazz in July UMass, the summer camp for musicians that Billy Taylor co-founded, Billy's protege, Christian Sands, played in a tribute to his mentor in a trio that included Avery Sharpe on bass, and Steve Johns on drums. Christian Sands is a "rising star" in the world of jazz. He possesses pianistic technique in abundance, but it perfectly matches his conception. His use of understatement accomplishes a much deeper musical goal. He takes a fresh look at the entire language of jazz: stride, swing, bebop, progressive, fusion, Brazilian and Afro-Cuban. He says, "My music is about teaching the way of jazz and keeping it alive. It's unfortunate that the older styles, like stride, are starting to drift away." True to his word, Sands develops the past while providing unusual and stimulating vehicles for the present ... and for the future. Musicality, sensitivity, taste and swing — hallmarks for as long as he has been playing. Born May 22, 1989, Christian began playing the piano at age 3, composing at age 5, and his meteoric rise in the jazz world already includes two appearances at the 2006 and 2007 Grammy Awards, including an outrageous, highly publicized duet with legendary pianist Oscar Peterson. He has also been featured as a special guest of jazz adjudicator and pianist Dr. Billy Taylor for his 2006 and 2007 "Jazz at the Kennedy Center" Series in Washington, DC. He has performed with many jazz luminaries such as Lou Donaldson, Kirk Whalum <b>...</b>
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Billy Taylor: A Life in Jazz
Bret Primack's documentary tells the story of a remarkable man who was a superb Jazz musician, composer, broadcaster, educator, advocate and more, Dr. Billy Taylor. Dr. Taylor, as he preferred to be called (he earned a doctorate in music education from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1975), was a living refutation of the stereotype of jazz musicians as unschooled, unsophisticated and inarticulate, an image that was prevalent when he began his career in the 1940s, and that he did as much as any other musician to erase. Dr. Taylor probably had a higher profile on television than any other jazz musician of his generation. He had a long run as a cultural correspondent on the CBS News program "Sunday Morning" and was the musical director of David Frost's syndicated nighttime talk show from 1969 to 1972. Well educated and well spoken, he came across, Ben Ratliff wrote in The New York Times in a review of a 1996 nightclub performance, as "a genial professor," which he was: he taught jazz courses at Long Island University, the Manhattan School of Music and elsewhere. But he was also a compelling performer and a master of the difficult art of making jazz accessible without watering it down.
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Billy Taylor on Jazz Improvisation in a Small Group Setting
www.billytaylorjazz.net presents the 1958 TV Show "The Subject Is Jazz" featuring Billy Taylor, piano; Ed Safranski, bass; Osie Johnson, drums; Mundell Lowe, guitar; Doc Severinsen,trumpet; Jimmy Cleveland, trombone; and Tony Scott on saxophone and clarinet
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The Future of Jazz: Billy Taylor/George Russell/Bill Evans
www.jazzvideoguy.tv presents an episode of Billy Taylor's' 1958 TV show, "The Subject Is Jazz," featuring Bill Evans, Tony Scott, Art Farmer, Jimmy Cleveland, Doc Severinsen, Ed Thigpen, Mundell Lowe, Eddie Safranski and George Russell. For more Billy Taylor, please visit www.billytaylorjazz.net
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Lee Konitz, Warne Marsh and Billy Taylor
www.jazzvideoguy. tv in association with http "The Subject Is Jazz - Cool" a 1958 television show. Billy Taylor, piano and musical director Ed Safranski, bass Ed Thigpen, drums Lee Konitz, alto sax Warne Marsh - tenor sax Don Eilliot - trumpet Mundell Lowe - guitar
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Going Uptown?- Billy Taylor
www.jazzvideoguy.tv presents Billy's Taylor's unique version of Duke Ellington's theme song, written by Billy Strayhorn, from a live gig in 2001 featuring Billy on piano, Chip Jackson on bass and Steve Johns on drums. For more Billy, please visit www.bilytaylorjazz.net
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Billy Taylor Trio with Charles Mingus - Live at Storyville
www.billytaylorjazz.net presents a rare recording, The Billy Taylor Trio Live at Storyville, 1951 featuring Billy on piano, Charles Mingus on bass and Marcus Foster on drums. Nat Hentoff is the announcer on this live remote broadcast on WMEX.
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Billy Taylor - Piano Workshop
From the 1988 Tri-C Jazz Fest, Billy Taylor offers his thoughts for pianists working in different configurations. Video from the compilation Tri-C Jazz Fest Cleveland, 30th Anniversary Collection, Willard Jenkins compilation producer. For more Billy, please visit: www.billytaylorjazz.com
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Billy Taylor and Tommy Flanagan - The Study of Bird
www.jazzvideoguy.tv presents Billy Taylor and Tommy Flanagan playing in a piano duo, from Billy Taylor's Jazz Counterpoint. Known for his flawless and tasteful playing, Tommy Flanagan received long overdue recognition for his talents in the 1980s. He played clarinet when he was six and switched to piano five years later. Flanagan was an important part of the fertile Detroit jazz scene (other than 1951-1953 when he was in the Army) until he moved to New York in 1956. He was used for many recordings after his arrival during that era; cut sessions as a leader for New Jazz, Prestige, Savoy, and Moodsville; and worked regularly with Oscar Pettiford, JJ Johnson (1956-1958), Harry "Sweets" Edison (1959-1960), and Coleman Hawkins (1961). Flanagan was Ella Fitzgerald's regular accompanist during 1963-1965 and 1968-1978, which resulted in him being underrated as a soloist. However, starting in 1975, he began leading a series of superior record sessions and since leaving Fitzgerald, Flanagan has been in demand as the head of his own trio, consistently admired for his swinging and creative bop-based style. Among the many labels he has recorded for since 1975 are Pablo, Enja, Denon, Galaxy, Progressive, Uptown, Timeless, and several European and Japanese companies. For Blue Note, he cut Sunset and Mockingbird in 1998, followed a year later by Samba for Felix. Despite a heart condition, Flanagan continued performing until the end of his life, performing two-week stints at the Village <b>...</b>
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What Is Jazz? Billy Taylor Part 1
www.billytaylorjazz.net presents "What is Jazz?" with the Billy Taylor Trio, including Billy Taylor on piano, Chip Jackson on bass, and Steve Johns on drums. Musical selections include "Tom Vaguely," "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child," "St. Louis Blues," "Picture This."
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Billy Taylor, Frank Wess, Ingrid Jensen and Russell Malone Really Know How to Swing
Billy's composition and radio theme, "It's a Grand Night For Swinging," featuring Ingrid Jensen, trumpet; Frank Wess, tenor; Russell Malone, guitar; Chip Jackson, bass; and Winard Harper, drums. From "An Evening with Billy Taylor" 30 September, 2006 at the Manchester Craftsman's Guild. For more Billy Taylor, please visit www.billytaylorjazz.com Special thanks to Marty Ashby.
Taylor Meets Tatum - Dr. Billy Taylor Remembers Art Tatum
www.jazzvideoguy.tv presents the story of Billy Taylor and Art Tatum. When Billy was a teenage pianist in Washington, DC in the 1930s, his piano idol was Art Tatum. Billy moved to NYC in 1943 and his first gig, with Ben Webster, was at club where the other act was Art Tatum. Billy soon became Tatum's protege. For more Billy www.billytaylorjazz.net
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Ben Webster and Billy Taylor
www.billytaylorjazz.net presents "The Subject is Jazz," a 1958 series. This episode, "Swing" features an all-star band Ben Webster, Tenor Saxophone Buck Clayton, Trumpet Benny Morton, Trombone Billy Taylor, Piano Eddie Safranski, Bass Ed Thigpen, Drums Mundell Lowe, Guitar
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Billy Taylor's Memorial Service
Dr. Billy Taylor, the great Jazz pianist, educator, broadcaster and Jazz advocate, passed away at the age of 89 on December 28, 2010. This Memorial Service was held at Riverside Church in New York on January 10, 2011. Rev. Calvin O. Butts presided. Tributes were by Loren Schoenberg, of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, who was Billy's next store neighbor, Ramsey Lewis, Kevin Struthers of the Kennedy Center, and Robin Bell-Stevens of JazzMobile. Musical interludes were provided by Billy's protege, Christian Sands, Geri Allen, Cassandra Wilson, Frank Wess, Jimmy Owens, Chip Jackson and Winard Harper. For more Billy Taylor, please visit: www.billytaylorjazz.com
Tribute to Oscar Pettiford - Billy Taylor Trio
www.billytaylorjazz.com presents a Tribute to Oscar Pettiford featuring Billy Taylor's Trio and Billy's composition, "One for the Woofer," featuring Chip Jackson on bass. Oscar Pettiford In 1942 he joined the Charlie Barnet band and in 1943 gained wider public attention after recording with Coleman Hawkins on his "The Man I Love." He also recorded with Earl Hines and Ben Webster around this time. He and Dizzy Gillespie led a bop group in 1943. In 1945 Pettiford went with Hawkins to California, where he appeared in The Crimson Canary, a mystery movie known for its jazz soundtrack. He then worked with Duke Ellington from 1945 to 1948 and for Woody Herman in 1949 before working mainly as a leader in the 1950s. As a leader he inadvertently discovered Cannonball Adderley. After one of his musicians had tricked him into letting Adderley, an unknown music teacher, onto the stand, he had Adderley solo on a demanding piece, on which Adderley performed impressively. Pettiford is considered the pioneer of the cello as a solo instrument in jazz music. He first played the cello as a practical joke on his band leader [Woody Herman] when he walked off stage during his solo spot and came back, unexpectedly with a cello and played on that. In 1949, after suffering a broken arm, Pettiford found it impossible to play his bass, so he experimented with a cello a friend had lent him. Tuning it in fourths, like a double bass, but one octave higher, Pettiford found it possible to perform during <b>...</b>
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Billy Taylor's Favorite Bassist - Chip Jackson
Billy Taylor's original "Conversation" featuring his long-time bassist, Chip Jackson, with Frank Wess on tenor, featuring Ingrid Jensen, trumpet; Frank Wess, tenor; Russell Malone, guitar and Winard Harper, drums. From "An Evening with Billy Taylor" 30 September, 2006 at the Manchester Craftsman's Guild. For more Billy Taylor, please visit www.billytaylorjazz.com Special thanks to Marty Ashby.
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IsThere A Jackson in the House - Billy Taylor Trio
www.billytaylorjazz.net presents The Billy Taylor Trio Live in 2001, featuring Billy Taylor on piano, Chip Jackson on bass and Steve Johns on drums, performing Chip Jackson's original, "Is There A Jackson in the House," featuring bassist Jackson.
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Billie's Bounce - Billy Taylor
Leonard Feather explains the Blues to Gilbert Seldes, and offers this musical example: Buck Clayton, trumpet; Vic Dickenson, trombone; Paul Quinichette, tenor; Mundell Lowe, guitar; Billy Taylor, piano; Ed Safranski, bass; Ed Thigpen, drums. Summer, 1958.
