Dennis Taylor (musician)
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Dennis Taylor | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 13, 1953 Barton, Vermont, U.S. |
| Died | October 17, 2010 (aged 56) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Instruments | Alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, clarinet |
Dennis Taylor (November 13, 1953 – October 17, 2010) was an American musician, arranger, and author. He had recording credits on saxophone (alto, tenor, and baritone) as well as on clarinet and as an arranger.
Taylor was born in Barton, Vermont northeast of Montpelier. He studied music at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.[1]
Career
Taylor was known for his recordings with Delbert McClinton, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Michelle Shocked, Buckwheat Zydeco, and many others. Taylor wrote a series of instructional books through Hal Leonard, a publishing company, in which he discussed blues playing, jazz playing, and phrasing.[2] He played on five Grammy Award nominated albums and was a two-time nominee for the Nashville Music Awards, "Miscellaneous Wind Instrumentalist of the Year". He appeared on Austin City Limits, Country Music Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Celebration, Texas Connection, In Concert, American Music Shop, and Crook & Chase. On April 30, 2010, Taylor appeared on Imus in the Morning.
A jazz educator, Taylor analyzed other players' styles and offered tips for emulating and understanding work from the masters of the instrument. Some of the saxophonists music explained by Taylor included King Curtis, Stanley Turrentine, and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. The final part of "Jazz Saxophone" features 17 solos with classic jazz standards including "Doxy", "Easy Living", "Maiden Voyage" and "So What," as well as a wide variety of forms and styles (minor blues, soul jazz, 3
4 time, and bebop). The theory lessons cover the common major scale, minor scale, dominant, pentatonic chords and scales plus modes, as well as altered dominant scales and diminished options. Taylor wrote three other instructional books: Amazing Phrasing, Blues Saxophone, and Jazz Saxophone.
Taylor was also an educator who taught at Johnson State College in Johnson, Vermont southeast of St. Albans, and taught private saxophone lessons in Nashville until his death. He was a volunteer teacher for 18 of the 20 years that he lived in Nashville, at W.O. Smith Music School in Nashville, which provides lessons for students who can not afford regular private lessons. He is survived by both of his parents, as well as his wife, songwriter and publicist, Karen Leipziger.[3]
Discography
Taylor's first solo recording which received help from Kevin McKendree, also of McClinton's band, was completed shortly before his death. The recording featured saxophone, organ and drums, some of Taylor's original compositions, and also a guest appearance by Delbert McClinton. There are no details on the release. He appeared as a side-man on countless albums (see below for a partial list).
