Montana Taylor
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c.1903
Montana Taylor | |
|---|---|
| Born | Arthur Taylor c.1903 |
| Died | c.1958 (aged 54–55) (probably) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Genres | Boogie-woogie, Piano blues |
| Occupations | Pianist, singer |
| Instruments | Piano, vocal |
| Years active | 1923–1929, 1946 |
| Label | Vocalion |
Arthur "Montana" Taylor (1903 – c.1958)[1] was an American boogie-woogie and piano blues pianist, best known for his recordings in the 1940s, and regarded as the leading exponent of the "barrelhouse" style of playing.[2]
Details of Taylor's life are obscure. He was born either in Butte, Montana, where his father owned a club, or in Indianapolis.[1] The family seem to have moved to Chicago and then, around 1910, to Indianapolis, where Taylor learned piano.[3] Later he moved to Cleveland, Ohio. By 1929 he was back in Chicago, where he recorded a few tracks for Vocalion Records, including "Indiana Avenue Stomp" and "Detroit Rocks".[2]
He then disappeared from the public record for some years, during which he may have given up playing piano.[3] However, in 1946 he was rediscovered by jazz fan Rudi Blesh, and was recorded both solo and as the accompanist to Bertha "Chippie" Hill.[3] The later recordings proved he had lost none of his instrumental abilities, and had developed as a singer.[2]
Taylor's final recordings were from a 1946 radio broadcast, and after that he was reportedly working as a chauffeur.[4]
Montana Taylor died soon after 1957, when he was last recorded as living in Cleveland.[5]
In 1977, Taylor's complete recordings were compiled by Martin van Olderen for the Oldie Blues label. Included were two then recently discovered radio performances from 1946.[4] In 2002 Document Records released the complete recordings on CD.
