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Curtis Taylor: Taylor Made
ByThe album's cover mirrors some of those that represented such labels as Blue Note and Prestige back in the 1950s and '60s, which is quite appropriate, as Taylor and his teammates are disciples of the hard bop style of jazz pioneered in those long-ago days by Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Kenny Dorham, Woody Shaw, Dexter Gordon, Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt, Hank Mobley, Johnny Griffin, Horace Silver, Bobby Timmons, Red Garland, Charles Mingus, Ray Brown, Sam Jones, Ron Carter, Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, Jimmy Cobb and a host of other household names.
As Taylor writes in that vein, Taylor Made is in some ways a throwback to the days when hard bop was king, but without imitation or cliché. Even when following the hard bop course, Taylor's music is fresh and alive, affirming that he has listened closely to his forebears and taken his cue from them while producing music that espouses his own voice. His quintet follows suit, swinging hard when needed and embracing Taylor's colorful charts with efficiency and enthusiasm.
The session is not all fire and brimstone; far from it, in fact, as hard bop has more to do with mood than tempo, and there is only one number "Heightened Awareness"that could reasonably be labeled a flag-waver. Taylor brings the heat in other ways, infusing his charts with a hard bop spirit that is ever-present even when the overlay is a waltz ("For Her") or ballad ("Hashtagged"), relying on earnest solos by tenor saxophonist Marcus Elliot and pianist Theron Brown and sturdy rhythmic support from bassist Jonathan Muir-Cotton and drummer Alex White .
Taylor opens with "Kham's Dilemma," a lyrical tribute to his son Khamari, and follows with the light-hearted "After the Rain," inspired by a rainfall but not completed until the sun had reappeared. "Heightened Awareness" and "For Her" precede the solemn yet engaging "Indomitable" and "Hashtagged," after which the session wraps with the delightful medium-tempo charmer, "Journey," on which Taylor, Elliot and Brown squeeze in one last impressive solo apiece. While it is true that not everyone appreciates the niceties of hard bop, those who do should find this album Taylor Made to suit their taste.
Track Listing
Kham’s Dilemma; After the Rain; Heightened Awareness; For Her; Indomitable; Hashtagged; Journey.
Personnel
Curtis Taylor
trumpetMarcus Elliot
saxophone, tenorTheron Brown
pianoJonathon Muir-Cotton
bass, acousticAlex White
drumsAdditional Instrumentation
David Castañeda: percussion (2).
Album information
Title: Taylor Made | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: Self Produced
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Curtis Taylor
Album Review
Jack Bowers
Taylor Made
Self Produced
lee morgan
Freddie Hubbard
Kenny Dorham
Woody Shaw
Dexter Gordon
Gene Ammons
Sonny Stitt
Hank Mobley
Johnny Griffin
Horace Silver
Bobby Timmons
Red Garland
Charles Mingus
Ray Brown
Sam Jones
Ron Carter
Art Blakey
Philly Joe Jones
Jimmy Cobb
Marcus Elliot
Theron Brown
Jonathan Muir-Cotton
Alex White