BILLY  TAYLOR:  Arkadia  reviews

Billy  Taylor  Trio: 
Music  Keeps  Us  Young  (Arkadia  Jazz  71601)
Print coverage in Billboard, Bird, Black and White, Cadence, the Chattanooga Free Press, the Denver Post, Down Beat, Fascinating Voyage, Gavin, Jazzscene, JazzTimes, LA Jazz Scene, Our Town, Pulse of the Twin Cities, the Philadelphia Daily News, The Pier, Rapport and the Sun Herald.

• ****  [of  5]  "The presentation is first class….  The civilized, articulate music of Billy Taylor deserves all of Arkadia’s T.L.C. ... the album possesses a careful balance, a finished quality.   The sound engineer David Baker beautifully recreates the space in which the recording was made, well-chosen for its 'acoustics and feeling of intimacy.'   The surface of Taylor’s music is so sophisticated, with its closely voiced chord sonorities and its fleet, elegantly shaped right-hand lines, that at first you might miss the underlying substance."
  —Thomas Conrad, Down Beat

• "Pianist Billy Taylor can play any style of jazz with near-perfection....  Technically, Taylor is a wizard."
  —Al Hunter Jr, Philadelphia Daily News
  
• "…everything sounds so ingeniously new. This is a mammoth plateful of sumptuous offerings.   Top-notch, Taylor once again shows why he’s long been considered one of the best in the business [with John Coltrane’s 'Naima'].  Taylor offers a very sensitive, poignant interpretation that truly captivates the ears.   This is no simple praise. Taylor gives you more than your money’s worth."
  —Rapport
  
• The  doctor  is  back  in  his  office,  so  make  an  appointment  to  play  the  latest  release  from  Dr.  Billy  Taylor,  everyone's  favorite  jazz  historian….  The  result  is  some  fresh,  spontaneous,  and  foot-tapping  performances…  Taylor's  grand  chords  clusters  swing  profusely.
  —Charles  Lloyd,  Gavin
  
• "Billy Taylor belies 75 years of life with his cheerfully infectious, flawless articulated performances."
  —Jack Sohmer, JazzTimes
  
• This  excellent  outing  finds  this  septuagenarian's  fingers  as  agile  as  ever,  spinning  syncopated  variations...  Latter-day  standards  are  also  explored  with  a  glistening,  enchanting  take  on  Coltrane’s  "Naima,"  and  a  light-stepping  waltz  through  Freddy  Hubbard’s  "Up  Jumped  Spring"...."
  —Billboard
  
• "The title of this endearing, unpretentious recording must be accurate, for veteran pianist Billy Taylor looks, acts and, most important, sounds like youth itself.   The glitter of his technique, ebullience of his rhythm and high spirits of his playing on every track attest to the man’s rejuvenative powers.   To this day, he remains one of the most fluid of keyboard improvisers, reeling off bebop-tinged figures from a seemingly bottomless well of ideas."
  —Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune
  
• "Music  Keeps  Us  Young  on  the  new  Arkadia  Jazz  label  is  such  a  treat.  Reverting  to  the  music’s  blues  and  gospel  roots,  Taylor  simply  relaxes  with  standards  he's  played  all  his  life  ...  with  earthy  authority.  It’s  a  fine  album."
  —Jeff  Bradley,  Denver  Post
  
• "This is meticulously executed, technically adroit music. It swings brightly through a catalogue of keyboard approaches, a pleasant warmth  …  consistently entertaining."
  —Stuart Broomer, Cadence
  
• "Billy  Taylor  is  one  of  the  peerless  pianists  and  most  revered  spokespersons  for  the  jazz  art.  His  trio  CD  on  Arkadia  is  titled  Music  Keeps  Us  Young.  Taylor,  a  young  75  himself,  shows  us  how  its  done...."
  —George  Fendel,  Our  Town
  
• "Age  has  not  slowed  Taylor's  steady  stream  of  inventive,  buoyant  music,  nor  dimmed  its  infectiously  sunny  spirit.  And  he  retains  the  quick  reflexes  that  make  him  a  consummate  group  player.  ...cart wheeling  lines,  insightful  phrasing,  and  assured  pacing....  Its  good  to  see  a  genuine  pioneer  recording  an  album  for  jazz  purists  that  sounds  as  fresh  as  I'm  sure  it  sounded  in  the  40s  and  50s."
  —Kit  Benge,  The  Pier
  
• "His classy, swinging piano demonstrates that Music Keeps Us Young (Arkadia). The clarity of Taylor's playing is wondrous."
  —Bart Grooms, Black and White
  
• "Taylor weaves wonderful magic on the keyboard.   It is jazz the way jazz ought to be" .
  —Don Adderton, Sun Herald
  
• "The 75-year-old jazz pianist Billy Taylor still sounds as fresh as the latest 21-year-old wunderkind on this flawless swing-filled CD.   Dr. Taylor has made another impressive contribution to classic jazz."
  —Ken Dryden, Chattanooga Free Press
  
• "It is extremely difficult to believe that Billy Taylor is now 76.   As one of jazz’s most articulate spokesmen, Taylor intelligently communicates the joys and uniqueness of jazz on CBS Sunday Morning.   But despite his fame, Taylor remains, most importantly, a very vital pianist.   On this trio set…the repertoire…is generally boppish, spontaneous and quite accessible.   This easily enjoyable CD both documents the pianist’s continued excellence and launches the Arkadia label."
  —Scott Yanow, LA Jazz Scene
  
• "It is said that those who can, play; those who can’t, teach.   A few … not only play and teach — they also write, arrange, lecture, and generally convey jazz (and themselves) with urbanity and class.   Billy Taylor is one … it’s clear he can walk the walk AND talk the talk.   There is a looseness to this session, but precision as well. 'Body and Soul' (is) an impressive personal exploration of an otherwise familiar standard … may Billy Taylor the pianist continue to record in this same refined, elegant manner.
  —Brad Simon, Bird - A Jazz Monthly
  
• "…an album that continues to illustrate just how much the jazz world needs Billy Taylor’s musical statements. ****stars"
  —George Fendel, Jazzscene
  
• "The venerable pianist, composer, educator and TV star is still at the peak of his powers at age 75.   The Music Keeps Us Young title is no joke — Taylor looks to be about 50, sounds as vital as any World Series athlete and swings harder and surer than most of those sluggers.   This is as good an introduction to his immense and timeless art as you’ll find.   Superb liner notes by the venerable Ira Gitler puts this package over the top."
  —Tom Sorowicz, Pulse of the Twin Cities
  
• "UNBELIEVABLE!   This album is absolutely fascinating. Billy Taylor’s sound is so refreshing, elegant, stimulating and truly AMAZING.   Once this CD is on you will not be able to turn it off until the end I was in a complete trance the first time I put it on and after continuous listening I am in even more awe at Billy’s incredible piano performance.   This cat SWINGS!   So, pick up this splendid title, sit back and relax to a dazzling performance.   MAJESTIC!"
  —Paul Parietti, Fascinating Voyage

  Billy  Taylor  news

  News  &  reviews