Gene Taylor (bassist)

Gene Taylor
Gene Taylor and Blue Mitchell (Concertgebouw, 1959)
Background information
Birth name	Calvin Eugene Taylor
Born	(1929-03-19)March 19, 1929 Toledo, Ohio, US
Origin	Detroit, Michigan
Died	(2001-12-22)December 22, 2001 (age 72) Sarasota, Florida
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter
Instrument	Double bass

Calvin Eugene "Gene" Taylor (March 19, 1929^[1] – December 22, 2001^[2]), was an American jazz double bassist. He was born in Toledo, Ohio, and began his career in Detroit, Michigan.^[2] Taylor worked with Horace Silver from 1958 until 1963.^[1][3][4] He then joined Blue Mitchell's quintet, with whom he recorded and performed until 1965.^[2] From 1966 until 1968, he toured and recorded with Nina Simone.^[2] Simone recorded the song "Why? (The King of Love is Dead)", which Taylor wrote following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.^[2][5][6] Taylor began teaching music in New York public schools.^[2] Taylor worked with Judy Collins from 1968 until 1976, and made numerous television appearances accompanying Simone and Collins.^[2] He died on December 22, 2001, in Sarasota, Florida, where he had been living since 1990.

Discography

As sideman

• Roland Alexander: Pleasure Bent (New Jazz, 1961)
• Junior Cook: Junior's Cookin' (Jazzland, 1961)
• Barry Harris: Barry Harris Plays Tadd Dameron (Xanadu Records, 1975)
• Coleman Hawkins: Supreme (Enja Records, 1966)
• Junior Mance: Harlem Lullaby (Atlantic, 1967)
• Eddie Jefferson: Coming Along With Me (OJC, 1969)
• Eric Kloss: Doors (Cobblestone, 1972)
• Blue Mitchell: The Cup Bearers (Riverside, 1963), Down with It! (Blue Note, 1965), Bring It Home to Me (Blue Note, 1966), Boss Horn (Blue Note, 1966), Heads Up! (Blue Note, 1967)
• Duke Pearson: Profile (Blue Note, 1959), Tender Feelin's (Blue Note, 1959), The Right Touch (Blue Note, 1967)
• Horace Silver: Finger Poppin' (Blue Note, 1959), Blowin' the Blues Away (Blue Note, 1959), Horace-Scope (Blue Note, 1960), The Tokyo Blues (Blue Note, 1962), Song for My Father (Blue Note, 1964)
• John Wright: The Last Amen (New Jazz, 1961 [1965])

References

1. "Jazz Performers - T's & U's". Jazz, Ragtime & Blues in the Knight Library. Retrieved 2010-11-04.
2. "Requiem". Allegro. CII (3). New York: American Federation of Musicians, local 802. Archived from the original on 2011-01-29. Retrieved 2010-11-04.
3. Obituary specifies 1962, but Taylor recorded tracks in 1963 for Song for My Father
4. Cuscuna, Michael (2008). Live at Newport '58 (CD booklet). Horace Silver. New York: Blue Note Records. 0946 3 98070 2 4.
5. Taylor, Calvin Eugene (January 20, 1986). Johnson, John H. (ed.). "Why? (The King of Love is Dead)". JET. 69 (18). Chicago: Johnson: 55. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved 2010-11-04.
6. Simone, Nina; Stephen Cleary (2003) [1992]. I Put a Spell on You. Introduction by Dave Marsh (2nd ed.). New York: Da Capo Press. pp. 114–115. ISBN 0-306-80525-1.

External links

• Gene Taylor discography at Discogs