In the
19 years since Paul Taylor first got On The Horn with his hit debut album, he’s
enjoyed an extraordinary journey in the contemporary urban jazz world. The key
to the charismatic saxophonist’s
success? Beyond those instantly
identifiable sax tones, infectious melodies, cutting edge production, and
dynamic live performances, it’s one thing: Tenacity–the perfect title for his
latest recording on Peak Records (and 10th overall).
From the
start of his recording career, Taylor has created his ever cool deeply soulful
and rhythmic trip-hop influenced sound by working with some of urban jazz and
R&B’s top producers, including Rex Rideout, Barry J. Eastmond and The
Heavyweights. But one of the most important architects of the saxman’s core
flow has been Dino Esposito, who helped Taylor establish his vibe with On The
Horn and Pleasure Seeker (1997), and has played a powerful role in the
saxophonist’s evolution by helming tracks on his subsequent recordings
Undercover (2000), his Peak Records debut Hypnotic (2001), Nightlife (2005) and
Prime Time (2011).
Tenacity
marks the first time ever that Taylor has recorded an entire project with a
single producer – and his longtime friendship and incredible chemistry with
Esposito made him the perfect choice for the varied rhythms and progressive
sonics that the saxophonist wanted.
“I’ve always had this special bond with Dino and it was really exciting
to focus on doing an entire project with my great friend, rather than just a
few tracks here and there like in the past,” says Taylor. “I’m always trying to grow as an artist, so
there were ideas going all the time as we developed these tracks,” he adds. “I
definitely have an established sound, so the key was having an open mind and
being honest when we hit on a certain vibe, groove or lick I had done before –
and taking the tune in another direction. “
Taylor
has a long history of bringing his favorite urban jazz artists to the mix, and
he continues that inspiring tradition by inviting keyboardist Jonathan Fritzen
to add his lush piano harmonies to the whimsical, easy flowing soprano-driven
opening track “Supernova” – which pairs Taylor’s horn with some snazzy
“vocalese.” He textures four alto sax tracks behind a colorful lead melody to
create the spirited optimism that rolls through the mid-tempo funk of the title
track, then shifts from a balmy, tropical feeling to a more urban, trip-hop
pocket on the rhythmically diverse “Awakening.” Taylor says, “This one is
magical in that it has three distinct melodic parts.”“Spur of the Moment” isn’t
just a clever title – it actually conveys the emotion of Taylor’s spontaneous
alto lines and they burst forth and dance over a thick, edgy funk-rock groove
and dynamic horn texturing. He named “Luxe,” featuring special guest Jeff
Lorber on electric piano and guitar, for the luxurious ambiences surrounding
his easy swaying soprano, while the tenor-led “Peace of Mind” taps into a
coolly rhythmic Paul Hardcastle style as it moves towards a playful, clapping
crunch-funk groove behind a swirl of sax and wordless vocals. Esposito turned
Taylor onto the recent alternative R&B hit “Wicked Games” by Canadian
artist The Weeknd, and he immediately loved it. The saxophonist’s version
features a thoughtful alto melody over a hypnotic piano riff and gentle
percussion, then a trippy distant “banging” sound; it also features whispery
computer generated vocals.
Taylor
envisions “Open Road” as the album’s perfect “road trip with a friend, with no
traffic and the horizon straight ahead tune:” his alto romps easily over
Esposito’s moody old school keyboard sounds, hypnotic grooves and bright brass
flourishes. Promising “More To Come,” Taylor’s gentle soprano winds through a
serpentine melody and a double time groove that creates a true club flavor a la
the popular Swedish DJ/producer Avicii. Tenacity wraps with Taylor looking out
over the “Empire” he’s created, forging a unique tension between his alto lead
and backing spirited horn textures with Esposito’s dark and moody piano
textures. “It’s a tune that makes you think about things,” says Taylor,
“looking out at everything you’ve done and savoring the moment.”
Long a
mainstay among the most popular and elite artists, Taylor has been on one of
the most exhilarating upswings of his career over the past seven years,
starting with Ladies’ Choice (2007), which marked his first ever #1 on the
Billboard Contemporary Jazz. “Burnin’,” the title track from his 2009 album,
hit #1 on the airplay charts, and “Push To Start” from Prime Time (2011), hit the
pole position on the Smooth Jazz Songs chart. Prime Time further lived up to
its colorful name by reaching the Top Ten on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.
Over the
past few years, Taylor has also been part of two of the genre’s biggest summer
tours, Gentlemen of the Night (with Marion Meadows and Warren Hill) and Sax and
the City (with Meadows and Vincent Ingala). In December 2012, the longtime
basketball enthusiast achieved another longtime dream, performing the National
Anthem in Madison Square Garden at a New York Knicks game; their coach Mike
Woodson is a longtime fan.
Though
the Denver native has lived and worked primarily in Las Vegas since graduating
as a music performance major from UNLV, the proximity of his adopted hometown
to Los Angeles gave him many opportunities to vibe with R&B and
contemporary jazz producers and artists, including Esposito, whom he first met
in the late 80s. Taylor played one of Esposito’s sessions at Jeff Lorber’s home
studio; a few years later, in 1994, the keyboardist remembered Taylor and asked
him to play with him at the Catalina Island Jazz Trax Festival.
Another
popular keyboard player, Keiko Matsui, and her producer/husband Kazu liked
Taylor’s charismatic performance and soon offered him an audition with their
band. He recorded and toured with the Matsuis for two years (appearing on Sapphire
and Dream Walk), and Kazu Matsui eventually co-produced On The Horn, which
spawned the #1 radio hit “Till We Meet Again.” Taylor’s mix of funk and
sensuality were a natural fit for the emerging urban jazz genre, and he soon
became one of its core artists. Although Taylor has since been one of the
genre’s most popular live attractions as a solo artist, he eagerly accepted
Russ Freeman’s invitation to tour with The Rippingtons as a special guest
artist in 2000—the year he released his third album Undercover–after Jeff
Kashiwa left the group. He later toured as a featured performer with the
all-star “Groovin’ For Grover” lineup (including Lorber, Richard Elliot and
Gerald Albright) and performed and made his acting debut on the legendary ABC
soap opera “One Life To Live.”
With the
20th anniversary of his recording debut coming up next year, Taylor remains a
fresh and vital, forward thinking force in contemporary urban jazz. Talent and
vision are a given, but sometimes those things fade. It’s his Tenacity that’s
made the difference.
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