Billy Taylor - Joy Spring

Arkadia Records recording artist, Jazz master pianist, composer, journalist and educator Billy Taylor stands alone both figuratively and literally with only the 2nd solo recording in his 65 year career. “The Billy Taylor that emerges here was a surprise, a daring risk-taker who has absorbed the entire Jazz tradition but now breaks through as an immediately identifiable personal force.” (quote from the liner notes written by Nat Hentoff).

At the peak of his powers, he brings a fresh, yet steeped in history of Bop, piano style to this robust version of Clifford Brown’s “Joy Spring,” the first single from the album “Billy Taylor: Ten Fingers, One Voice.” The counterpoint generated by Taylor's walking bass and his soloing at times wouldn't sound out of place in a Bach cantata.

His career is recognized with the utmost adoration and respect. Dr. Billy Taylor, an NEA Jazz Master, is one of only three Jazz musicians appointed to the National Council of the Arts and worked as the Artistic Director for Jazz at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He is a recipient of the National Medal of Arts, and is also known for the artist profiles he hosted for many years as the Arts correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning.

Playing with infectious joy and playfulness, this single from the Arkadia Records release of “Billy Taylor: 10 Fingers, One Voice” showcases Taylor s deliberate and impressive ability to swing dynamically on upbeat numbers and yet play stirringly on softer songs, conveying both his passionate melodic soul and his blissful energy resulting in a solo piano recording with a depth that makes repeat listening an imperative!

“...one of Taylor's best recordings...In his playing, you can hear the entire history of jazz...” -- Jim Trageser, American Reporter

“Rarely are solo piano albums this enchanting...a masterful sense of dynamics, which helps keep the album constantly engaging...” -- Erza Dale, Jazziz