Art Taylor

Arthur S. Taylor Jr. (April 6, 1929 – February 6, 1995) was an American jazz drummer, who "helped define the sound of modern jazz drumming".

Born in New York, United States, Taylor grew up in the Sugar Hill section of Harlem. He was often nicknamed A.T. or Mr. Cool with those who knew him well.

As a teenager, Taylor first decided that he wanted to become a musician after hearing Sid Catlett play at a jam session at the current site of the Lincoln Center. He joined a local Harlem band that featured Sonny Rollins, Jackie McLean and Kenny Drew. After playing in the bands of Howard McGhee (1948), Coleman Hawkins (1950–51), Buddy DeFranco (1952), Bud Powell (1953–58; 1961; 1964), George Wallington and Art Farmer (1954), Wallington again (1954–55), Gigi Gryce and Donald Byrd (1956), he formed his own group, Taylor's Wailers. Between 1957 and 1963, he toured with Donald Byrd, recorded with Miles Davis, Gene Ammons and John Coltrane, and performed with Thelonious Monk; Taylor also was a member of the original Kenny Dorham Quartet of 1957.

Taylor formed his own group in 1956, the Taylor's Wailers. They recorded their debut album Taylor's Wailers in 1957, at the Van Gelder Studio in Hackensack, New Jersey, with musicians Donald Byrd (trumpeter), Jackie McLean (altoist), Charlie Rouse (tenor), Ray Bryant (pianist), and Wendel Marshall (bassist). Their album featured modern hard bop and multiple swinging sessions. Two notable tracks, "Well, You Needn't" and "Off Minor", are compositions of Thelonious Monk. Other tracks include "C.T.A" which featured artists such as John Coltrane, Red Garland and Paul Chambers.

In 1963, Taylor moved to Europe, where he lived mainly in France and Belgium for 17 years, playing with local groups and jazz musicians such as Johnny Griffin, John Bodwin, and with travelling American musicians, such as Woody Shaw during the latter's tenure in Paris. Taylor also studied drums in Paris with Kenny Clarke. Having worked for fellow expatriate Powell throughout the 1950s, Taylor once again recorded with him in 1964 for the album The Invisible Cage, at Paris' Studio Acousti.

Taylor was the author of Notes and Tones, a 1977 book based on his interviews with other musicians. This was, for many musicians, a ground-breaking work, because it presented the interviewees' perspectives on the wider social, political, and economic forces in which they operated – topics normally not mentioned in mainstream coverage of jazz musicians. Da Capo Press has released an extended edition of his book which features in-depth interviews of jazz musicians such as Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, Ornette Coleman and Dizzy Gillespie. Additionally, Taylor shares that his book had helped him put him on the "right track". Since writing his book, people assumed that he could not play well anymore, which only reignited the fire in himself to play better than he ever had in his life.

He returned to the United States to help his mother, who was ill. He continued freelancing after returning to the United States.

In 1991 he organized a second band called Taylor's Wailers. In 1992, his group released albums such as Mr. A.T. and a live album called Wailin’ At The Vanguard recorded in New York City at the Village Vanguard and was his final recording as a leader.