b. 1972, Denver, Colorado, USA. At the age of seven Taylor was enrolled by his parents into Denver Youth Musicians, which is where he learned to play alto saxophone. He also took private lessons and while in high school played in a funk band, Mixed Company. He was attracted to jazz through hearing musicians such as Ronnie Laws, David Sanborn and Grover Washington Jnr. , and groups such as the Crusaders and Earth, Wind And Fire. After leaving school, Taylor was granted a scholarship to study music performance at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. While there, he played professionally in hotels and clubs, and also played in Los Angeles and elsewhere. Playing both alto and soprano saxophones, Taylor began to make an impact on the smooth jazz field with well-received albums that blend hints of reggae, Latin and soul. In 1994 he played with Jeff Lorber, then went into Keiko Matsui’s band, touring and recording. His debut recording, On The Horn, which charted in Billboard, included a popular radio track ‘’Till We Meet Again’. The follow-up Pleasure Seeker also did well on radio and his popularity on tour increased, boosted by guest appearances with the Rippingtons in 2000.
After signing with Peak Records, Taylor’s profile was elevated and his first two albums under the new recording contract sold well, encouraging the reissue, by N-Coded Music, of his earlier albums. Then, in 2003, Steppin’ Out was in the Top 10 of Billboard’s contemporary jazz album chart and the following year he toured as a member of Groovin’ For Grover, a Grover Washington tribute band that also featured Lorber, Richard Elliot and Gerald Albright. Among other musicians with whom Taylor has worked are singers Maxi Priest and Kurt Jackson and guitarists Brian Monroney and Tony Maiden. Taylor has also appeared on television in acting roles.
