Jazz

James Taylor Quartet - The Template (2011)

2016-01-28T17:02:07Z

James Taylor Quartet - The Template (2011)


1 	The Template 	
2 	Woman 	
3 	Home Is Where The Hatred Is 	
4 	Autumn River 	
5 	Light Up Your Soul 	
6 	Pressure Gauge 	
7 	Crossing Over 	
8 	Why Can't We Get Along 	
9 	Lucky Jim 	
10 	Loneliness 	
11 	Koko 	
12 	Song For My Dad

James Taylor – organ
Nick Smart – flugelhorn, trumpet
Gareth Lockrane – flute
Hugh Gledhill – guitar
Jim Riley – harmonica
John Turrell – vocals
Rob Townsend – saxophones
Andrew McKinney – bass
Adam Betts - drums

The James Taylor Quartet continues its funk, soul-jazz, and acid jazz blend with The Template, honoring the group’s 25th anniversary and highlighted by a wonderful version of Gil Scott-Heron’s “Home Is Where the Hatred Is.” ---Steve Leggett, Rovi

"The Template" celebrates JTQ's 25 years of recording. They've been one of the key British bands of their era, and their "Theme From Starsky and Hutch" is one of the ultimate floorfillers. James Taylor is widely regarded as the finest exponent of the Hammond organ on this side of the Atlantic: the masterly Hammond-led funk is distinctive, its light touch contrasts with many of the heavy duty players of the past.

Their first single, a version of Herbie Hancock's theme tune to the art-house classic " Blow Up [DVD]" was championed by NME and John Peel, and their reputation as a superb live act meant that they frequently sold out big venues such as London's Brixton Academy in the early/mid '90s. They also enjoyed success with hit albums such as "Supernatural Feeling" and "In the Hand Of The Inevitable" and continued to be a huge live draw throughout the 1990s and 2000s, playing many legendary gigs at Camden's Jazz Cafe.

Their blend of cop-show funk, '60s boogaloo and occasional soulful vocals continues to be massively popular and "The Template" shows the JTQ at the top of their game. The album's key track is a gorgeous, wicked, instrumental version of Gil Scott-Heron's "Home Is Where The Hatred Is", which'll be sure to pick up a lot of club action. Also check the vocal trademark Jazz Funk of "Light Up Your Soul", the full-on jazzy Hammond of "Pressure Gauge". Taylor's more subtle side surfaces on the understated "Koko".

So, would you believe that it been 25 years already? James and his band are firing on all cylinders here as usual, with James himself never sounding better. 11 of the 12 songs here are original compositions, and sounding very classic too, with some featuring the man of the moment John Turrell on vocals. It's a very natural and comfortable unison, with John sounding as superb as we've ever heard him.

After 25 years James is still one of the hardest working men in show business and here's proof of why, if any evidence was needed. ---casabig, amazon.com

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James Taylor Quartet – A Taste Of Cherry (2006)

2009-10-18T11:35:41Z

James Taylor Quartet – A Taste Of Cherry (2006)


01. Joe's Diversions 
02 Opening Our Eyes 
03 A Taste of Cherry 
04 Kick It
05 Your Kind of Loving
06 Dreaming of You 
07 Summer Song
08 Equinox
09 The In-Between
10 Dr Grits 
11 It's All Over

Nigel Wallace Price - Guitar
Neil Robinson - Drums
Nick Smart -Flugelhorn, Trumpet
Snowboy - Percussion
James Taylor Jr. - Moog Synthesizer, Organ (Hammond), Piano, Vibraphone
Yvonne Yanney 	- Vocals

When I stumbled upon the James Taylor Quartet for the first time, I wasn't sure what to think about this UK band that had the funk soul of James Brown, not James Taylor (US known James Taylor, that is). This was fun and new for me. I typically have to be 'in the mood' to listen to jazz as my first inclination is to tune to the rock genre. However, this group has me hooked. I've bought almost all of their albums and listen to them often. In fact, I now have a Pandora station set up based on the JTQ.

I never really cared for the Hammond B organ style that was prevalent with the 60s groups like the Doors. Somehow, JTQ brings this instrument back to life. The tight syncopated rhythms are infectious. I think this album best embodies the group's style. If you don't like this album, you won't like any others by them. --- D. M. Kemp, amazon.com

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James Taylor Quartet – Message From The Godfather (2001)

2009-10-18T11:37:50Z

James Taylor Quartet – Message From The Godfather (2001)


1. Side Stepping 
2. Chalkpit 
3. Message From The Godfather 
4. Who Put A Hole In My Head 
5. Splat 
6. Willma Will 
7. Tough Chicken 
8. Isabella Boogaloo 
9. Ma Che Cosa 
10. When in Rome

James Taylor – organ
David Taylor – guitar
Gary Crockett – bass
John Willmott – saxophone, flute
Neil Robinson – drums

Tedious tasks pass more quickly when listening to the James Taylor Quartet's Message From the Godfather. The music is brisk and bright, the band is tight and disciplined and the whole thing is shot through with all the glorious sounds the organ can make, as provided by the leading Taylor. However, if you sit down to actually listen to the album, it will eventually lose your attention, even during Taylor's impressive slow-burn crescendos and sax/flute player John Willmott's fluent, playful soloing. The reason is simple: Every song on this album sounds exactly like every other song on this album. There is not a track on this CD that doesn't open and close with a statement of a peppy melody, settle quickly into an uptempo groove and yield the floor to extended, somewhat predictable solos in the middle. And if you know what's coming, there's very little incentive to pay attention. Admittedly, some of the tunes are catchier than others, but ultimately Message From the Godfather makes a much stronger impression in the background than in the foreground. --- Andrew Lindemann Malone, jazztimes.com

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James Taylor Quartet – Swinging London (2000)

2009-10-18T11:39:04Z

James Taylor Quartet – Swinging London (2000)


1. Mister Twister 
2. Numbers 
3. Do It 
4. Beat Club 
5. Scene 
6. Blues Stomp 
7. Block 
8. Weekender 
9. Stand Up 
10. Return Of The Hipster 
11. Zoot Suit 
12. Faster Pussycat

James Taylor (Hammond organ)
Chris Montague (guitar)
Andrew McKinney (bass) 
Adam Betts (drums)
+
Mick Taylor (sitar)
Neil Sidwell (trombone)
Steve Weston (harmonica)
Dominic Glover	, John Willmott (brass)
Frank Ricotti (percussion)
Liz Winstanley (vocals)

Subtitled The Library Sessions--Rare & Unreleased, you would be expecting a bunch of raw archive plunderings--and that's exactly what this rush of short slammers sounds like. Using kinky-booted spinners of the 1960s and 70s as a blueprint, these pointed kicks get alarmingly close to the real thing. In reality, Taylor laid them down in deepest Kent, taking two days in January 2000 to pen a complete set of pastiched originals, a further three spent in the studio. The results bristle with condensed energy, or as James himself says, "little explosions of joy". Originally intended for library usage, he aimed at TV and radio-sized bites, but the folks at Strange Fruit were keen to give these cuts independent life on their PLR subsidiary. Taylor crams in capsule Hammond solos at every opportunity, his dinky themes propelled by tight-assed horns and fuzzed guitar, with guest feature-spots for nicotine-clogged harmonica and psychedelic sitar, the pillaged styles ranging from soul-stomping, Courtelle-clad jumping beans to cinema intermission pah-pah-da-de-pah-pahs. The only drawback is that in the quest for 1960s authenticity we end up with that decade's average album length, fighting to reach 34 minutes of playing time. It's just as well that not a second of this is squandered... ---Martin Longley, amazon.com

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