The Guitar Channel

Video: Chris Taylor Legato Lesson

Chris Taylor demonstrates a cool diminished pattern for building your legato technique. The notation and tab are available for free through the Lesson Downloads section of Taylor's website.

Favorite Releases of 2011

While pondering my favorite music releases of 2011, I was struck by two things; the abundance of originality and depth in the "my cup of tea" genre, and Geez Louise were there a lot of live albums this year. There were also some great DVDs, which is why I'm referring to this as a favorite "releases" list instead of an "album" list as I have in the past. So here they are - my favorite releases of 2011 in no particular order:

 

Abstract Logix Live! - The New Universe Music Festival 2010 (CD / DVD) [CD Review]

Amazing live CD and DVD releases chronicling the 2010 New Universe Music Festival. Includes great performances by John McLaughlin, Wayne Krantz, Alex Machacek, Jimmy Herring, and others. I was honored to help contribute to the DVD by conducting the backstage interviews which appear on disc 2.

Brett Garsed - Dark Matter [Review]

Fantastic writing and playing. Shows a stronger prog influence than Garsed’s earlier work. Bassist Ric Fierabracci make a big impact here as well.

Chris Taylor - Nocturnal [Review / Interview]

Taylor’s remarkable debut seamlessly blends modern jazz and electronica influences in one of the year’s most original and engaging releases. The all-star line up includes Ric Fierabracci, Steve Tavaglione, Dave Weckl, and other heavyweights.

Oz Noy - Twisted Blues Volume 1

Noy’s latest showcases his quirky originality and tones in a context that’s more bluesy than his previous work. Love the writing on this one.

The Aristocrats [Guthrie Govan Interview]

Killer heavy fusion album with Guthrie Govan on guitar, Bryan Beller on bass, and Marco Minnemann on drums. A great platform for Govan’s overall talents.

Derek Sherinian - Oceana

Awesome prog-fusion disc that may be Sherinian’s best solo release yet. Has a throwback 70s Jeff Beck vibe at times. Guests include Steve Lukather, Tony MacAlpine, and Joe Bonamassa.

Allen Hinds - Monkeys and Slides

Great writing and lines from one of the west coast’s coolest fusion guitarists. Includes two burning live tracks. Features Jimmy Johnson, Jeff Babko, and Dennis Hamm among others.

Bryan Beller - Wednesday Night Live

Killer live disc featuring a single set recorded at the Baked Potato, plus two additional tracks from other performances. Includes great contributions from Mike Keneally.

Other favorites from 2011:

Gerald Gradwohl Group - ABQ Live and Raw
Jeff Richman & Chatterbox - The Line Up [Interview]
Bryan Baker, Bob van Luijt & Sebastiaan Cornelissen - 011 Amsterdam
John Escreet - The Age We Live In
Johnny Hiland - All Fired Up
CAB - Live on Sunset
Human Element
Gannin Arnold - Five World Class Drummers DVD
Rudder - Live at Rockwell Music Hall NYC DVD (Not one note of guitar on this, but the band and DVD are super cool.)

See Also:

Favorite Albums of 2010
Favorite Albums of 2009
Favorite Albums of 2008
Favorite Albums of 2007
Favorite Albums of 2006

Video: Chris Taylor - Horn Phrasing for Guitar

Chris Taylor demonstrates horn-like phrasing techniques for guitar. See the full lesson in the January 2012 issue of Guitar Player Magazine.

Chris Taylor Blogs About Vietnam's Luthier Street for Guitar Player

Guitarist Chris Taylor has written a great post for Guitar Player about his visit to "Luthier Street" in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Includes pics from Chris's wife Carolyn.

Guitar Player Blogs: Chris Taylor: Luthier Street, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Chris Taylor to appear on the Tony Palkovic Radio Show

Guitarist Chris Taylor was interviewed recently for Tony Palkovic's Radio Show, which broadcasts on KSPC 88.7FM in the Los Angeles area. Taylor's interview will air on Tuesday 9/20/11. The show runs from 12pm-2pm Pacific time, and will be rebroadcast on Wednesday 9/21/11 from 2am - 4am Pacific. To listen online, visit kspc.org.Topics of discussion will surely include Taylor's striking debut album Nocturnal (Review).

 

Chris Taylor "Nocturnal" Review at Gapplegate Guitar and Bass Blog

A short but sweet review of Chris Taylor's debut Nocturnal has been posted at the Gapplegate Guitar and Bass Blog.

Gapplegate Guitar and Bass Blog: Guitarist Chris Taylor Makes Some Great Sounds on Nocturnal

My Interview with Chris Taylor

Guitarist and composer Chris Taylor's debut album Nocturnal (Abstract Logix) is easily one of the most compelling modern jazz recordings of the year thus far (read my review here). I caught up with Taylor recently to ask about the origins of the album, his writing style, his gear, and much more.

The Guitar Channel Interview: Chris Taylor

Chris Taylor Review and Interview at All About Jazz

Ian Patterson has posted an interview with Chris Taylor, and a review of Taylor's debut album Nocturnal, at All About Jazz.

All About Jazz Review: Chris Taylor - Nocturnal

All About Jazz Interview: Chris Taylor: Never Make Your Move Too Soon

Current Listening

Here's some of the new music I've been digging lately.

Abstract Logix Live! The New Universe Music Festival 2010

This 2-CD set will be released on July 19th but I have an early copy for review. An amazing album with killer performances by John McLaughlin (with guest Zakir Hussain), Jimmy Herring, Alex Machacek, Wayne Krantz, Lenny White (featuring Jimmy Herring), Human Element, and Ranjit Barot.

Gerald Gradwohl Group - ABQ Live and Raw

Gritty live album recorded in 2004. Great guitar work by Gradwohl. Includes Kirk Covington on drums, Thomas Kugi on sax and Harald Weinkum on bass.

 

Allen Hinds - Monkeys and Slides

Great writing and playing with a west coast fusion vibe. Includes Jimmy Johnson, Jeff Babko, Jimmy Earl and others. Hinds' guitar work on the live track "Rat Scat" is burning.

John Escreet - The Age We Live In

Fantastic jazz album from New York pianist Escreet. Includes Wayne Krantz on guitar and David Binney on sax. Krantz's contributions are integral to the overall mood of the disc.

 

Chris Taylor - Nocturnal (Review)

Still listening to this a lot lately. Very fresh and innovative with a killer line-up of players. Look for an interview with Taylor here soon.

Chris Taylor Interview for Guitar International

Rick Landers has a nice interview up with guitarist Chris Taylor at Guitar International. Taylor discusses his fantastic debut album Nocturnal.

Guitar International - Interview With Chris Taylor: Jazz and Electronica

Review: Chris Taylor - Nocturnal

Guitarist Chris Taylor has been around the block a few times. A veteran of the music business for over 30 years, the New York native has written, recorded, and/or performed with artists such as Grover Washington Jr., Lionel Hampton, Randy Brecker and many others. Fusion guitar fans may be familiar with his work with guitarists Ed DeGenaro (Dog House, Less Is Seldom More) and John Czajkowski (West ZooOpolis). Now Taylor has struck out on his own with Nocturnal (Abstract Logix); a stunningly original debut that pushes the boundaries of modern jazz and fusion.

From a harmony perspective, Nocturnal is a jazz record at its core, yet Taylor dresses it heavily with electronica and industrial influences that wash the listener in a cornucopia of sounds and samples. While the use of these textures in jazz fusion is not unprecedented - the music of Uncle Moe’s Space Ranch and Alex Machacek comes to mind - Taylor’s thoroughly integrated application of these ideas in a jazz context feels very new. As a result, the whole album hits you as a bold,  fresh statement, especially when you consider this is Taylor’s first recording as a leader.

Though Nocturnal is clearly Taylor’s brainchild, he hardly goes it alone here as he is joined by a remarkable lineup of top-shelf musicians including drummers Dave Weckl, Gary Novak, Joel Rosenblatt, Kirk Covington and Tracey Kroll, bassists Ric Fierabracci, Gary Hease and Kevin Freeby, keyboardists George Whitty, John Findlay and Scott Kinsey, saxophonist Steve Tavaglione, and guitarist John Czajkowski. One look at these names should tell you that despite any preconceived notions you may have about terms like “electronica” or “samples,” this is still a players album. It also happens to be one of the most creative records to hit the modern jazz scene in some time.

Taylor’s playing style is quite unique. His solos are peppered with exploratory lines that flow from a strong jazz vocabulary with a heavy ‘outside’ skew, yet he plays with a light attack that forgoes the flash and shred often heard from contemporary fusion guitarists. Imagine a player with the harmonic sense of Allan Holdsworth and the touch of Allen Hinds and you’ll start to get the idea. From the tonal side of things, Taylor generally goes with “stratty” sounds with just enough gain to add some punch without getting too crunchy - the perfect tone to match his dynamic, legato style.

Nocturnal’s opening track “Voices in My Head” gives a strong indication of what’s in store for the rest of the disc. Tavaglione’s prominent sax work and Taylor’s swinging solo create an obvious jazz mood, yet samples and backwards effects are sprinkled throughout the mix to create a sonic landscape that’s as unexpected as it is cutting edge. This “cinematic jazz” approach is utilized throughout the album, though on some tracks, such as the beautiful, eastern-tinged “Nocturnal,” and the hauntingly evocative “Recluse,” Taylor leans more heavily in the “soundscape” direction to create pieces that are more like aural paintings than traditional songs.

Taylor has cited Weather Report as an influence, and “Ear To The Rail” is clearly an homage to that groundbreaking band, and their torch bearers Tribal Tech. The song’s groove and vocal accents strongly reflect the music of Weather Report founding member Joe Zawinul, while Taylor’s solo on this tune is dripping with Scott Henderson-esque blues phrases. Another standout track is “You Know What I’m Saying?” - a great piece of fast modern jazz, again augmented with samples and sound effects to tweak the ear. Taylor takes one of his best solos on the album here, as he strings together one great outside line after another. Tavaglione and keyboardist Scott Kinsey also make great contributions on this piece.

The most straight-laced song on Nocturnal is likely “Green Divided By Blue.” Save for the intro, the sonic effects are held to a minimum on this track in which everyone involved turns in a killer performance. Ric Fierabracci’s stellar fretless playing is a major factor in the overall mood of the song, as is Tavaglione’s great tenor work.

Whereas “Green Divided By Blue” largely eschews the genre bending production devices employed throughout the rest of the album, the next track is practically defined by them. “All Of Us” is a radical mash-up of jazz and electronica that starts off like a spaghetti western-themed rave. George Bush sound bites mingle with driving beats and copious amounts of sampled percussion in a head-spinning industrial techno onslaught, before the song morphs into a slow, simmering blues-inflected groove. Fierabracci really shines on this tune, especially with his licks in the intro. Despite all of that, it’s Taylor’s guitar work that truly defines the song. His understated phrases are the perfect ingredient over the track’s busy production, and the classic vibe effect he employs is the coolest guitar tone on the album.

Some of Taylor’s best playing on Nocturnal can be found on “Bela” - a fantastic tune that features some creepy Bela Lugosi spoken-word samples. Taylor’s solo on this track is arguably his jazziest on the whole record. He not only pours out tons of great lines (some of which reflect a John Scofield influence), but also demonstrates a deft use of volume swells - a technique he employs regularly throughout the disc. Whitty’s keyboard solo on this song is also one the great treats of this album.

“Here To There” is a chimey  piece full of arpeggiated guitar parts and swirling backwards sounds that begs the use of headphones to get the full effect. Tavaglione’s use of a harmonica patch for his EWI is a perfect fit here. The deep growling “Odd Hours” closes the album in strong fashion with a Jeff Beck-like low register melody, and killer playing from Tavaglione and drummer Kirk Covington. Things get nasty late in the tune when John Czajkowski comes in with some uber-heavy power chords played on baritone guitar.

With Nocturnal, Taylor, the long time sideman, clearly establishes himself not only as an artist in his own right, but as a highly original voice in modern jazz. Had he not incorporated samples, or any other post-production atmospheric elements, this would still stand as a fine debut full of creativity and depth. By so thoroughly and seamlessly weaving these “non-jazz” textures into his music, however, Taylor brings a fresh vision to the genre that is exciting and innovative. Nocturnal is a captivating release that is hopefully the first of many to come from this fine guitarist and composer. Highly recommended.


Chris Taylor - Nocturnal (Abstract Logix)

Personnel:

Chris Taylor - Guitar, Keyboards, Programming
Dave Weckl, Gary Novak, Joel Rosenblatt, Kirk Covington, Tracey Kroll - Drums
Ric Fierabracci, Gary Hease, Kevin Freeby - Bass
George Whitty, John Findlay, Scott Kinsey - Keyboards
Steve Tavaglione - Saxophone, Woodwinds, EWI
John Czajkowski - Baritone Guitar
Francesca Russo - Voice


Tracklisting:

1. Voices In My Head
2. Ear To The Rail
3. Nocturnal
4. You Know What I’m Saying?
5. Green Divided By Blue
6. All Of Us
7. Bela
8. Recluse
9. Here To There
10. Odd Hours

 

Rich

List all reviews

Chris Taylor Interview for Abstract Logix

Abstract Logix has posted a great interview Bill Milkowski conducted with guitarist Chris Taylor. Taylor discusses his fantastic debut album Nocturnal.

Abstract Logix Interview: Chris Taylor