专辑简介

Among the dilettantes of the jazz art, there are a number of constants against which the performer is measured. For some it’s virtuosity and for others it’s free-wheeling interpolation, and for pianist Billy Taylor they include his creativity as an author, lecturer and actor. He is that rare combination of talent and ideals spurred to maximum production by the whip of a boundless energy. His doctrinal approach to understanding jazz is strengthened through radio and TV lectures and the printed word. Billy’s most effective salvos are fired from a triangularly based dynamo known as The Billy Taylor Trio. The three-man group, in which he has the melodic voice, is preferred by Billy because of the challenge it offers to his creative instincts. His faultless execution mirrors such mature musical taste, that a renowned jazz critic observed that he “seems to stand in the same position today as Teddy Wilson stood to his generation – the perfection of taste.” In choosing the musical fare for this SESAC abum, Billy Taylor displays the same impeccable taste. To avoid what he terms “the rut” or over-simplification of style, Billy ranges far in preparing a blend of moods and rhythms. The reflective patterns of Afterthoughts is in sharp contrast to the humorously driving Uncle Fuzzy or the jaunty relaxation of Easy Like. The delicate instrumental balance of the trio is another characteristic of Billy Taylor’s perspicacity. The interplay of bassist Henry Grimes and drummer Ray Mosca has been carefully nurtured into a powerful rhythmic mould. The synthesis of the trio is a joy to hear. The diversity of his talent hasn’t prevented Billy Taylor from attracting international recognition as an important jazz voice. He is both dedicated and didactic in enlarging the appeal of expressive American music.