David Sutter’s authorized biography of Creed Taylor is now available for pre-order, set for release on October 29, 2026. The book details Taylor’s influential role in jazz history, drawing on extensive research and interviews. Pre-orders are available in multiple countries, with formats including hardback, eBook, and audiobook.
OTD: The Record Men: Creed Taylor
The January 1965 issue of Jazz magazine highlights Creed Taylor’s influential role as a jazz A&R producer. Known for his commercial success and artistic sensitivity, Taylor shaped numerous significant jazz recordings. The article discusses his innovative techniques, including unique project concepts and collaboration with artists, emphasizing his foresight in navigating the evolving jazz landscape.
Once Around The Clock – Patricia Scot
A major refresh of an earlier article that includes a great deal of new content.
1959 saw Taylor and Bob (Kenyon) Hokins record arrangements for Patricia Scot’s only album. I’ve added a great deal of detail on how she got there and what happened next.
Seen Online: Moochin’ About -Kenyon Hopkins
An Internet find, the albums of Kenyon Hopkins and Creed Taylor in digital format. Got any interesting internet finds, let me know.
Creed Taylor in 1979
Today marks what would have been the 95th birthday of Creed Taylor, a producer celebrated for his subtle yet impactful influence in the jazz music industry. Despite facing significant challenges, including CTI’s bankruptcy in 1978, Taylor’s dedication to crossover music has left a lasting legacy, exemplified by his nurturing of artists like Wes Montgomery. His approach, blending commercial elements with jazz, aimed to broaden the genre’s appeal without compromising its essence, a reflection of his deep commitment to both the art and its artists.
Josh White and Creed Taylor
September 1st marks the start of “Creed Taylor Month” – an annual tradition started by A&M/CTI in Canada in 1968. It’s something interesting to observe each year, even though Taylor month was October in America. For background and details see the entry embedded at the bottom of this post. This year, I thought it also worth remembering that on September […]
The Reissue List
2021/2022 I get occasional emails from readers asking if I know if this album is on CD, or if there is a vinyl pressing available new? While I do buy occasional new vinyl and CD’s, it’s usually only to get a remastered version of something I already have, especially from the early 1960’s, or when I have the mono version. […]
The Music Came First
The Snapshots Foundation, Johnathan Bewley produced bio-pic of Creed Taylor has been released on Vimeo. A great number of contributions from Herb Alpert, Ron Carter, Bob James, Harvey Mason, Lenny White, Hubert Laws, George Benson, Ashley Kahn and more. In many ways, as Creed would have wanted, it’s as much a tribute to those artists, than it is to Creed. […]
Creed Taylor Has Left The Studio
News reached me earlier today that Creed Taylor has passed away. My sincere condolences and sympathy to Creed’s family. A a life well lived is a life worth living. Creed’s life was more than well lived, and his legacy will be with us forever. Creed Bane Taylor, Creed Taylor V, Creed Taylor, Jr.Born 13th May, 1929 – Died 22nd August, […]
Pete Turner: Color, Content, Character
I started this post on Memorial Day, May 30th 2022, which marked 87-years from Pete Turner’s birth in 1934. I imagined a quick tribute to a great photographer, who like many of his generation served in the Army. In 1972, I was an aspiring press photographer, age 14, with a future that would start as soon as I could legally […]
Margo Guryan – More Than Sunday Mornin’
It was with some sadness that I read on Instagram that Margo Guryan had passed away. Margo Guryan Rosner, age 84, of Los Angeles, California passed away on Monday, November 8, 2021. Margo was born September 20, 1937. Margo Rosner Obituary (neptunesociety.com) It would be simple to remember Margo as a song writer and lyricist from the sixties; to wax […]
Am-Par, Electro-Voice and the Story Of Stereo
Just what was the first Am-Par stereo album? Does one of the compilations hold that record? Having established which Am-Par release compilation/sampler was the first record given away with a consumer magazine closed one door on Am-Par compilations, but opened another. In this post I look at the adoption of stereo in the USA, from the perspective of the Am-Par […]
Shock – Drama, and the Toni Darnay story
In the best horror tradition, the people who put this record together are as pleasant and gentle a group a you’d like to have in for tea. Shock – Liner Notes – David Drew Zingg 1958 It’s probable that almost anyone that’s interested in the music produced by Creed Taylor has never heard of Toni Darnay? Heck, I’m guessing even […]
Full Color Fidelity Jazz
While most of us know Creed Taylors productions for their lavish gatefold covers, more often than not adorned with exotic, artful, and amazing color photographs by Pete Turner, the music Creed produced also made a number of firsts in other ways. This entry discuss the first ever vinyl record to be included in a consumer oriented magazine. It includes a […]
The ABC of Specialty Recording
[This post was originally written as part of the 2021 post, Happy Birthday Mr. Taylor and also continues and replaces an earlier post on the specialty recording period of Creed Taylor’s career.] After graduating from Duke University, 2-years in the Army, one year of which was spent in Korea, Creed Taylor arrived in New York City in 1954, aged 24-years […]
Pete Brady and The Blazers – Murder Ballads
[This post was substantially updated after finding and researching a 1973 album recorded by Pete Brady – “Sing Me A Smile”, which was previously undocumented in all the usual places. Updates were also made after Pete’s daughter, Maureen, got in touch. [Updates are tracked at the bottom of every post.] Pete Brady is a baritone singer born in Canada July […]