About the Book
Legendary jazz ambassador Dr. Billy Taylor’s autobiography spans more than six decades, from the heyday of jazz on 52nd Street in 1940s New York City to CBS Sunday Morning. Taylor fought not only for the recognition of jazz music as “America’s classical music” but also for the recognition of black musicians as key contributors to the American music repertoire. Peppered with anecdotes recalling encounters with other jazz legends such as Jelly Roll Morton, Duke Ellington, Art Tatum, Count Basie, Billie Holiday, and many others, The Jazz Life of Dr. Billy Taylor is not only the life story of a jazz musician and spokesman but also a commentary on racism and jazz as a social force.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Chronology of the Life of William Edward Taylor Jr.
1. Beginnings: 1921–1938
2. College Years: 1938–1942
3. Making Waves: 1943–1946
4. The Subject Is Jazz: 1946–1958
5. From "Tobacco Tags" to the Urban Airwaves: 1959–1968
6. How It Feels to Be Free: 1969–1990
7. Reflections
Discography
Selected Publications Authored by Dr. Billy Taylor
Index
About the Author :
Dr. Billy Taylor (1921–2010) served as the Duke Ellington Fellow at Yale University, Artistic Advisor for Jazz to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Board Member on the National Council for the Arts. A lifelong spokesperson for jazz, he hosted radio shows in New York, on National Public Radio, and became the jazz correspondent on CBS Sunday Morning. With over 23 honorary doctoral degrees, Dr. Billy Taylor is also the recipient of two Peabody Awards, an Emmy, a Grammy and a host of prestigious and highly coveted prizes, such as the National Medal of Arts, the Tiffany Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award from Downbeat Magazine, and election to the Hall of Fame for the International Association for Jazz Education.
Teresa L. Reed is Director of the School of Music at the University of Tulsa where she teaches music theory and African-American music.
Review :
"As a highly-esteemed jazz pianist, educator, and media figure who helped popularize the concept of jazz as "America's classical music," Billy Taylor's contributions to jazz were significant, and his story intersects with some of the music's most fascinating figures and historical chapters. As a jazz education pioneer and well-liked spokesperson for the music, Mr. Taylor is a civil rights figure in his own way, and this gives his book a value that transcends the normal boundaries of music biography."--David Brent Johnson, Jazz Director, WFIU "The Jazz Life of Dr. Billy Taylor is an impeccable memoir by one of America's most celebrated renaissance men. The consummate master musician, intellect, educator, humanitarian and activist reveals the steep challenges and overwhelming victories of his life journey in a manner that exemplify his tremendous dedication to making the world a better place and his demonstrative commitment to excellence. The writing is as fluid as it is gorgeous, captivating and inspiring. This monumental memoir offers an in-depth and critical analysis of American history through the lens of one the most decorated African American creative artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. Filled with poignant reflection on the importance of the African-African American cultural continuum as a foundation for American culture, this memoire takes us from the hey days of "Swing Street" to the most prestigious concert halls around the world with an insider's tour of the meritorious metamorphosis of William E. Taylor, Jr. into the widely celebrated, Dr. Billy Taylor. From amazing details of interactions with Malcolm X, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., John Coltrane and Mary Lou Williams to the behind-the-scenes inspirations for compositions such as "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free," "Don't Go Down South" and Peaceful Warrior; this is a must read by anyone who claims to be remotely interested in American music, history, arts and culture."--Emmett G. Price III, Ph.D, Executive Editor of Encyclopedia of African American Music "In this excellent collaboration with author Teresa Reed, Dr. Billy Taylor, one of the most beloved and iconic figures in the jazz world, tells his extraordinary life story in his own words with characteristic humility, warmth, and eloquence. Across nearly ninety years, he played many roles, including performer, recording artist, composer, bandleader, author, educator, civil rights activist, broadcaster, and tireless advocate for jazz, which he called "America's Classical Music." This is a book of major importance not only to the jazz field but also to the study of the African American social and cultural experience in the 20th and early 21st centuries. It is a must read - I couldn't put it down!" - Dr. David N. Baker, Chair, Jazz Studies, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music; National Endowment for the Arts American Jazz Master "The book has been assembled by Teresa Reed, an academic at the University of Tulsa, from a series of interviews given in Taylor's final years, and weaves a lucid narrative out of a remarkably varied career. As a pianist, Taylor's breadth was formidable. His aesthetic was mostly bebop, but also embraced Latin, big band and gospel. He performed with everyone who was anyone, and his recordings stretch from the mid-1940s into the 21st century...For a moment we get inside the virtuosic performance that Taylor sustained throughout his career. We see his jazz life as a long and patient exercise in knowing what to say and what not to say, as a stylish and striking achievement."--Tom Arnold-Forster, PospectMagazine.co.uk, September 17th 2013
