Search - Arthur Taylor :: Taylor's Tenors

A.T . deserved to lead a great session...3 in fact.

douglasnegley | Pittsburgh, Pa. United States | 08/30/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Art Taylor is one of the best bop drummers of his time. He is on some of the great sessions of the 50s - like Kenny Burrell's "All Day Long", and "All Night Long". He is also on the Red Garland Quintet masterpieces of the same era. Prestige/Riverside rewarded him with a few dates of his own as a leader, and the results are groovin'. "Taylor's Tenors" features tenor players Frank Foster (of later Count Basie Band Fame) and Charlie Rouse, alone with Sam Jones on bass and Walter Davis on piano. The genre is not exactly 'hard bop', but smoother bop. Taylor is the master of the 'off-beat stuccatto rim click', and is instantly recognizable there. "Rhythm-A-Ning" gives both tenors a chance to state their case, and Davis interjects nicely, after which the tenors trade 'fours' and A,T. takes his licks. Other notable tracks include "Straight No Chaser", which is done in a groove-type shuffle and gives the tenors another vehicle, "Dacor" ends the somewhat short session with Taylor featured bumping off of Foster. This is a smooth, extremely listenable bop/groove recording from 1958. Taylor got another leader LP called A.T.'s Delight" with Stanley Turrentine, "Potato" Valdez, Wynton Kelly and Paul Chambers in 1960...and another earlier in 1954, I believe."