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photo: tom marcello

Dear m a rcello tom photo: Friend A tribute to Dr.

By JIMMY OWENS Dr. Billy Taylor at a Jazzmobile concert in 1977

ver many years, Dr. Billy Taylor was at the forefront in making significant and lasting Ocontributions to music and its musicians, educators and audiences throughout the world. In the 1940’s, he was the first jazz art- took his quintet on tour. ists, while continuing to keep his hands to put one note after the other to create ist to write a book about how to better Along with the outdoor summer con- on those piano keys. He consistently per- a better jazz improvisation. perform in the jazz tradition. From the certs, Billy and Paul West started the formed melodic, beautiful, and creative In the late 1960’s, after Joe Newman 1940’s until 2010, he provided work Jazzmobile Workshop in 1970. The mis- music with his trios and quintets. He left the quintet, I became Billy’s trumpet in his various ensembles for countless sion was to hire performers and educa- was an impeccable master of the piano. player. Every performance was akin to a jazz musicians. tors to teach students of all ages how to One of his biggest influences in his early jazz master class. When he became the musical direc- become more proficient jazz performers. years was Art Tatum, with whom he had tor of the David Frost Show in 1969, he Among the artists/educators who taught a close friendship. Billy will be greatly missed by so hired a variety of musicians, includ- workshops were Lee Morgan, Kenny many of us whose lives he generously ing , , Bob Dorham, Sonny Red, and touched in both personal and profes- Cranshaw, and myself Frank Foster. “From a personal perspective, sional ways. – among many others – to play in his Today, Jazzmobile concerts and the what I learned from Billy One of Billy’s major contributions was band. When it was time for him to ne- Jazzmobile Workshop continue to thrive Taylor would fill a book” that he brought to the attention of the gotiate the contract, he negotiated the and grow. In 1981, Billy decided to ap- public the concept that jazz is America’s highest wages for the side musicians of point an educational/musical director classical music, with its own standard any of the TV bands in that time period. because the program had grown tremen- From a personal perspective, what of form, complexity, literacy, and excel- In 1964, Billy founded Jazzmobile dously. I was honored to be appointed I learned from Billy Taylor would fill a lence. His legacy is solidly in place. The in Harlem to bring jazz to hundreds the first director at that time and held book. Briefly, he taught me about the world has lost one of its greatest and of thousands of people. During its the position until 1986. business of music, jazz education, first- most gifted jazz pianists and jazz am- summer concerts, internationally ac- Every chance that Billy got throughout hand accounts of jazz history, and what bassadors. I have lost a dear friend and claimed jazz artists performed at dif- his long career, he tirelessly promoted he learned musically from his jazz elders. his memory will always be in my heart. ferent public venues in NYC. Billy also and advocated for jazz music and its art- Most importantly, he taught me how À bientôt.

Allegro | February 2011 7