Daryl Taylor

In addition to my mother's extensive Jazz record collection, (which was always playing at our house,) my family owned a night cafe just outside of Houston Texas, which introduced me to Blues, R&B, and night life. Later we had a church where I was singing and playing tambourine. Afterwards, I "messed around" on drums, banjo, and guitar before becoming infected by the bass grooves of James Jamerson, (Motown), and Bernard Odum, (James Brown.) At 15, I got my first bass guitar, and by 20 I was playing jazz standards on the Contrabass.After studying at school, privately, and in clubs, my first pro tour was with Archie Bell & the Drells, ("Do the Tighten Up", Philly International Records). All that jazz was to follow, playing in Arnett Cobb's band. "Big Red", (as he was affectionately called) opened a cool jazz club and brought in many friends of his as featured artists such as Kenny Burrell; Sonny Stitt; Eddie Harris; Eddie"Cleanhead"Vincent, David"Fathead"Newman; (of the Ray Charles Orchestra); among others. "Big Jay" McNeely's Sax-O-Mania II, is the tour that brought me to Germany in 1987, playing at Quasimodo in Berlin Sept. 7th to witness the, "Falling of the wall". "I stayed awake the whole night checking it all out"...I am currently residing in Berlin composing, recording and performing music primarily of the African Diaspora with several other, "Dream Team" international musicians. Tours and recording projects include: Sony/BMG group Brothers Keepers; Sony/BMG artist Yvonne Catterfeld; The Weather Girls; Piranha Records BANTU-Afro Beat Academy; The Soulpower Allstars; BMG artist Della Miles; The Black/Golden Gospel Pearls; Ayman; Deema (RIP); and my jazz/funk group, "Witches Brew"