Mike Taylor (musician)

Ronald Michael " Mike" Taylor ( born 1938 in Ealing, London, † January 1969 ) was a British musician of modern jazz ( pianist, composer ), who wrote some songs for the band Cream.

Life and work

Taylor, whose parents died very early, was raised by his grandparents. After military service, he turned in the early 1960s, the hard bop to and founded his own band, which included John Mumford, Chris Bateson and Frank Powell. In the following years he worked with Graham Bond, Jack Bruce and Jon Hiseman. In 1965 he was presented with a half-hour concert at the BBC; Ornette Coleman undertook Taylor Quartet as the opening act for his appearance in Croydon. With his band together, he recorded two albums. Some of his compositions have been recorded by the New Jazz Orchestra in the repertoire; his own trio had with this orchestra and appearances. Three of his compositions have been equipped by Ginger Baker of Cream and text on the album Wheels of Fire ( 1968) recorded: Passing the Time, Pressed Rat and Warthog and Those were the Days. Ginger Baker presented with Phil Seamen before parts of Taylor's Horn Good and Skin Suite at the National Jazz and Blues Festival 1968.

At this time, Taylor was already living as a homeless person. One day was salvaged his body from the River Thames. 1973 took Neil Ardley, Dave Gelly, Jon Hiseman, Ian Carr, Henry Lowther, Barbara Thompson and Norma Winstone on the album Mike Taylor Remembered with which she paid tribute to Taylor as a composer.

Disco Graphical Notes

• Pendulum (1966, with Jon Hiseman, Tony Reeves and Dave Tomlin )
• Trio (1967, with Hiseman, Jack Bruce and Ron Rubin)