Sam Taylor
Samuel Leroy Taylor, Jr. (July 12, 1916 – October 5, 1990), known as Sam "The Man" Taylor, was an American jazz, rhythm and blues, and blues tenor saxophonist. Taylor was born in Lexington, Tennessee, United States. He attended Alabama State University, where he played with the Bama State Collegians. He later worked with Scatman Crothers, Cootie Williams, Lucky Millinder, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, Buddy Johnson, Louis Jordan and Big Joe Turner. Taylor was one of the most requested session saxophone players in New York recording studios in the 1950s. He also replaced Count Basie as the house bandleader on Alan Freed's radio series, Camel Rock 'n Roll Dance Party, on CBS. Taylor played the saxophone solo on Turner's "Shake, Rattle and Roll". He also played on "Harlem Nocturne"; on "Money Honey", recorded by Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters in 1953; and on "Sh-Boom" by the Chords. During the 1960s, he led a five-piece band, the Blues Chasers. In the 1970s, he frequently played and recorded in Japan. Taylor died in 1990 in Crawford Long Hospital, in Atlanta, Georgia, at the age of 74. |
Birth and Death Data: Died October 5, 1990
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1941 - 1965
Roles Represented in DAHR: tenor saxophone, saxophone, alto saxophone
Notes: Sam "The Man" Taylor.
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 126-150 of 279 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decca | 85592 | 12/23/1953 | Melancholy me | Ella Fitzgerald | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |||
| Decca | 85593 | 12/23/1953 | Somebody bad stole de wedding bell | Ella Fitzgerald | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |||
| Decca | 85804 | 2/1/1954 | Come rain or come shine | Pearl Bailey | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |||
| Decca | 85805 | 2/1/1954 | Alla en el rancho grande | Pearl Bailey | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |||
| Decca | 85806 | 2/1/1954 | What happened to the hair (on the head of the man I love) | Pearl Bailey | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |||
| Decca | 85807 | 2/1/1954 | I wouldn't walk across the street | Pearl Bailey | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |||
| Decca | 86366 | 6/4/1954 | Later | Ella Fitzgerald | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |||
| Decca | 86367 | 6/4/1954 | Lullaby of Birdland | Ella Fitzgerald | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |||
| Decca | 86481 | 6/29/1954 | Soft touch | George Williams Orchestra ; Bart Varsalona | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |||
| Decca | 86482 | 6/29/1954 | Block buster | George Williams Orchestra ; Bart Varsalona | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |||
| Decca | 86483 | 6/29/1954 | You can't stop love | George Williams Orchestra ; Bart Varsalona | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |||
| Decca | 86484 | 6/29/1954 | Saturday night function | George Williams Orchestra ; Bart Varsalona | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |||
| Decca | 86982 | 10/29/1954 | [Unknown title(s)] | George Williams Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |||
| Decca | 86983 | 10/29/1954 | Song from Desiree (We meet again) | George Williams Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |||
| Decca | 86984 | 10/29/1954 | Tiger rag mambo | George Williams Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |||
| Decca | 86985 | 10/29/1954 | [Unknown title(s)] | George Williams Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |||
| Decca | 87814 | 4/22/1955 | Come and dance with me | Al Sears and his Rock 'n' Rollers | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |||
| Decca | 87815 | 4/22/1955 | Come a-runnin' | Al Sears and his Rock 'n' Rollers | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |||
| Decca | 87816 | 4/22/1955 | Tom, Dick 'n Harry (Instrumental) | Al Sears and his Rock 'n' Rollers | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |||
| Decca | 87817 | 4/22/1955 | Tina's canteen (Instrumental) | Al Sears and his Rock 'n' Rollers | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |||
| Decca | 87917 | 5/9/1955 | Jack hammer drill | George Williams Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |||
| Decca | 87918 | 5/9/1955 | Rocking the blues | George Williams Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |||
| Decca | 87919 | 5/9/1955 | Too much moon | George Williams Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |||
| Decca | 89964 | 5/16/1956 | Camel rock | Alan Freed Rock 'n' Roll Band | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | |||
| Decca | 89965 | 5/16/1956 | Up and down | Alan Freed Rock 'n' Roll Band | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Taylor, Sam," accessed January 8, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105513.
Taylor, Sam. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 8, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105513.
"Taylor, Sam." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 8 January 2026.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Sam “The Man” Taylor
Discogs: Sam Taylor
Allmusic: Sam Taylor
Grove: Sam Taylor
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Taylor, Sam - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n87118067
Wikidata: Sam “The Man” Taylor - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q487099
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/17412063
MusicBrainz: Sam “The Man” Taylor - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/17380f51-672a-4b9d-927c-431c40eb59a9
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/205946 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/205946
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