Billy Taylor

William Taylor Sr. (April 3, 1906 – September 2, 1986) was an American jazz bassist. He was born Washington, D.C., and died in Fairfax, Virginia.

Taylor began playing tuba but later picked up bass alongside it. After moving to New York City in 1924, he played with Elmer Snowden (1925), Willie Gant and Arthur Gibbs (1926), Charlie Johnson (1927–1929, 1932–1933), Duke Ellington (1928), McKinney's Cotton Pickers (1929–1931), Fats Waller (1934), and Fletcher Henderson. He recorded with Jelly Roll Morton on three sessions in 1930. From 1935 to 1940, he again played with Ellington, and it is for this association that he is best remembered; he often played with a second bassist in the orchestra, at times Hayes Alvis or Jimmie Blanton. During that time, he also recorded with Cootie Williams and Johnny Hodges. In the 1940s, he played with Coleman Hawkins (1940), Red Allen (1940–41), Joe Sullivan (1942), Raymond Scott (1942–43), Cootie Williams (1944), Barney Bigard (1944–45), Benny Morton (1945), and Cozy Cole (1945). Later in the decade he played freelance in New York before moving back to Washington, D.C., in 1949. He led his own ensemble for Keynote Records in 1944.

Birth and Death Data: Born February 11, 1942 (Washington, D.C.), Died September 2, 1986 (Fairfax)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1930 - 1954

Roles Represented in DAHR: piano, string bass, leader, tuba, composer

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 101-125 of 127 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Decca 83371 9/11/1952 Oscar rides again-1 Billy Taylor Quartet instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 83458 9/30/1952 T and s Jr. Terry Gibbs Sextet instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 83644 11/14/1952 Lake Placid Neal Hefti Orchestra instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 83645 11/14/1952 Uncle Jim Neal Hefti Orchestra instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 83646 11/14/1952 Waltzing on a cloud Neal Hefti Orchestra instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 83647 11/15/1952 In Veradero-1 Neal Hefti Orchestra instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 83648 11/15/1952 Falling in love all over again Neal Hefti Orchestra instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 83649 11/15/1952 It's a happy holiday Neal Hefti Orchestra instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 83650 11/15/1952 Two for a nickel, three for a dime Neal Hefti Orchestra instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 84130 3/6/1953 Only yesterday Jackie Paris instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 84131 3/6/1953 I know why Jackie Paris instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 84132 3/6/1953 If love is good to me Jackie Paris instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 85034 8/14/1953 When I lost you Jackie Paris instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 85035 8/14/1953 Idle gossip Jackie Paris instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 85036 8/14/1953 I had a talk with a daisy Jackie Paris instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 85037 8/14/1953 Skylark Jackie Paris instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 85488 11/6/1953 Only forever Johnny Long Orchestra instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 85489 11/6/1953 (Oh boy! what joy we had in) Barefoot days Johnny Long Orchestra instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 85490 11/6/1953 (Oh boy! what joy we had in) Barefoot days Johnny Long Orchestra instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 86348 6/2/1954 Detour ahead Jackie Paris instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 86349 6/2/1954 I'm through with love Jackie Paris instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 86350 6/2/1954 You're mine you Jackie Paris instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 86351 6/2/1954 Who can I turn to? Jackie Paris instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 86352 6/2/1954 The things we did last Summer Jackie Paris instrumentalist, piano  
Decca 86353 6/2/1954 A cottage for sale Jackie Paris instrumentalist, piano  
(Results 101-125 of 127 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Taylor, Billy," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110259.

Taylor, Billy. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110259.

"Taylor, Billy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110259

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