Jamie Taylor & Java

THE NEW JAVA ALBUM 'CAT DREAMS' OUT NOW ON GLP!

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Jamie Taylor is a Hofner artist:



www.hofner.com



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THE HOFNER JAZZICA IN ALL THESE PICS HAS BEEN NICKED ALONG WITH A LITTLE AER COMPACT 60 AMP. JT IS NOT HAPPY AT ALL :(



STILL NO SIGN OF EITHER OF THESE, BUT WHAT'S THE BETTING THEY TURN UP ON A JAZZ GIG SOMEWHERE EVENTUALLY? NOT MUCH USE TO THE ROCKERS, REALLY. IF ANYONE SHOULD NOTICE EITHER OF THESE ITEMS MAKING A SURPRISE APPEARANCE AT A UK SECOND HAND SHOP/CAR BOOT SALE, WE'D BE MOST GRATEFUL IF YOU'D MAKE A NOTE OF THE SERIAL NUMBER AND DROP US A LINE. IN THE EVENT THAT ANY SUCH SLEUTHING SHOULD LEAD TO THE RECOVERY OF THE GEAR, WE WILL BE GLAD TO REWARD THE EFFORT. MEANWHILE, WE'LL BE DOING THE EBAY VIGIL.



UNLIKELY, OF COURSE, BUT THANKS FOR READING.



Jamie is a senior lecturer in the jazz department at at Leeds College of Music (the UK's largest conservatoire). He has recently stepped down as Course Leader of the BA (Hons) Jazz programme, after two years in the post, to devote more time to his playing career. www.lcm.ac.uk

He has worked with leading UK jazz musicians like Alan Barnes, Jim Mullen, Steve Brown, Adrian Ingram, Gary Potter, and F-IRE Collective's Carlos Lopez-Real. In the field of popular music he has collaborated with Mercury Music Prize nominee Richard Hawley, CANDID recording artist Sarah Mitchell, and Leeds-based indie band "The Pigeon Detectives" - this last one as part of "Andy Hillier's Hot Jazz Aces", a Dixieland band in which Jamie is very proud to play the banjo (no shame in that whatsoever!). Jamie has also played with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, made several television appearances, and contributed to the American magazine 'Just Jazz Guitar'. In 2005 Jamie featured at the North Wales International Jazz Guitar Festival sharing the bill with Jim Mullen, Trefor Owen, and ex-'Police' guitarist Andy Summers. He is electric guitar advisor/examiner for Yorkshire Young Musicians.



Java was formed in 2003, with pianist Jamil Sheriff, bassist Garry Jackson, and percussionist Nick Smalley completing the line up. Four of the members are Leeds College of Music alumni; today, Jamil Sheriff, Garry Jackson, and Jamie Taylor are on the college's jazz faculty. The group has made a number of festival appearances and has recently released its second CD, entitled "Cat Dreams".



PRESS:

"Java (is) a tight combo led by Jamie Taylor, a guitarist with a pleasant ruminative style. Possibly the most enjoyable jazz concert [Burton Agnes Jazz Festival] I have ever attended."

The Independent, Aug '07



”Cat Dreams (GLP) from guitarist Jamie Taylor & Java (with Jamil Sheriff on piano) is a very strong set played with conviction and one to buy with confidence.”

Jazz UK, May '09



“Taylor approaches each solo as a part of that particular tune, never treating a solo as separate from the song itself, a great example of this being his solo on the tune “Life After Big Sam.” His ability to keep the groove, feel and melody of any tune going during his improvisations creates a guide through each of his improvised solos. This is not to say that Taylor does not take chances and experiment, but he has an uncanny ability to navigate the listener through these more interesting moments, rather than lose them along the way.”

All About Jazz, May '09



“Jamie Taylor has become known as a young lion on the British jazz scene. With “Cat Dreams”, Taylor combines his high energy chops with a hard swingin' rhythm section to produce an album that is sure to bring him greater recognition [in North America]. Those listeners who are looking for a new voice in the jazz guitar genre will appreciate Taylor's fresh take on the modern guitar quartet. The tunes are well written, the solos creative, and the band is always groovin' - what else could one want from a jazz guitar album?”

Just Jazz Guitar (USA), May '09



"Enormously impressive.Taylor's playing is full of ideas with a strong sense of direction, and in pianist Jamil Sheriff he has a partner of comparable inventiveness"

- Jazz UK, Jan '05



"Something original is going on here."

- Just Jazz Guitar (USA), Mar '06