Steve Taylor (musician)
Encyclopedia
Steve Taylor is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He is currently the keyboardist for Oakland band Rogue Wave
, in addition to performing solo locally and internationally. He was born in the College Greens ghetto of Sacramento, CA, where he attended Saint Ignatius Catholic School followed by a period at the Sacramento Waldorf School, attending at the same time as Daniel Gorman of !!!
. Dropping out in 10th grade following a period of misdiagnosed obsessive compulsive disorder OCD, he later enrolled at Sacramento High School.
He then moved to Seattle and attended The University of Washington. On the side he began playing with various local musicians, including Jason McGerr
, future drummer of Death Cab for Cutie
. In 2001, he recorded his debut self titled EP with Martin Feveyear
. Still searching for his niche, he moved to New York, attending The New School Jazz and Contemporary Music Program, where his fellow students included Georgia Ann Muldrow. While in NYC, he joined the afrobeat band Akoya, playing tenor guitar. While getting settled in New York, tragedy struck when the one story building he was living in in Williamsburg, Brooklyn collapsed while he was sleeping. While Steve was unhurt, it destroyed many of his belongings, including rare musical equipment. Never regaining his footing, he left New York, settling in Nevada City for a time, and eventually San Francisco, CA.
It was here that after listening to gospel music outside of a Baptist church in the Western Addition neighborhood, he was invited inside to join in a jam session. After this chance meeting, he become a sought after guitarist, and sometime pianist, in various African American churches, often being the only white person present.
In 2008 he did a tour playing keyboards with hip hop bands Zion I
and The Mighty Underdogs
, and in 2009 began playing keyboards and guitorgan
with Rogue Wave
, contributing to their 2010 album, "Permalight".
In February 2008, after recording off and on for 4 years, Steve released his first full length CD "Has The Size of The Road Got The Better of You?", a mixture of Laurel Canyon folk, Brill Building soul, and psych rock arrangements. The album was performed entirely by Steve Taylor on guitar, organ, piano, Crumar Orchestrator, bass and drums, except for a couple of tracks, which featured Marco Benevento
and Joe Russo
on organ and drums, respectively. The album is currently out of print after selling out of the initial pressing of 1000 copies.
Steve is an active busker, playing at Fisherman's Wharf and farmer's markets when not on tour with Rogue Wave. His next album, an acoustic guitar based set called "The Land of Milk and Honey" is due in the summer of 2010. He's also concurrently working on an electric gospel and psych rock influenced album.
When in town on Tuesday nights, he leads The Oakland Improv Collective at The Layover, which features a rotating cast of musicians from Rogue Wave, Bright Eyes, Crown City Rockers, and others, playing improvised krautrock grooves.
http://www.spinner.com/2010/03/08/sxsw-2010-rogue-wave/
Rogue Wave (band)
Rogue Wave is an indie rock band from Oakland, California, , and headed by Zach Schwartz who created the band after losing his job in the dot-com bust. Their first album was Out of the Shadow which was released privately in 2003 and re-released in 2004...
, in addition to performing solo locally and internationally. He was born in the College Greens ghetto of Sacramento, CA, where he attended Saint Ignatius Catholic School followed by a period at the Sacramento Waldorf School, attending at the same time as Daniel Gorman of !!!
!!!
!!! is a dance-punk band that formed in Sacramento, California, in 1996. Members of !!! came from other local bands such as The Yah Mos, Black Liquorice and Popesmashers...
. Dropping out in 10th grade following a period of misdiagnosed obsessive compulsive disorder OCD, he later enrolled at Sacramento High School.
He then moved to Seattle and attended The University of Washington. On the side he began playing with various local musicians, including Jason McGerr
Jason McGerr
Jason McGerr is the current drummer for the band Death Cab for Cutie. McGerr was previously in Krusters Kronomid and Eureka Farm as well as the Seattle jazz trio Rockin' Teenage Combo. McGerr is an instructor at the Seattle Drum School when not playing drums for Death Cab for Cutie...
, future drummer of Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie is an American alternative rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. The band consists of Ben Gibbard , Chris Walla , Nick Harmer and Jason McGerr ....
. In 2001, he recorded his debut self titled EP with Martin Feveyear
Martin Feveyear
Martin Feveyear is a British record producer and audio engineer based in Seattle, Washington. Beginning as a singer-songwriter and musician, Feveyear soon began recording work for artists in both the UK and US before moving to Seattle at the age of 25. Together with Christian Fulghum , he opened...
. Still searching for his niche, he moved to New York, attending The New School Jazz and Contemporary Music Program, where his fellow students included Georgia Ann Muldrow. While in NYC, he joined the afrobeat band Akoya, playing tenor guitar. While getting settled in New York, tragedy struck when the one story building he was living in in Williamsburg, Brooklyn collapsed while he was sleeping. While Steve was unhurt, it destroyed many of his belongings, including rare musical equipment. Never regaining his footing, he left New York, settling in Nevada City for a time, and eventually San Francisco, CA.
It was here that after listening to gospel music outside of a Baptist church in the Western Addition neighborhood, he was invited inside to join in a jam session. After this chance meeting, he become a sought after guitarist, and sometime pianist, in various African American churches, often being the only white person present.
In 2008 he did a tour playing keyboards with hip hop bands Zion I
Zion I
Zion I are a hip hop duo from Oakland, California. The duo consists of producer DJ AmpLive and MC Zumbi. The group is known to its followers for Amp's futuristic production techniques, using a mix of live instrumentation and samples, and Zumbi's positive and socially conscious lyrics. Zion I...
and The Mighty Underdogs
The Mighty Underdogs
__notoc__#"U.F.C. "#*Cuts by DJ Shadow#"Gunfight"#*Featuring MF DOOM#"Love-Life Soundtrack"#*Featuring LadyBug Mecca#"Status Symbol"#"Out of My Life"#"Bring Me Back"#*Featuring Raashan Ahmad...
, and in 2009 began playing keyboards and guitorgan
Guitorgan
A Guitorgan is an electric guitar with electronic organ components added. Each guitar fret is separated into six segments, creating independent contact switches for each string. The organ notes are keyed when a string touches a specific segment...
with Rogue Wave
Rogue Wave (band)
Rogue Wave is an indie rock band from Oakland, California, , and headed by Zach Schwartz who created the band after losing his job in the dot-com bust. Their first album was Out of the Shadow which was released privately in 2003 and re-released in 2004...
, contributing to their 2010 album, "Permalight".
In February 2008, after recording off and on for 4 years, Steve released his first full length CD "Has The Size of The Road Got The Better of You?", a mixture of Laurel Canyon folk, Brill Building soul, and psych rock arrangements. The album was performed entirely by Steve Taylor on guitar, organ, piano, Crumar Orchestrator, bass and drums, except for a couple of tracks, which featured Marco Benevento
Marco Benevento
Marco Benevento is a pianist, organist and composer from Brooklyn, New York. Benevento is known for his effected piano work with his trio as well as his Hammond Organ and Wurlitzer Electric Piano work with the Benevento Russo Duo...
and Joe Russo
Joe Russo
Joe Russo may refer to:*Joe Russo , American film and television director*Joe Russo , American jazz/rock drummer*Joe Russo , American racecar driver active in the 1930s...
on organ and drums, respectively. The album is currently out of print after selling out of the initial pressing of 1000 copies.
Steve is an active busker, playing at Fisherman's Wharf and farmer's markets when not on tour with Rogue Wave. His next album, an acoustic guitar based set called "The Land of Milk and Honey" is due in the summer of 2010. He's also concurrently working on an electric gospel and psych rock influenced album.
When in town on Tuesday nights, he leads The Oakland Improv Collective at The Layover, which features a rotating cast of musicians from Rogue Wave, Bright Eyes, Crown City Rockers, and others, playing improvised krautrock grooves.
http://www.spinner.com/2010/03/08/sxsw-2010-rogue-wave/