Myths and Morals

One of the most prolific drummers/percussionists over his three decades of performing and recording with some of the modern, improvised music’s most influential musicians such as the late Fred Anderson, Nicole Mitchell, Matana Roberts, Ken Vandermark, Marc Ribot, and Jeff Parker, Chad Taylor has defined his voice as one that is unique, rawly refined, unending in creativity, and historically relevant in the world of modern creative music. His partnership with Rob Mazurek in the Chicago/ London Underground Duo/ Trio/ Quartet/ Orchestra, has placed him in an individualistic stylistic mode of playing that is distinct and undoubtedly original. Let's also not forget his contributions to folk/rock/pop groups such as Stereolab, Sam Prekop, Yo La Tengo, Doug McComb’s Brokeback, Glen Hansard and Iron & Wine. Most recently, Taylor’s work can be heard on critically acclaimed releases of 2017 such as Jaimie Branch’s Fly Or Die (praises from The New York Times, Arcade Fire’s Sarah Neufeld, Ryley Walker, Jazz Right Now, BandCamp Best of…, and more) and Eric Revis’ Sing Me Some Cry release alongside MacArthur Fellow Ken Vandermark and Kris Davis. This album isn’t a typical solo drum recording with the artist playing a drum set the whole time with repetitive beats and/or complex fills. It really resonates as an adventure through a variety of sonic fields. Take ‘Gum Tree’ for example where you can hear the actual fingers hit the keys of this difficult and rare instrument heard in the jazz field: the Mbira, which comes from the Shona people where what is modern-day Zimbabwe, Africa. ‘Carnation’ feels as if we’re in the soundtrack recording session of a mystery lo-fi set in the middle of a darkened forest with his use of cymbal treatments.