James Taylor, one of the great British instrumentalists of his generation has taken his trademark howling Hammond sound to the masses for over 25 years; and there's another chance to catch them in Bedford on Saturday (March 14).
The band’s relentlessly entertaining tunes take inspiration from the rare-groove style funk, and boogaloo funk of the 60s and 70s and, the band is, without a doubt, one of the most important jazz-pop crossover outfits in British live musical history today.
Over the past quarter of a century, JTQ has evolved into one of the most exciting and well respected touring bands in the UK.
To call them prolific is apt; albums touch genres as diverse as jazz, funk, soul, rock, and even rap, not to mention a handful of library albums in between, and there is quite some back catalogue!
Each album is an absolute must for any Hammond fan: James’ playing providing a solid and accomplished lead as always. Live, the band is explosive, with a breathtaking, diverse unmatched back catalogue.
JTQ’s fired-up signature tune, The Theme from Starsky and Hutch, cemented its reputation as master of the jazz-funk-r’n’b workout; 60s spy themes, psychedelic and free-form jazz all added something to the band’s distinctive sound.
Originally playing the Hammond B3 organ in the UK mod revival band The Prisoners, James Taylor formed his own quartet, and began playing music similar to the rare-groove jazz-funk then in vogue around London.
By the early 90s, that movement had spawned acid jazz, and JTQ found itself at the forefront of a vibrant young club scene. The first single, Blow-Up, was released on the Re Elect The President label, a precursor to Acid Jazz. The band’s debut album, Mission Impossible, was released the following year, predominantly consisting of covers of 60s film themes such as Alfie, Mrs Robinson and Goldfinger.
In the early 1990s, the single Love The Life reached the Top 40, and the accompanying album, Supernatural Feeling, settled in the Top 30 UK charts. After releases on Polydor and Big Life Records, JTQ returned to Acid Jazz, and In The Hand of The Inevitable remains the label’s biggest selling album to date.
James’ musical talent has been admired by numerous other acts: The Wonderstuff, Manic Street Preachers, The Pogues and U2 have all featured James and his distinctive Hammond sound on their albums.
Support comes from Northern Soul artist Samuel. S Parkes
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