Gary Taylor is nothing if not enigmatic. The singer/songwriter/producer’s devoted global fan base fervently clamors for a new collection of music, and what does Taylor do?
In the fall of 2023, his first new music in years was, of all things, a Christmas song. But not just any holiday refrain. “Christmas That I Know” is quintessential Gary Taylor—a moody, melodic, jazz-tinged sentimental ballad, at the creamy center of which is Taylor’s rich, comforting, assured vocal.
Accompanied by a delightfully animated video produced by Femi of London-based FEROmedia, “Christmas That I Know” immediately felt like a Yuletide classic.
The move is archetypical Taylor, the embodiment of a creative artist whose career, spanning more than three decades and nine albums—most of them released through Taylor’s own fiercely independent Morning Crew Music label and publishing company—has always challenged artistic traditions and cliches.
In addition to his own recordings, Taylor’s songs have been covered by a who’s who in popular music. The list grows longer daily and includes Anita Baker, the Whispers, Ray Parker, Jr., Vanessa Williams, Jennifer Holliday, Grover Washington, Jr., Vesta Williams, and Lalah Hathaway, whose expansive, Taylor-penned “I’m Coming Back” has become her signature song.
Gary’s collaborations include those with fellow soul singer Will Downing and saxophonist Najee, and his songs have been sampled by the likes of P-Funk king George Clinton and hip-hop legends A Tribe Called Quest. Meanwhile, a new generation of music lovers is discovering Taylor via club DJs and dance music producers around the world who remix and reimagine his timeless catalog.
Taylor is a torch-bearer of Progressive Soul, the culture-shaping musical genre whose pantheon includes giants Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, and Earth, Wind and Fire. How poetic that Taylor, once influenced by those greats, now influences a legion of young artists.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Taylor, a self-taught keyboardist, came up listening to a variety of soul, jazz, gospel, classical, and even country styles. The groove runs in the family—Taylor’s cousin is the late, great songwriter/producer Skip Scarborough, composer of, among other classics, Earth, Wind and Fire’s “Can’t Hide Love” and “Love’s Holiday” and Bill Withers’ “Lovely Day.”
Taylor’s recording career officially launched at A&M Records with his debut 1983 album, “G.T.” He left the label to sign with Virgin Records, which in 1988 released his “Compassion” LP. Fed up with major-label politics, Taylor then launched his own label, Morning Crew Music (MCM), named to honor the years he worked on the morning shift in supermarket management.
As the saying goes, “If you build it, they will come,” and with MCM it wasn’t long before Taylor’s distinctive jazz-glazed soul found its audience of serious, discerning music lovers.
Today Gary’s following is worldwide, from the United Kingdom to Africa and as far away as Russia. Since Taylor, a self-described “studio rat,” prefers writing and recording to live performances, his concerts are events coveted by devotees who have been known to travel long distances to experience the intimate experience that is Taylor onstage.
As for new music, there’s always more on the horizon. After all, Gary Taylor is nothing if not prolific.
