ArtistInfo

Taylor Made Jazz

Jazz, Reggae and R&B/Soul

Van Taylor Productions Inc Three 2 Go Music Alliance Music On The FrontLines Over 29 years ago, Buffalo Music Hall of Fame inductee Van Taylor had an idea to create a jazz oriented band that could work on various public levels, including education. Van Taylor assembled an array of musicians and world class entertainers. Thus, the journey began. Hundreds of thousands of miles later, and after hundreds of school performances and countless numbers of performances for the troops and for various festivals, this group emerged to set a legacy in motion. Taylor Made Jazz’s dynamic approach and smooth style has made them a hit to every audience they have entertained. Their world travels have taken them to: Japan, Korea, Central and South America, Puerto Rico, Panama, Cuba, Italy, Greece, Spain, Germany, Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Jordan, France, England, various African countries, and more. While signed to Vervendi Universal Music Group, the overwhelming response to their CDs took them to the top of the MP3 Jazz charts in 2003, as noted by Billboard Magazine. Taylor Made Jazz won many awards, including the Diamond Accord Award presented by the International Federation of Festival Organizations F.I.D.O.F. in 1996. They won the top R&B award presented by Night Life Magazine during 1996, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. They also won the People’s Choice Award for Jazz in 2003, 2004 and 2005. Taylor Made Jazz is noted for their work entertaining U.S. troops and allies overseas through Armed Forces Entertainment (AFE), Morale Welfare & Recreation (MWR), and United Servicemen Organization (USO). They also support many charities such as the United Way Canada, Children’s Hospital, United Negro College Fund (UNCF), AIDS research, and United Way Buffalo to name a few. Taylor Made jazz is part of our new initiative Music on the Frontline serving those who serve and paying it forward to continue the next generation of entertainers serving our troops overseas. On July 22, 2003 the common council named that day Taylor Made Jazz day in the city of Buffalo. Today’s crew line-up revolves around: • Vocalists: Joyce Wilson Nixon, Melissa Kate and Joey Diggs • Drummers: Mike Crymes, Tim Webb, • Guitarists: Jeff Nixon, Nelson Thomas and Kenny Hawkins • Bassists: Jerry Livingston, Richie Valentino, Stoney Dixon ,Paul Yates and Jerry Sampson • Brass players: Trumpeter Brian Freeman, Saxophonist Tomoka Nomura Jarvis and Trombonist Bob Miers • Keyboardist: Van Taylor Founder Van Taylor has always had a firm belief in supporting the community from a local scale to a worldwide vision. On April 25, 2007, Taylor Made Jazz celebrated their 20th Anniversary. The proceeds benefited National Inner Cities Youth Opportunities (NICYO) and Student Against Violence Education (S.A.V.E). The group’s current global project is called “Agape: The Hunger Project”. Proceeds from their compilation CD, “Agape: The Hunger Project”, benefit the global organization The Hunger Project, which supports the education of people to learn to feed themselves and improve overall life conditions on their own through education. More info on The Hunger Project can be found at www.thp.org. Taylor Made Jazz supported the Food Bank of Western New York through their “Concert from the Heart” performances with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in 2009 and 2010 at Kleinhans Music Hall. You can check out the picture history of Taylor Made Jazz at www.taylormadejazz.com.

Genres

• Jazz
• Reggae
• R&B/Soul