Vocal jazz at its finest, with warm appreciation for the songwriter's art.

12 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: Jazz Vocals, JAZZ: Smooth Jazz



Details:
Dawson Taylor is a singer and guitarist presently living and working in Seattle. Growing up in Detroit, he was influenced by the great jazz musicians who called Detroit home, including Kenny Burrell, Hank Jones, Barry Harris, and many others giants of jazz.

Daws believes that songs are meant to be sung, and projects a joyful exuberance and tender attention to lyrics of standards as well as original songs composed with lyricist Lois Taylor.

Dawson is one of the very few improvisational jazz whistlers on the scene today, in addition to his outstanding guitar and vocal work. Heâs a serious student of the Great American Songbook, and treats the work of the great songwriters with love and respect. His rich, warm voice radiates with experience, clarity and emotion, evoking such vocal and dramatic greats as Mel Torme and Fred Astaire.

His debut CD, âLive At Tulaâsâ, has sold out.

His studio release, âIt Could Happen to Youâ, has been praised by critics and lovers of vocal jazz as âperfectâ.

Dawson is joined by Randy Halberstadt on piano +, Jeff Johnson on bass *, and Mark Ivester on percussion. The session was produced by Ron Peters.

Reviews of âIt Could Happen to Youâ, have been uniform in their praise:

âAbsolutely perfect. Exceptionalâ ⦠Gene Bertoncini

âVery cool.â ⦠Jack Wilkins

âWonderful. Beautiful. Mel Torme-ish, but cooler.â ⦠Jody Fisher

"Daws's latest CD is sultry, romantic and downright jazzy - a feast for the ears." ... Daily Journal

+ On the strength of his large repertoire, great sense of swing, and acute listening skills, Randy has established himself as a first-call accompanist for jazz vocalists. He has performed with Sheila Jordan, Rebecca Parris, Kevin Mahogany, Marlena Shaw, and Ernestine Anderson, as well as with the world-renowned tap dancer Brenda Bufalino. In 1997 Randy performed with the innovative Jay Clayton at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. He is featured on Jay's 1997 recording Circle Dancing (Sunnyside). In May 2004, Randy and the fabulous vocalist Meredith d'Ambrosio did a short tour of Israel. Randy works regularly with some of the greatest vocal talents in the Pacific Northwest, including Greta Matassa and Janis Mann.

* Jeff has worked with a veritable who's who of great jazz musicians:
Philly Joe Jones, Charlie Rouse, Barney Kessel, Chet Baker, Lew Tabackin, Eddie Daniels, Mark Murphy, Joanne Brackeen, Julian Priester, Jay Clayton, Marlena Shaw, Billy Hart, Annie Ross, George Cables, Bud Shank, Claudio Roditti, Ernestine Anderson, and Michael Wolfe, Jack Walrath, Karrin Allyson, Rebecca Parris, Tierney Sutton, Stacey Kent, Benny Golson, Red Holloway, Houston Person, Joe Locke, Jessica Williams, Hal Galper, and more.