Sam ‘The Man’ Taylor was a renowned tenor saxophonist whose work spanned the R&B, jazz, blues and pop arenas. Hie is famed for both his work as a ubiquitous session man on hit recordings by major artists and also for his own work leading his own bands.
The singles and albums he released under his own name featured both original material and interpretations of standards designed to showcase his distinctive style as a saxophonist. Born in Lexington, Tennessee, he attended Alabama State University, where he played with the Bama State Collegians. He later worked with Scatman Crothers, Cootie Williams, Lucky Millinder, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, Buddy Johnson, Louis Jordan and Big Joe Turner on his way to becoming one of the most requested session saxophone players in New York recording studios in the 1950s. He was best-known for his sax solo on Big Joe Turner’s classic Shake Rattle And Roll. Other notable performances include turns on records such as The Drifters’ Money Honey and Sh-Boom by The Chords.
This 53-track collection comprises early releases on the Abbey label plus most of his A & B sides with his Cat Men and orchestra from these years on MGM, along with selected titles from his MGM albums Blue Mist, Out Of This World, Music With The Big Beat, Music For Melancholy Babies, Rockin’ Sax & Rollin’ Organ and Jazz For Commuters & Salute To The Saxes. Taylor died in 1990 in Atlanta, Georgia, at the age of 74 and it is hoped that this collection offers a varied and entertaining cross-section of his recorded output during this early period.
While he continued to play and record throughout the 1960s and ’70s, this compilation serves as a vibrant celebration to one of the most notable saxophonists of the era.
TRACKS
| Disc 1 | ||
| Track | Title | Artist |
| 1 | Pyramid Boogie | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 2 | Rinky-Dinks | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 3 | This Can't Be Love | Sam Taylor & The Cat Men |
| 4 | Please Be Kind | Sam Taylor & The Cat Men |
| 5 | S'posin' | Sam Taylor & The Cat Men |
| 6 | My Reverie | Sam Taylor & The Cat Men |
| 7 | The High And The Mighty | Sam Taylor & The Cat Men |
| 8 | Tara's Theme | Sam (The Man) Taylor |
| 9 | Red Sails In The Sunset | Sam (The Man) Taylor & His Orch. |
| 10 | Harlem Nocturne | Sam (The Man) Taylor |
| 11 | As Time Goes By | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 12 | Don't Take Your Love From Me | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 13 | Hit The Road | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 14 | Taylor Made | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 15 | Look Out | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 16 | Oo Wee | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 17 | To A Wild Rose | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 18 | Blue Suede Shoes | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 19 | O Ho, Oh Yeah, Uh Huh | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 20 | Around The Horn | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 21 | Bluer Than Blue | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 22 | A Kiss Before Dying | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 23 | Real Gone | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 24 | The Beat | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 25 | Chlo-E (Song Of The Swamp) | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 26 | Blues In My Heart | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 27 | I'll Get By | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| Disc 2 | ||
| Track | Title | Artist |
| 1 | Congo Mombo | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 2 | The Very Thought Of You | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 3 | Someone To Watch Over Me | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 4 | Blue Mist | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 5 | I'm Glad There's You | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 6 | It Could Happen To You | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 7 | Out Of This World | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 8 | Stay As Sweet As You Are | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 9 | There Will Never Be Another You | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 10 | The Big Beat | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 11 | Let's Ball | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 12 | Sam's Blues | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 13 | Ride, Sammy Ride | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 14 | Road Runner | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 15 | My Melancholy Baby | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 16 | The Nearness Of You | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 17 | Little White Lies | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 18 | A Sunday Kind Of Love | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 19 | Early Autumn | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 20 | Solitude | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 21 | Westchester Waltz | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 22 | Westport Wail | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 23 | Lester Leaps In | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 24 | Body And Soul | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |
| 25 | Flyin' Home | Sam Taylor and his Orchestra |