Taylor Made by Curtis Taylor

Taylor opens the album with “Kham’s Dilemma,” a tribute to his son Khamari, who was born in 2018. The title
was inspired by Wynton Marsalis’ popular “Delfeayo’s Dilemma.” “After the Rain” is a happy, upbeat tune.
Taylor recalls, “I wrote this song during a visit to my mother’s house. I sat at the piano and this melody started
to come to me while it was raining. I was having trouble coming up with the bridge of the song, which I finally
finished right after the rain ended, so I decided to call the song ‘After the Rain.’” The tune is very popular in
Taylor’s live performances, and he often uses it to close the show.
Taylor set out to represent the feeling of nervous energy with “Heightened Awareness,” a driving composition
with a post-bop attitude featuring smoking solos by Taylor, Elliot, and Brown. “For Her” was inspired by a past
relationship with a woman who was a dancer. Written in 3/4 time, Taylor wanted to capture the expression of
a dancer’s graceful, elegant movements.
“Indomitable” is about the will to prevail, which is represented with recurring musical figures that create an
undercurrent that keeps pulling you back in. Taylor revisited and expanded “Hashtagged,” initially recorded on
his EPs #Hashtagged and Snapshot. The 7/4 meter composition was inspired by Robert Glasper’s “Jelly's Da
Beener.” Taylor closes the album with “Journey,” a number with a Maiden Voyage vibe written during a
transitional period of his life.

Curtis Taylor: Award-winning trumpeter, composer, and educator. From school jazz band beginnings to touring worldwide with jazz legends. Albums #Hashtagged & Snapshot out now, with Taylor Made dropping April 2024. Currently inspiring students at the University of Iowa.

curtistaylor.net