Interview with an ungrateful and impolite one Sean Taylor. An interview by email in writing.
JazzBluesNews.com: – First, let’s start out with where you grew up, and what got you interested in music. How exactly did your adventure take off? When did you realize that this was a passion you could make a living out of?
Sean Taylor: – I was born in Kilburn, North-West London. I first got into music in my teens listening to 1960’s and early 70’s soul music; Marvin Gaye, Temptations and Bill Withers. I started writing songs when I was 14 and I wrote hundreds of songs before my first gig at the age of 17. From the moment I started gigging I knew I had found my home.
OUR US/EU Jazz and Blues Festivals 2023
JBN: – How has your sound evolved over time? What have you been doing to find and develop your own sound?
ST: – It has changed with every year. The songs are always the key to everything. I write on guitar or piano or sometimes just lyrics, but it always comes back to the song. Sometimes the song can have a clear message and other times it can be more abstract.
JBN: – What routine practices or exercises have you developed to maintain and improve your current musical proficiency, in terms of both rhythm and harmony?
ST: – I work every day on music. It is my job and my craft. You must be totally dedicated to this craft, or it doesn’t work. I do try to mix up the type of creative work I do. Sometimes I focus on lyrics or the recordings. But is also important to let myself be inspired by poetry, prose and other types of music.
There could be talk or advertising about your CD
JBN: – In your opinion, what’s the balance in music between intellect and soul?
ST: – The soul and intellect inter-connected and the more we develop our intellects by reading or writing the more of souls are enriched.
JBN: – There’s a two-way relationship between audience and artist; are you okay with delivering people the emotion they long for?
ST: – Absolutely. I love playing live and the energy from the audience is a special thing. Every gig is different, that is the magic and the madness of the road. You don’t know what is going to happen next.
JBN: – How can we get young people interested in jazz when most of standard tunes are half a century old?
ST: – Jazz has the beauty of constantly adapting through improvisation. It always surprises us. This excitement and danger serves to engage future generations. The old tunes are so rich in melody that are always going to be listened to.
JBN: – If you could change one single thing in the musical world and that would become reality, what would that be?
ST: – No more X Factor or crap reality music shows. I hate these shows. They humiliate people and turn music into a karaoke contest. Yuk.
OUR US/EU Jazz and Blues Association 2023
JBN: – Whom do you find yourself listening to these days?
ST: – I love Keith Jarrett. The solo recordings; Koln is the most famous but Bremen/Lausanne (1973) and Vienna (1991) are special. Keith Jarrett’s music takes me to a magical place that no other music takes me.
JBN: – Do You like our questions?
ST: – Great questions!
Interview by Simon Sarg
Note: https://jazzblues.eu/2023/03/19/useu-jazz-blues-association-festivals/ You can express your consent and join our association, which will give you the opportunity to perform at our Jazz and Blues festivals, naturally receiving an appropriate royalty. We cover all expenses. The objectives of the interview are: How to introduce yourself, your activities, thoughts and intellect, and make new discoveries for our US/EU Jazz & Blues Association, which organizes festivals, concerts and meetings in Boston and various European countries, why not for you too!! You can read more about the association here. https://jazzblues.eu/2022/11/19/useujba/
