Lonnie Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy, Leroy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell, Teddy Bunn, Charlie Christian, T-Bone Walker, Tiny Grimes, Al Casey, The King Cole Trio, Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown, Robert Lockwood, Jr., Sister Rosetta Tharpe, B. B. King, Kenny Burrell, Wes Montgomery, Little Milton, Clarence Hollimon, Johnny Heartsman, Roy Gaines, Mel Brown, Jody Williams, Grant Green, Wayne Bennett, Matt Guitar Murphy, Johnny Guitar Watson, Snooks Eaglin, Fenton Robinson, Magic Sam, Ernest Ranglin, Steve Cropper, Cornell Dupree, Bobby Womack, Curtis Mayfield, Jimmy Nolen/JBs, Robert Ward, Nocentelli/Meters
Guitarist Jon Taylor was given the name T-Bone by fellow musicians after the great blues singer and guitarist Aaron T-Bone Walker (1910 - 1975), a personal favourite. He led the acclaimed, London based blues band The Bop Brothers (1985 - 2000). Many of Britain's finest players passed through its ranks. The band recorded two CDs for the Abacabe label.
Taylor attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London (1985-86) where tutors on the Jazz and Rock course included the late Lionel Grigson, Phil Lee and Trevor Tomkins. He accompanied visiting American artists/tutors Bobby Shew and Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers (Blanchard, Harrison, Toussaint, Miller, Plaxico).
The 1990s saw Taylor link up with pianist Tim Richards in various blues and funk orientated line-ups.
Taylor has been a session guest on BBC Radio Two's Paul Jones Show five times, with Bop Brothers, Charlie Sayles, Deitra Farr, Mojo Buford and Daniel Smith. He has backed various American bluesmen, including Champion Jack Dupree, Lefty Dizz, Clarence 'Tex' Walker and Eugene 'Hideaway' Bridges, top British jazz artists such as Harry Beckett, Don Weller, Dick Morrissey and Art Themen, and performed with many of the leading lights of the British blues scene.
DISCOGRAPHY
BOP BROTHERS: STRANGE NEWS (Abacabe ABACA CD001)
Thrill Me / Cruisin' and Coastin' / One Mint Julep / Big Bad Beautiful Blues / Strange News / Money's Getting Cheaper / Long Slow Ride Down / Little Finger / Georgia On My Mind / The Chicken and the Hawk
Al 'Bama' Eastwood, lead vocal; Dick Heckstall-Smith & Jerry Underwood, saxophones; Jon T-Bone Taylor, guitar; Dave 'Munch' Moore & Tim Richards, keyboards; Rob Statham, fretless bass; Sam Kelly, drums; John B. Spencer, percussion & background vocals; Rosemary Bain & Shola Phillips, background vocals
Produced by Dave Moore and John B. Spencer
Released 1995
To describe the Bop Brothers as playing a fusion of Jazz, Blues and Soul would be to understate their musical achievement. For rather than taking from these styles, they stand comfortably on the bridge over the ever-decreasing gap between them. The opening tracks instantly sound like classics, utilising guitarist Jon T-Bone Taylor's sharp lead lines and warm velvety rhythm work... a great group of seasoned musicians playing the music they love. - Bob Carlingford, Jazz on CD , UK
Intriguing and highly unusual ... polished, distinctive and very creditably performed... streets ahead of the bulk of British blues releases. - Paul Lewis, Blueprint, the magazine of the British Blues Connection
An excellent combination of talented artists playing with sophisticated accomplishment ... a great recording which demands listening to. - Real Music Magazine, UK
Their unhurried attitude is refreshing and their ability to coax the music along with the precision of a well oiled machine is admirable. - David Lands, Jazz Journal, UK
The Bop Brothers have created their own sound with their bluesy originals, which is easier said than done. - Paul Jones, BBC Radio Two
JON T-BONE TAYLOR'S BOP BROTHERS ... AND SISTERS (ABACA CD004)
That's The Stuff You Got To Watch / Missing You / Equal Opportunity / Try / Grease Piece / You Made Me Cry / Sugar Pie / Get The Facts / Blue Shift (Comin' At Ya) / Just Like A Fish / (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right / Suzy and Georgia
Featuring Earl Green (vocal). Special Guests: Ruby Turner, Taka Boom, Dana Gillespie, Deitra Farr, Connie Lush (vocals) & Dick Heckstall-Smith (tenor and soprano saxes)
Jon T-Bone Taylor, guitars; Dave 'Munch' Moore, keyboards; Rob Statham, fretless bass; Louis Borenius, drums.
With Noel Norris, trumpet; Nick Payn, saxophones; Wan Hewitt, percussion
Produced by Dave Moore and Pete Brown
Released 2000.
Innovative British blues: a superb guitarist, an incomparable featured singer plus the cream of UK female vocalists. Each track is a winner! Hats off on this biscuit that all should possess! - Mark A. Cole, Reviews Editor, Big City Blues, USA
Performed by the absolute cream of UK blues-soul characters... meticulously played and recorded... brims over with good humour... lovingly presented. Rating: 9 - Gary Revilo, Blueprint
A really fine recording from the UK-based guitarist's band. The guest singers add depth and variety to Green's soulful leads, and Heckstall-Smith's saxophone is a tasty bonus. (Rooster Pick.) Carey Wolfson, Editor & Publisher, Blues Access, USA
One of the most original bands on the British blues scene ... consummate musicianship with a jazzy sensibility. This set has increased my admiration for them all the more. Well worth checking out. - Norman Darwen, Blues & Rhythm, UK
Music with no frills, no pretence, just plain honest-to-goodness songs sung by singers bereft of ego and image but with ability in abundance. The singers all put their heart 'n' soul into some excellent performances ... testimony to their professionalism in an era where many people who simply do not qualify as 'true musicians' make a good living at the expense of such artists. - Blues & Soul, UK
The band are certainly worth hearing; they're funky, jazzy, but overall -- together! A good reminder that there is a lot of talent in this country. - Blues In The South, UK
British musicians have always done great things with blues; here comes more-- Nice production and outstanding musicianship, with a great run of classics and new songs. - Ed Ivey, Blues Revue, USA
Notable in particular for the duets; if you thought Willie Clayton and Pat Brown had made "Equal Opportunity" their own, just try out Green and Taka Boom. - David Cole, Editor, In The Basement, UK
Jon Taylor is without doubt one of the classiest guitarists currently working in the UK. His tasty B.B./T-Bone styled guitar is complemented by Earl Green's warm vocals. Add to that the bevy of 'sisters' and the legendary sax man Dick Heckstall-Smith, and you know that the whole affair will reek of quality. Not strictly blues, but if you like your music soulful with some jazzy interludes, this is for you. - Alan Empson, Reviews Editor, Juke Blues, UK
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