On today's show: drummer, percussionist, composer Chad Taylor. I first became aware of Chad's name around the turn of the 21st century, as the players in Chicago's post-rock scene, most famously including the instrumental band Tortoise, began to collaborate with players from Chicago's rich modern jazz world, where the famous creative musician's collective, the AACM was still active. Chad's playing was always distinguished by an extra sense of propulsiveness, juicing the energy and supplying an expressive net beneath his collaborators.
Chad began his long musical partnership with Rob Mazurek under the name Chicago Underground, recording genre-defying improvisational songs and soundscapes that frequently featured Tortoise guitarist Jeff Parker. Chad would become one of his era's most prolific drummers working his everyone from Iron & Wine to Pharoah Sanders. After becoming synonymous with Chicago jazz Chad moved east, finally landing in Philadelphia where he's spent the past decade. In this time he has appeared on some of the most critically-lauded jazz records of recent years, including projects with guitarist Marc Ribot as well as the late trumpeter Jaimie Branch and saxophonist James Brandon Lewis, both former guests on Fun 2 Know.
You'll get an idea of just what a genial gentleman Chad is by knowing that although we've communicated through IM's, we'd never actually met or had spoken together until just moments before the tape rolled on our interview. In abundant modesty and good humor Chad talks about his early musical motivations, his teen years, already drumming in Chicago clubs, and his moves to NYC and Philly, his studies with Blue Note drum great Joe Chambers and Chad current gig as Head of Jazz Studies at the University of Pittsburgh. Chad has also had success composing and leading his own groups and is celebrating the release of his latest work with his new Philly-centric Chad Taylor Quintet, SMOKE SHIFTER on the Otherly Love label.
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On today's show: drummer, percussionist, composer Chad Taylor. I first became aware of Chad's name around the turn of the 21st century, as the players in Chicago's post-rock scene, most famously including the instrumental band Tortoise, began to collaborate with players from Chicago's rich modern jazz world, where the famous creative musician's collective, the AACM was still active. Chad's playing was always distinguished by an extra sense of propulsiveness, juicing the energy and supplying an expressive net beneath his collaborators.
Chad began his long musical partnership with Rob Mazurek under the name Chicago Underground, recording genre-defying improvisational songs and soundscapes that frequently featured Tortoise guitarist Jeff Parker. Chad would become one of his era's most prolific drummers working his everyone from Iron & Wine to Pharoah Sanders. After becoming synonymous with Chicago jazz Chad moved east, finally landing in Philadelphia where he's spent the past decade. In this time he has appeared on some of the most critically-lauded jazz records of recent years, including projects with guitarist Marc Ribot as well as the late trumpeter Jaimie Branch and saxophonist James Brandon Lewis, both former guests on Fun 2 Know.
You'll get an idea of just what a genial gentleman Chad is by knowing that although we've communicated through IM's, we'd never actually met or had spoken together until just moments before the tape rolled on our interview. In abundant modesty and good humor Chad talks about his early musical motivations, his teen years, already drumming in Chicago clubs, and his moves to NYC and Philly, his studies with Blue Note drum great Joe Chambers and Chad current gig as Head of Jazz Studies at the University of Pittsburgh. Chad has also had success composing and leading his own groups and is celebrating the release of his latest work with his new Philly-centric Chad Taylor Quintet, SMOKE SHIFTER on the Otherly Love label.
On today's show saxophonist, flautist, composer, poet, Elliott Levin. Levin is a Philadelphia-born talent, who has traveled far and wide in his career, establishing himself as an iron man of music, ubiquitous across the city of Philadelphia since the 1970s, playing countless gigs across numerous styles.
Soon after picking up the saxophone, Elliott fell under the spell galvanizing jazz pianist Cecil Taylor while Taylor taught at New Jersey's Glassboro State College. Levin first found acclaim touring around the world with Philly International giants Harold Melvin & The Blues Notes for over a decade and his career in jazz and improvised music has seen him performing and recording with The Sun Ra Arkestra's Tyrone Hill & Marshall Allen, Mother of Invention keyboardist Don Preston, Sonic Liberation Front, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, The West Philadelphia Orchestra and Odean Pope's Saxophone Choir and his poetry has been published in The L.A. Weekly.
I'd been wanting to get Elliott in front of a microphone for sometime, and our conversation didn't disappoint. When I spoke to Elliott has was just back from a tour of Mexico and earlier this month he celebrated his 70th birthday with a concert in Philadelphia, leading a band featuring 99 year-old Sun Ra Arkestra bandleader Marshall Allen. We discuss his upbringing in West Philly, college in the turbulent early seventies, touring the world with The Blue Notes, his collaborations with Marshall Allen, poetry, his friendship with hippie legend Buzzy Linhart, a saxophonist's life during quarantine and more, as well as hearing a bit of the music Elliott has recorded over his career.
Fun 2 Know Podcast
On today's show: drummer, percussionist, composer Chad Taylor. I first became aware of Chad's name around the turn of the 21st century, as the players in Chicago's post-rock scene, most famously including the instrumental band Tortoise, began to collaborate with players from Chicago's rich modern jazz world, where the famous creative musician's collective, the AACM was still active. Chad's playing was always distinguished by an extra sense of propulsiveness, juicing the energy and supplying an expressive net beneath his collaborators.
Chad began his long musical partnership with Rob Mazurek under the name Chicago Underground, recording genre-defying improvisational songs and soundscapes that frequently featured Tortoise guitarist Jeff Parker. Chad would become one of his era's most prolific drummers working his everyone from Iron & Wine to Pharoah Sanders. After becoming synonymous with Chicago jazz Chad moved east, finally landing in Philadelphia where he's spent the past decade. In this time he has appeared on some of the most critically-lauded jazz records of recent years, including projects with guitarist Marc Ribot as well as the late trumpeter Jaimie Branch and saxophonist James Brandon Lewis, both former guests on Fun 2 Know.
You'll get an idea of just what a genial gentleman Chad is by knowing that although we've communicated through IM's, we'd never actually met or had spoken together until just moments before the tape rolled on our interview. In abundant modesty and good humor Chad talks about his early musical motivations, his teen years, already drumming in Chicago clubs, and his moves to NYC and Philly, his studies with Blue Note drum great Joe Chambers and Chad current gig as Head of Jazz Studies at the University of Pittsburgh. Chad has also had success composing and leading his own groups and is celebrating the release of his latest work with his new Philly-centric Chad Taylor Quintet, SMOKE SHIFTER on the Otherly Love label.
