David j Taylor

www.davidjtaylor.com

David Taylor is a tough act to follow. In live performance, he turns his beautifully crafted songs into fully produced auditory illustrations complete with beat boxed rhythm tracks, keyboards, guitars, bass and all lead and harmony vocals. It is impossible to see him as just another singer/ songwriter wielding a guitar. The brilliance of his unique performance style married with his colorful compositions and a genuine presence on stage makes David Taylor a talent to be reckoned with.

In 2004, David was approved for a Saskatchewan Arts Board Grant that enabled him to produce a conventional 10-song studio album ... "this town". David then had to go out and replicate this album live-off-the-floor in a live performance setting. David will be releasing this album to Western Canadian audiences during his October 2005 tour out to the WCMAs in his old home town of Vancouver, BC.

Biography:

David Taylor was born and raised in "cow-town" Calgary Alberta and to this day proudly wears the flaming "C". Growing up, he studied piano with "The Toronto Conservatory of Music" from the age of six to sixteen and sang in a church choir for ten years. He picked up the electric guitar at sixteen when he began composing songs and has played it ever since, alongside the piano and organ.

David moved to Vancouver in 1991. He fronted the band “Big Cookie” from 1993-2000. The group toured over 15 times in that period, released 4 studio albums, 1 live album and 2 music videos. In 1994, David opened a recording service called "red emusic" while working for Vancouver’s "Greenhouse Studios". David has been a freelance independent record producer ever since and has worked on over 50 albums to date.

In 1998, David compiled a 16-band compilation CD in the mp3 file format. The purpose was to attain notoriety for Vancouver’s beleaguered local music scene. It worked. It featured some of Vancouver’s finest acts and received national attention on CTV and Much Music.

In 2000, David made a life change and moved to Regina, Saskatchewan with life partner Russ. In 2003, he spearheaded the "Musical Chairs" series in the Prairie Dog Magazine. The series featured Regina recording artists interviewing one another and ran for just under 3 months. David also served as a board member for The Saskatchewan Recording Industry Association in 2004. At present, David continues to produce and also works at Talking Dog Post and Sound Studios as a Foley engineer / artist for television and film (notable series Corner Gas, renegadepress.com).

Select record production credits:

Geoff Berner, Despistado,
Sylvie, Michelle Boudreau,
The Fates, Kim Fontaine, Tyler Banadyga
November Samurai, Ricasso
Jay Leveque, Rob D, Surface
Jasmine Whenham, Chesterfield Rock
Divine Chaos, Fight the Monster
The Radio, Green Room, Malarkey

Has shared stages with:

Danny Michel, Limblifter, Despistado
The New Pornographers, The Northern Pikes
Wide Mouth Mason,
Ember Swift, Bob Kemmis
Painting Daisies, Linda McRae
Joël Fafard, Odetta, John Guliak, DDT,
The Show Business Giants,
Linda McRae, Carolyn Mark, The Be Good Tanyas, Tom Wilson, Rae Spoon

Has toured with:

Big Cookie
Biffy Perdu
Jasmine Whenham
Geoff Berner
Dave Lang
Tom Holliston
Interstellar Rootcellar
Ashtray
Kim Fontaine
Gloryhole

Select quotes:

"The man is hot wired to the void. This is the stuff of dreams made real."
- Bob Wiseman, singer songwriter. Toronto

"Using a Line 6 DL4 guitar pedal, Taylor extemporaneously loops his own vocals and guitar as he performs the songs. Creating his own percussion with his breath--think Fat Boys-style human beat-box meets Nylons-style accapella scat--and four- six- and even ten-part vocal harmonies.
- Emmet Matheson, Regina Leader-Post

"Dave Taylor left Vancouver for Regina and found his voice in a solo act that captures his witty lyrics and rocking approach to music. His live-from-the-floor CD is nine tracks of tight, smart musings"
- Stuart Derdeyn, The Vancouver Province

"...two of the most eclectic, gifted artists currently gracing the Canadian music scene (Dave Taylor and Jasmine Whenham) ...are coming to Red Deer this week"
- Mark Webber, The Red Deer Express