Curtis Taylor – A Way To Cultivate Social Connections

All Americans be #Dreaming

Praying, wishing and whispering a few shy words such as #ComeRescueMe during sleepless nights,

Black Americans dream of a better life #Blessed with #Love and health, the real wealth, despite the #Paperchase.

Meditation is a moment, and #Contemplation at the crack of dawn, #IssaVibe 

A vibe provided by Black music #AfricanAmericanMusicAppreciationMonth

One of the greatest ways to cultivate social connections with people of a same community, is offering a whole music experience based on everything that concerns the majority of this group.

Indeed, everyone’s concern is to wake up in the morning to go and get his daily bread (paper chase), everyone has been overthinking things in the dead of the night (#comerescueme), and Black people are concerned by the empowering mottos #BlackLivesMatter and #BlackGirlMagic.

That way, Grammy Award winning trumpeter Curtis Taylor has managed to provide a whole vibe around common social connections, along his album #Hashtagged, released last year.

This album is an elegant combination of jazz, neo soul and spoken poetry. The delightful play of the keys will have close your eyes and feel the fills and chords. Taylor’s sparkling trumpet rises and brings light and colorful melodies,  along the smooth sounds of the drums. #Contemplation is a beautiful picture.

He chosed to pick the most popular topics reported with hashtags. These choices of these hashtags remain loyal to Taylor’s lyrical and melodic improvisational style, for these are words, concerns and emotions spontaneously expressed on social media, everytime someone feels in awe and wonder.

According to Taylor, “ When played honestly, music is the ultimate conveyer of truth and beauty.”

Besides, the meaning of these hashtags are brought to life with the featuring of amazing artists such as April May Webb for the track #Blackgirlmagic.

More extensively Taylor’s stint with jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut included a notable concert performance at Kennedy Center recorded for NPR’s Jazzset, an appearance at the Spoleto Jazz Festival, and a week long engagement at Dizzy’s Club in NYC.

In addition, Taylor had the great opportunity to tour internationally with virtuosic saxophonist James Carter’s Quintet, performing in: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Canada, and Austria. Rounding out the experience, was a week long stint at Yoshi’s in California again with the James Carter Quintet.

Just like Emanuel Harrold, previously discovered on Sounds So Beautiful for his Look Forward EP,  Taylor has had the wonderful opportunity to perform and record with Jazz star Gregory Porter.

Taylor’s trumpet can be heard on Gregory Porter’s debut album Water and on his junior release (Blue Note records) Liquid Spirit.

Both albums were nominated for Grammy Awards. Liquid Spirit won the Grammy in the Best Jazz Vocal Album category for 2013