Receiving B.S. and M.S. degrees from The Julliard School of Music, David Taylor started his playing career as a member of Leopold Stowkowski’s American Symphony Orchestra, and by appearing with the New York Philharmonic under Pierre Boulez. Simultaneously, he was a member of the Thad Jones Mel Lewis jazz band, and recorded with groups ranging from Duke Ellington to The Rolling Stones. He also recorded numerous solo CDs on the following labels: Koch, New World, ENJA, DMP, Tzadik, CIMP, and PAU.

Mr. Taylor performs recitals and concerti around the world, from Lincoln Center in NY with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the NY Chamber Symphony and the St Luke’s Chamber Orchestra to Switzerland’s Basel Sinfonietta, Australia’s Adelaide Symphony, and to the Niederösterreich Tonkünstler Orchestra at the Musikverein in Vienna. He has been involved in dozens of commissioning projects for the bass trombone in solo and concerto idioms; collaborating with composers including Alan Hovhaness, Charles Wuorinen, George Perle, Frederic Rzewski, Lucia Dlugoszchewski, Eric Ewazen, David Liebman, and Daniel Schnyder. He has appeared and recorded chamber music with Yo Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, and Wynton Marsalis and performs with the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, Orpheus, and the St. Luke’s Chamber Orchestra. Throughout his career, Taylor has appeared and recorded with major jazz and popular artists including Barbara Streisand, Miles Davis, Quincy Jones, Frank Sinatra, and Aretha Franklin. Mr. Taylor has won the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Most Valuable Player Award for five consecutive years, the most it could be awarded and has been awarded the NARAS Most Valuable Player Virtuoso Award, an honor accorded no other bass trombonist. He has been a member of the bands of Gil Evans, Thad Jones-Mel Lewis, George Russell, Jaco Pastorius, Charles Mingus, Michelle Camillo, Bob Mintzer, Dave Matthews, and the Words Within Music Trio (Daniel Schnyder, David Taylor, Kenny Drew Jr.). Although he has performed on numerous GRAMMY award winning recordings, 1998 was special. In 1998 Taylor performed on four GRAMMY nominated CDs: The J.J. Johnson Big Band, Dave Grusin’s West Side Story, the Joe Henderson Big Band, and the Randy Brecker Band. The latter two CDs were chosen for GRAMMYs.

David Taylor is also on the faculties of the Manhattan School of Music and Mannes College. He plays Edwards bass trombones exclusively.