Jack Kilby's memories on Mike Taylor...

For tributing the memory of JAK KILBY, the only thing I can do is to publish his very interesting memories he sent me in 2014 for my book on Mike Taylor.
 

1- (His kind reply to my request of interviewing him)

"Hi Luca,
You can ask me what you like. But I doubt whether I'll know much about Mike Taylor. I only heard him once, at the time I took the photographs, which was a rehearsal I was at just by chance. And he went 'off the rails' completely not long after, from drugs &/or insanity, and as I guess you know, it was not long before he drowned in mysterious circumstances. In some ways he fitted into the development of Jazz/New Music in Britain at the time. But he was also quite unique.
Kind regards,
Jak"

 

2- (His first letter)

"I'm not going to check how many photos. There were not a lot anyway but they were taken in extremely bad lighting conditions - pushing the limits of what was possible with film at the time. When those re-issues were made - actually, one by Richard Morton Jack (as per the blog you sent) the only usable pictures (black & white negatives) were scanned & there were seven shots. Some are similar to each other. I just checked them and they don't look as good as what I do now - I'm an old man feeling my way through digital technology by trial and error & pretty much a cyber-dance.

Anyway, the photographs were taken during a rehearsal of the Mike Taylor Trio at Ronnie Scott's Old Place on the 27th October 1967. The location is not the place known as Ronnie Scott's Club today, it was the older premises in Gerard Street in London, Chinatown - at the time, lots of Chinese but not as much as now. When Ronnie Scott moved to his new better and bigger space the old club was at first closed and then re-opened to present British Jazz, but only for a short time as (I was told this by drummer John Stevens who was offered to run the Old Place but turned it down) they were planning to open a gambling club for Chinese but needed time to get the license, and to show something else happening meanwhile.

When I went to the club that time, it was because I'd been told the Archie Shepp Quintet (Shepp, Roswell Rudd, Granchen Moncur III, Jimmy Garrison & Beaver Harris) would be rehearsing that afternoon. They were and I took photographs of them. But when they finished Mike Taylor arrived to rehearse. They only played a short time. His trio was with Ron Rubin (double bass) and Laurie Allen on drums. When they finished the Chris McGregor Group (Blue Notes) arrived to rehearse, so it was quite a day!

All I know of Mike Taylor from the time was that he seemed slightly outside most of the local Jazz scene but his work was quite unique and brilliant. He managed to record for what was then a major record label, which most of the London musicians could not get near. He composed a huge amount of music in a very short time but later destroyed all his written work. When i took the photographs he was no longer in his 'bank manager' phase. He looked like an archetype hippy, wore no shoes and was taking a lot of drugs. But he was still playing piano. Later, I heard he seemed unable to play piano if he turned up at all.

You would have a very difficult time trying to find his brother Terry, if he is still alive. For one thing, I doubt whether he is known by others on the British Jazz scene, although it's worth asking anyone you talk to. Also, his name is very common - there will be thousands of Taylor's.

I think your only chance is to try asking as many musicians as possible who might have played with him or known him, his contemporaries. This might not be easy and it's a long time ago. Dave Tomlin, Henry Lowther and Jon Hiseman might be good candidates. Some who may have been contemporaries but I don't think played with him might have ideas and information. I'm thinking of Evan Parker.

John Jack who was managing Ronnie Scott's Old Place might have some information. He ran Cadillac Music (records and distribution) for many years but it closed down last year, at least closed its office. Hazel Miller (of Ogun Records) also worked with Cadillac. Just throwing out ideas.

I also wonder whether Jonny Trunk found more information. He released the 12" vinyl version of Mike Taylor Remembered (Neil Ardley).

Mike Taylor's death was a tragedy but it seems his life towards the end was as well. It is a tragic example of the dangers of extreme drug use at the time. It is also, in many ways, similar to the demise of his contemporary Graham Bond (drugs, occult & mysterious death - falling in front of a London underground train).
There are a few things to go on anyway. Good luck!
Regards,
Jak"

3- (His third letter, replying to my other questions)

"I'll try to answer some points:-
I don't have a record of the Shepp gig as I was not allowed to take photographs - it was one of the bigger festivals at the time and they played at Hammersmith in London. I got into the backstage of the theatre with Johnny Dyani & Mongezi Feza of the Blue Notes. We were in the backstage dressing room just before the concert and went down with the band as they went on stage, but hid in the wings. But the security came and pulled us out, well, Mongezi & myself - they put us back in the dressing room where we could see & hear nothing. Johnny managed to stay at the side of the stage as they did not see him. We crept back and were seen and thrown out of the theatre. I think from memory this concert was only a couple of days after that rehearsal.

In 1967 I had been working in a photography studio for four years, straight from school as a trainee then eventually as a junior photographer. This was the old way - college was almost non-exsistant then and what there was was not well regarded. We worked long hours for very low money. In 1967 I left the company hoping to find a better job but was immediately asked to do freelance work. So I became freelance and that was the case for the rest of my life. At the same time I was a music fan. We had a lot of blues musicians in London in the 1960's and I heard a lot of that. When I worked for the company several of us of the same age used to go to a local record shop at lunchtime - you could listen to the records free of charge in booths so we went through every blues record we found and when we used them up tarted on the Jazz section. I really liked that music! We also used to read Melody Maker which featured news and stories about many types of music at that time, not just the output of the commercial record companies but Jazz, Blues and Folk music.

I was doing many kinds of work as a freelance photographer but early on met drummer John Stevens and saxophonist Evan Parker walking down a street. I recognised them from Melody Maker. So I talked to them and was then invited to their gigs. This started me photographing their music events, particularly at the Little Theatre Club which John ran. The Theatre Club would run 'casting' theatre productions, with new plays every two weeks so I also got the job of photographing their theatre productions. I was helping in the Jazz side of the club, taking money on the door, taking photographs of the musicians and driving them to gigs outside London, which got me to other locations for Jazz. Ronnie Scott's Old Place was something of a rival club. So, I did not just photograph Jazz. But it was something I did speculatively, that is, usually unpaid, but hoping to get something from any photographs published later. I also did some work with a few rock musicians but that was usually only if I was hired.

Mike Taylor's music the time I heard it - in the afternoon, not evening - all I can remember is it was 'different', quite unlike anything I'd been hearing on record, not straight ahead bebop or any of the British or American 'free'/ avant-garde new music. It was quite original and in that respect it had what people like myself would want - the sound of surprise. Yes , Taylor was the focus of the group I heard. But that is not unusual with a piano trio.

I think Henry Lowther will have a few things to say about Mike Taylor. I had a look in a book and he has a bit of an interview about Taylor there, and his experiences. The book is 'Innovations in British Jazz (Vol One 1960-1980)' by John Wickes. We call it the 'loosleaf' book because it was not well produced and all the pages fall out. I have many photographs in this but was not paid - the publisher was a disaster with a bad attitude, but the book has good information although it's much too long, it should have been edited. Probably Lyn Dobson would have information on Mike Taylor. Also, seeing what Henry Lowther mentioned there I think Hazel Miller will also know something. She is the best contact for getting in touch with John Jack as well if you cannot otherwise. And Jon Hiseman would be crucial, maybe Barbara Thompson might also remember something (Jon Hiseman's wife).

I'll make some small low resolution versions of the Mike Taylor photos I scanned & send them by email another time. Just samples for you to see.
Regards,
Jak"
 

PERSONAL JAK's WEB SITE: http://www.jakkilby.co.uk/
Page at Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/1914357-Jak-Kilby