Honoring Billy Taylor
Thursday, April 17 2008
by Frank Stasio and Rachel McCarthy
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When Tar Heel native Billy Taylor arrived in New York City, it took him just one week to land a gig playing piano alongside a jazz master, saxophonist Ben Webster. Taylor's auspicious beginnings in the early 1940s turned into a six-decade long career accompanying great musicians like Miles Davis and Charlie Parker. But beyond the masterful performances and hundreds of original jazz compositions, Taylor also made a name for himself by teaching jazz to the masses. Tonight, Billy Taylor will be honored at North Carolina Central University. Taylor and Dr. Larry Ridley, Executive Director of African American Jazz Caucus, join host Frank Stasio to talk about Taylor's life in music and North Carolina's place in jazz history.
