Ben Taylor (musician)

Benjamin Simon Taylor (born January 22, 1977) is an American musician and actor. He is the son of singer-songwriters James Taylor and Carly Simon.[1]

Ben Taylor
Taylor at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival premiere of Russian Winter
Background information
Birth nameBenjamin Simon Taylor
Born (1977-01-22) January 22, 1977
GenresFolk, folk rock, soft rock, pop, funk
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter, producer, engineer, drum programming, actor
InstrumentsVocals, guitar, piano
Years active1995–present
LabelsIris Records
WebsiteOfficial website

Career

On his first released album Famous Among the Barns and his EP #1, Taylor collaborated with friends Adam MacDougall and Larry Ciancia to form "The Ben Taylor Band." Ultimately deciding that this path (which yielded music that Taylor describes as "neo-psychedelic folk funk") did not represent his true musical nature, Taylor released a follow-up solo album that is much more acoustic in nature. That solo effort, Another Run Around the Sun, featured backing vocals by his sister and mother, with Taylor as vocalist and guitarist, Peter Calo on guitars, Larry Ciancia on drums, and bass guitar by Kevin Bacon who also produced the album.

In 2012 Ben Taylor released the album Listening in the United States on Iris Records. In 2013, the album was released as a European version on V2 records.

In 2013, Taylor toured in Europe (Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands and UK). In 2014 he returned to Germany for a 10-date tour presented by artist.people.promotion including stops in Berlin, Kiel, Hamburg, Bremen, Magdeburg, Cologne, Frankfurt, Duisburg, Heidelberg, Munich. He then toured in March and April through the United States. He was accompanied by British singer Sophie Hiller.[2]

In 2016, Taylor's cover version of "Love Me Tender" was used for a TV-ad for a new fragrance by Ralph Lauren "Tender Romance".

Taylor released on December 2, 2016, the Christmas EP Christmas Is Family with four new recordings. The record was released by the German record label Birdstone Records on limited CDs and digitally worldwide. The EP was produced by Taylor, Manfred Faust, and Nic v. Vogelstein.[2][3]

Acting
Taylor in concert in Mullingar, Ireland, July 2007

Taylor's most recent role was that of Cal Cooper on American Dreams (2004). He has also appeared on the UK show Always and Everyone (1999).

Taylor's cover of Macy Gray's "I Try" was used in a Honey Nut Cheerios television commercial in Canada aired late 2008, early 2009.

Taylor recently appeared as himself on the ABC Family Reality summer hit, The Vineyard (2013)

Charitable work

Taylor appears on the CD Too Many Years, contributing the original track "Listen to The Music" to benefit Clear Path International's work with land mine survivors.

He has raised more than $70,000 for the Jerry Lee Lewis Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Personal and early life

Taylor attended high school at Tabor Academy, a college preparatory boarding school in Marion, Massachusetts.

Taylor has been training in martial arts since he was a teenager. According to the December 2008 issue of Black Belt Magazine, Taylor has trained extensively in qigong, t'ai chi ch'uan, wing chun kung fu, and recently Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Renzo Gracie.

Taylor's sister, Sally Taylor, is also a musician and they have frequently worked together.

Discography

Bye Bye Love: Original Soundtrack Album (1995, one track by Ben Taylor)
  1. "I Will" (1995)

Green Dragon, Name a Fox (Recorded c. 1997) (Unreleased)
  1. "Lisa"
  2. "Paradise"
  3. "Revenge"
  4. "Broken Tonight"
  5. "It May Take Some Time"
  6. "Lie Down My Love"
  7. "Well Enough Alone"
  8. "Surround Me"
  9. "I'm Doing Something Bad"
  10. "Losing My Resistance"
  11. "I Can't Believe It"
  12. "Tower For Fools (Just In Time To Fall Down)"
  13. "Jamie Loves the Ocean"

Famous Among the Barns (2003)
  1. "Island"
  2. "Let It Grow"
  3. "I Am the Sun"
  4. "Day After Day"
  5. "No More Running Away"
  6. "Safe Enough To Wake Up"
  7. "Time of the Season"
  8. "Just Like Everyone Else"
  9. "A Good Day To Be Alive"
  10. "Mushroom Dance"
  11. "Rain"
  12. "Tonight"

EP #1 (2004, EP)
  1. "Day After Day" (edit)
  2. "Island" (acoustic with Carly Simon)
  3. "I'll Be Fine" (super rough mix)
  4. "Surround Me" (acoustic version)

Another Run Around the Sun (2005)
  1. "Nothing I Can Do"
  2. "You Must Have Fallen"
  3. "Think a Man Would Know"
  4. "Someday Soon"
  5. "One Man Day"
  6. "Always"
  7. "Digest"
  8. "I'll Be Fine"
  9. "Surround Me"
  10. "Love"
  11. "More Beautiful"

Deeper Than Gravity (2006, EP)
  1. "Nothing I Can Do"
  2. "I Try"
  3. "Digest"
  4. "You Belong To Me"
  5. "Lady Magic"
  6. "Glory Box"

The Legend of Kung Folk [Part 1 (The Killing Bite)] (2008)
  1. "Wrong"
  2. "She's Gone"
  3. "Wicked Way"
  4. "It's Only Love"
  5. "Dangerous Girl"
  6. "Something For Nothing"
  7. "Wilderness"
  8. "You're the One For Me"
  9. "Space"
  10. "After It's Over"

Listening (2012)
  1. "Listening"
  2. "Oh Brother"
  3. "Not Alone"
  4. "Giulia"
  5. "Worlds Are Made of Paper"
  6. "Vespa's Song"
  7. "America"
  8. "Dirty"
  9. "Burning Bridges"
  10. "You Could Be Mine"
  11. "Next Time Around"
  12. "America (Acoustic Bonus Track)"

Christmas Is Family (2016, EP)
  1. "Noel"
  2. "The Night Before Christmas" duet with Sophie Hiller feat. Carly Simon
  3. "Christmas Is Almost Here" duet with Sophie Hiller
  4. "Silent Night"

Compilation appearances
  • I. C. Independent Celebration, Vol. 1 (2015, Birdstone Records) (songs: "Wicked Way" and "Oh Brother")

References
  1. Wilson, MacKenzie. "Biography: Ben Taylor". Allmusic. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
  2. "artist people promotion - Ben Taylor".
  3. "Weihnachts-CD aus Blankenese - Hamburger Klönschnack".
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