BIOGRAPHY

Jonathan Taylor has been a pianist, composer and educator for twenty years, primarily in the fields of jazz, tango and folk music. He has worked with legendary funk musicians Pee Wee Ellis and Fred Wesley and played and recorded with many great jazz musicians including Iain Ballamy, Eddie Parker, Andy Sheppard, Gilad Atzmon, Tim Whitehead and Steve Arguelles. He studied composition at Middlesex University and has written music for large and small ensembles, contemporary dance and music education projects. He currently teaches jazz at the Guildhall School in London and is a music examiner for ABRSM.

 

Outside of jazz Jonathan is a founder member of the UK’s leading tango ensemble Tango Siempre and has performed with them in every kind of venue imaginable from concert halls in Europe to tiny village halls on remote Scottish islands. He co-created and toured the successful West-End show ‘Midnight Tango’ featuring dancers Vincent & Flavia as well as appearing on BBC’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ and was musical director for their last tour 'Tango Moderno'. He has recorded two albums of contemporary classical saxophone music and written arrangements for the rock musician Robert Wyatt. Numerous theatre jobs over the years include Edward Scissorhands by choreographer Matthew Bourne and Blues Brother Soul Sister with soul singer Ruby Turner.

 

Jonathan has a contemporary folk band called Counter's Creek in which he plays whistles and flute. The band plays original music inspired by the folk music of the British Isles and beyond and their debut album 'The Careful Placement of Stones' was released in 2020 to critical acclaim.