Paul Taylor

Name: Paul Taylor
Start: 2025-06-10T19:30:00-07:00
End: 2025-06-10T21:45:00-07:00
Location: Yoshi's Oakland -Jack London square

Schedule

Tue Jun 10 2025 at 07:30 pm to 09:45 pm

UTC-07:00

Location

Yoshi's Oakland -Jack London square | Oakland, CA

The number thirteen is cloaked in mysticism, regarded by some cultures as unlucky and revered by others as a sacred good omen or the birth of a new beginning. Saxophonist Paul Taylor’s anticipated new recording and Shanachie debut, It’s A Brand New Day, is his thirteenth recording as a leader. The charming and down-to-earth saxman reveals, “This album in some ways signifies a new cycle for me, as this is my first new recording in three years. The title speaks to my desire to give my fans an optimistic outlook as we approach every brand new day.” The chart-topping saxophonist has enjoyed an enviable career with a string of Billboard #1 hits and collaborations with a genre-crossing lists of musicians including Regina Belle, Maxi Priest, Peabo Bryson, Keiko Matsui. The Rippingtons, Peter White, Euge Groove, Michael Lington, Jamie Jones and Marion Meadows. Taylor confesses, “I simply love creating and making my own music. I am the happiest when I am doing just this. It never gets old.” Danny Weiss, VP of Shanchie’s Jazz A&R, states, “I’ve been an admirer of Paul’s brilliant work dating back to his very first recordings. His superb tone and phrasing are second to none. Paul Taylor is a true icon whose status is well deserved.”
“I am an optimist in every way. Each new year, I just keep trying to do my best, which means playing my horn, staying in shape, touring, and continuing to create,” shares Paul Taylor, who is an avid golfer. He scores an ace on It’s A Brand New Day, showcasing ten tracks of nine originals and one Billie Eilish cover. The title track opens like a phoenix rising with its triumphant and ceremonious vibe which sets the tone for the joyous expedition ahead. Taylor’s soul-drenched alto gyrates around a percolating and EDM groove, setting a perfect euphoric trance-induced state. The song was co-written with long-time musical companion Dino Esposito (Jeff Lorber, Wayman Tisdale, Walter Beasley, Kim Waters), who has collaborated with Paul Taylor for close to three decades and who plays on eight of the album’s tracks. Taylor also joins forces with Barry Eastmond (Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Anita Baker, Britney Spears, Barry White, Chaka Khan) on the ballad “Forever More.” The alluring tune’s rock-steady groove has a gravitational pull is hard to resist. “Both Dino Esposito and Barry Eastmond are dear friends and musical colleagues,” shares Taylor. “We tend to get the best out of each other. They give me the space to do what I do and at the same time, I lean on them for their input. I am grateful to the two of them as well as my manager Andi Howard, who has stayed the course with me all these years. “Sunlight” is another winning collaboration with Eastmond. “Working with Barry is like putting on a pair of old shoes, the fit is just right, and you know that you will get to your destination on time,” shares Paul Taylor. As the saying goes, “Nighttime is the right time!” and Paul Taylor makes good on this statement with his soulful and percussive dance infused anthem “Night Delight,” co-written by Dino Esposito. “Dino just makes every situation 100 times better,” declares, Taylor. “I bounced things off of him for this album, he went to town, the ideas flowed and together we came up with more music than we needed for the album.”
A pleasant surprise on It’s A Brand New Day is Paul Taylor’s captivating and dreamy take on Billie Eilish’s “Chihiro,” inspired by a character from one of her favorite movie’s Spirited Away. Taylor’s saxophones conjure a mesmerizing recreation of Eilish’s ethereal vocals. He shares, “I heard this single over the speakers in a store and was like ‘Wow this is pretty cool.” When I heard it again, I knew I had to record my own version on soprano. When I got together with Dino, we put our own spin on it, and I think we paid a beautiful homage to the song. Who knows maybe Billie will hear it and like it!” The feel-good track “Makin’ Moves,” (another Esposito collaboration) features Paul’s fluid and melodic sax juxtaposed against the swinging and driving rhythm section. The hypnotic melody lingers long after the track fades away. The R&B infused and sultry “Where I Want To Be” shines a spotlight on Paul Taylor’s gorgeous tone which is amplified by layered effects. The rhythmic breakdown and soulful groove create the perfect place to be. The buoyant “Inner Circle” is a head-nodding jam while “What You Do For Me,” is a funky dance groove with Paul Taylor’s sax out front set against a funky and gritty rhythm section. It’s A Brand New Day comes to a fitting finale with the sweet, reflective, and tender “Downtime.” Taylor reflects, “Music is like the wallpaper of our lives. There are songs from certain periods of our lives that stay with us. I hope my fans can grab onto some songs on the album that will stay with them and remind them of good times.”
Paul Taylor’s love affair with the saxophone began when he was a kid growing up in his native Denver and his parents enrolled him in a youth band. Lucky for us Paul Taylor’s somewhat clairvoyant band director selected the saxophone for him and Paul never looked back. “In the 70s, my first influences were Grover Washington Jr., Earth, Wind and Fire, Patrice Rushen and Quincy Jones,” reminisces Taylor. “Later it was the Brecker Brothers and David Sanborn but from the very beginning, I wanted to be like Grover Washington, Jr. I wanted to record my own music and tour and be a star in the industry.” All these years later Paul Taylor is living his best life and taking us along for the ride. He concludes, “I am grateful for my fans, and I’m blessed to be playing music for as long as I have. It’s incredible to have a career where I get to work on my craft every day.”