William "Shooby" Taylor | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | September 19, 1929 Indiana Township, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | June 4, 2003 (aged 73) East Orange, New Jersey |
| Genres | Scat, outsider music, jazz |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | c. 1975 – c. 1984 |
| Labels | N/A |
| Website | www |
William "Shooby" Taylor (September 19, 1929 – June 4, 2003[1]) was an American jazz vocalist famous for scat singing over various records, including those of the Ink Spots, the Harmonicats, Johnny Cash, Miles Davis, Mozart, and Cristy Lane, in a baritone voice.
Nicknamed "The Human Horn", he is noted for his highly idiosyncratic scat style, using sounds and syllables quite unlike those used by other scat singers.[2]
Writing in The New York Times, Marc Ferris noted that "those who seek out music that swims against the mainstream have been entranced by [Taylor's] originality."[3]
Music historian Irwin Chusid described Taylor as "the world's weirdest scat singer," "100 percent uninhibited and soulful, in a lovably demented way," and stated that "a joyousness permeates [his] performances, a celebratory quality that serves as an analgesic for temporary relief from existential pain."[4]
- ^ Ankeny, Jason. "Shooby Taylor: Biography". allmusic.com. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ Chusid, Irwin (2000). Songs in the Key of Z: The Curious Universe of Outsider Music. A Cappella. pp. 141–146.
- ^ Ferris, Marc (November 10, 2002). "The Travels of Shooby Taylor". nytimes.com. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ Chusid, Irwin (2000). Songs in the Key of Z: The Curious Universe of Outsider Music. A Cappella. p. 141.