James Taylor Quartet

The James Taylor Quartet has established itself as a pioneering British jazz funk band, known for its distinctive Hammond organ sound and dynamic live performances. After their debut single ‘Blow-Up,’ a funk-infused rendition of Herbie Hancock’s theme, gained significant traction and appeared in John Peel’s Festive Fifty chart in 1987, The James Taylor Quartet rapidly established itself as a pioneering force in British jazz funk. Formed in 1985 by Hammond organ player James Taylor, the band quickly garnered recognition with ‘Blow-Up,’ released on the Re Elect the President label, which later evolved into the Acid Jazz label. Their energetic debut mini-album, Mission Impossible (1987), showcased Taylor’s distinctive Hammond organ sound through covers of 1960s film themes, followed by The Money Spyder (1987), an album of original compositions conceived as a spy film soundtrack.

The quartet also released three albums under the moniker New Jersey Kings, distinguished by their raw, live-in-the-studio recordings and similar funky Hammond sound. In 2005, performances were occasionally augmented with a horn section, promoted as the James Taylor Funk Orchestra. Most recently, in 2018, as part of the EFG London Jazz Festival, The James Taylor Quartet premiered their album Soundtrack from Electric Black with a full orchestra at Cadogan Hall in London. The critically acclaimed recording was subsequently released commercially through Audio Network, reinforcing the band’s enduring appeal and innovative spirit within the jazz funk genre.