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Jazz for a rainy Friday: Pianist Billy Taylor turns 88

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July 24, 2009 9:21 am
By Sheila Lennon

Billy_Taylor.jpgThe Official Website of Billy Taylor - Jazz Pianist and Educator: 88 Years...88 Keys...88 Videos. The videos are neatly embedded in that page, saving you lots of clicking to YouTube. These could be nice background tracks for a rainy day in the cubicle, since they autoplay once you kick off one of them.

Today is Billy Taylor's 88th birthday. Billy -- the artistic director for jazz at the Kennedy Center -- will be playing tonight at William Paterson University in New Jersey with his trio, which includes Chip Jackson on bass and Winard Harper on drums, while San Diego radio station KSDS plays an interview with him (you can listen online at 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. EDT).

From his bio at Paterson,

Honored at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center for his musical contributions, Dr. Taylor is a performer, composer, educator, author and broadcast media personality. He has played and recorded with many legendary performers, and earned a doctorate from the University of Massachusetts in addition to his 16 honorary degrees. Taylor is known for his work on "CBS Sunday Morning" and National Public Radio, including hosting "Billy Taylor's Jazz from the Kennedy Center."

Wikipedia offers much more on him.

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