What, and Give Up Showbiz?
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€25.99
This is the story of Fred Taylor, who since 1960 has been bringing entertainers and audiences together in Boston and New England in nightclubs, concert halls, and festival grounds. As the owner of the legendary Back Bay nightclubs Paul’s Mall and the Jazz Workshop, Taylor had a front-row seat for the greatest names in music and comedy in the 1960s and 1970s. As the entertainment director at Scullers Jazz Club for twenty-six years, he continues to present the best in contemporary music. Fred Taylor’s entertainment universe is peopled by pop superstars, jazz legends, and sparkling storytellers—a galaxy of singers, saxophonists, and stand-up comics. They’re all part of Taylor’s world, and you’ll learn about them—and the ups and downs of his utterly unpredictable career in the music business—in the pages of this book.
Fred Taylor was born in Boston and grew up in Newton, Massachusetts. He graduated from Newton High School and Boston University. While at BU, he led his own group as a drummer. Upon graduation, he entered the family business selling Serta mattresses, where he worked for nine years. However, at night Taylor was in the music world, going to all the jazz clubs in Boston. With his first tape recorder, in 1952, he recorded Dave Brubeck’s group at George Wein’s Storyville nightclub. This led to Dave Brubeck being signed with Columbia Records. Taylor’s been working for 55 years with the greatest talents in the world of jazz, pop, and comedy.
Coauthor Richard Vacca is the author of Boston Jazz Chronicles: Faces, Places and Nightlife, 1937–1962. He has worked with Fred Taylor as a coauthor and manager of Taylor’s extensive collection of art, photos, and artifacts.