Dr. Billy Taylor, yang hari ini berulang tahun ke delapan puluh delapan akan merayakan hari jadinya dengan memposting 88 vide lewat websitenya (http://www.billytaylorjazz.com), dan menggelar sebuah konser di William Patterson University d Wayne, New Jersey.
Dr. Taylor yang menjadi Artist-in-Residence pada William Paterson University’s Summer Jazz Week, akan tampil bersama Trionya yang terdiri dari Chip Jackson pada bass, dan Winard Harper pada drums.
Dalam enam tahun terakhir Billy telah bekerjasama secara intens dengan web Jazz video maven Bret Primack untuk mendigitalisasi semua arsip video miliknya. Bret kemudian memposting video-video ini kechannel Jazz Video Guy di YouTube selain tentu saja di situs milik Billy. Kini video-video itu – berjumlah delapan puluh delapan – yang terdiri dari berbagai dokumentasi sepanjang karirnya dapat anda nikmati.
Beberapa highlight dari video tersebut antara lain:
- Duke Ellington, Willie “The Lion” Smith and Billy performing on the David Frost Show in 1969
- Billy as Jelly Roll Morton, from the early 50s CBS Show, “See It Now”
- Excerpts from the groundbreaking 1958 TV program, “The Subject is Jazz,” featuring Ben Webster, Cannonball Adderley, Lee Konitz, Tony Scott , Bill Evans and George Russell
- Billy and Max Roach performing a tribute to Duke Ellington
- Two renditions of his most famous composition “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free”
- Piano Duos featuring Billy with John Lewis, Tommy Flanagan, Monty Alexander, Dick Hyman and Ramsey Lewis
- A thirty minute documentary, “Billy Tayor, American Hero,” produced by Bret Primack in 2006
- Mini-documentaries produced by Bret Primack, including “Billy Taylor Meets Charles Mingus,” “Billy Taylor Meets Art Tatum,” and “Billy Taylor Meets Ben Webster”
- A series of educational videos, “What is Jazz,” where Billy and Trio demonstrate the vital components of Jazz, including improvisation, rhythm and chord progressions
- Many Trio performances featuring Billy’s compositions, including “You Tempt Me,” “His Name Was Martin,” “CAG,” “I’m A Lover,” “Invention,” and “One for the Woofer”
