Scott Taylor (4)

Saxophonist, flute player, clarinet player Born in Baltimore in 1957, Scott has performed with P-Funk since the summer of ‘97 Smokin’ Grooves Tour. He has also played with the New Century Platters and the Four Tops and many more… He died on Jan. 28, 2013. Taylor was born to Queen Esther Taylor and Robert Alexander, Sr., in Baltimore on Oct. 2, 1957. At age 9, teachers at Winston Elementary School introduced him to the clarinet and he became a gifted player but he didn’t stop there. He later mastered the flute, clarinet, soprano, oboe, alto, baritone saxophone, piccolo, and bassoon. Taylor was also a song writer and composer. He could listen to a selection and write music for each instrument in the band. He attended Fredrick Douglas High School, where he made a name for himself. After graduating in 1975, he began to etch out his own space in the Baltimore music scene by performing with bands such as the Gay Street One Band and Hot Flesh. By age 19, he was teaching at Baltimore’s internationally-renowned Peabody Institute, and high schools such as Edmondson High and his alma mater. Taylor earned a degree from St. Mary’s College of Maryland in 1979, where he honed his skills in the Jazz Ensemble, led by Dr. Bob Levy. After graduating, he went on the road with groups such as Egypt, the Four Tops and the New Century Platters. In 1997, he joined the P-Funk All-Stars, playing the saxophone, clarinet and flute. Though he traveled the world, Taylor never lost touch with the local music scene. In 2010, he created his own band, Scott Taylor TNT, while also hitting local stages with funk bands like Let the Monkey Go. “He taught us everything we know from P-Funk and he made it so we could play on the big stage,” said Rufus Roundtree, who first began playing with Taylor five years ago. “I was never a soloist until Scott made me,” said trumpet player Ronald Roland. “In 20 or 30 years, I know everyone will be talking about his power, but I hope they will also be talking about how much of an educator he was. Everybody that played with Scottie walked away with something better.”