Jason Malletman Taylor

By DANIELLE Y. HATCHETT

Jason Taylor has rubbed shoulders with Lionel Hampton, Branford Marsalis and Bill Cosby, and now he hopes some of their success will rub off. Taylor is a vibraphonist from Hillside who is out to make his mark on the jazz scene. He has termed his music "vibrafunk," describing it as "the sound of a vibraphone smacked together with the thumping of a bass guitar."

`I want my music to touch People’s souls. When they leave one of my shows, I want them to realize that there is a lot of great Talent out there to be recognized. - Jason Taylor, Musician

Taylor, who has been in the music business for 18 years, was first introduced to it at the age of 13 by his mother. "The drums. Were my first instrument. My mother wanted me to learn how to play them and get into music to keep me off of the streets." Fate took a twist in Taylor's life one night while he was listening to WRVR, a New York jazz station. It featured a vibraphone marathon with the famed Lionel Hampton. Taylor immediately decided that the vibraphone was the instrument he would "fall in love with."
Taylor then took some college courses as music

Major at the Berkeley College of Music in Boston where he became friends with Branford Marsalis. Marsalis gave him the nickname "Malletman." He later became a protégé of Hampton, traveling with and studying under him for three years. Taylor remembers that while playing with Hampton, he was "frequently surrounded by celebrities. Ninety two percent of the shows I did with Hampton had notable people in the audience."

In France, at a show he was doing with Hampton in Nice, Taylor finally realized it was time to strike out on his own. It was a famous celebrity and his wife who gave Taylor this advice. "Bill Cosby and his wife were backstage when I finished," Taylor recalled. "I told them what my problem was and Cosby told me to 'spread my wings and fly."' From the Apollo Theater in Harlem to playing regularly for Newark Mayor Sharpe James, Taylor is making a: name for himself. He has a four member band that has been with him for four months. Darryl Covington and Larry Ransome are his drummers, with Misha Piatigorsky on keys Board and Bill Grant on bass guitar.

"We work together very well. They enjoy being able to do what they want, as long as it is within my structure," Taylor; said. They have performed at such nightclubs as the Peppermint Lounge and Top Brass.

Taylor's next performance is tomorrow, sponsored ht the Newark Jazz Festival in conjunction with Pathmark Supermarkets. It's being held at Pathmark on Bergen and Orange streets in Newark, from 6 to 8 p.m. "Jason is well known in the metropolitan area. We full anticipate him signing with a major recording studio and touring all over the world," said Monte Ehrenkranz, his manager of two years. Although Ehrenkranz admits that he is not a big jazz an, he enjoys Taylor's music because he "incorporates a lot of different music into his own special type of jazz." Joe Robertazzi, vice president of Triple A Airfreight Co., where Taylor works in accounting, supports Taylor's music career. "We understand where Jason's passion is. We don't want to hold him back. All of us in the office go to all of his shows."

Taylor released one album in 1990 and has a record company, Mallet Records, with his brother in law partner, Richard Albert. "I want my music to touch people's souls. When they leave one of my shows, I want them to realize that there is a lot of great talent out there to be recognized. It's not all about rapping and singing," said the former singer. "There's so much more in the world of music."
- Star Ledger, Friday July 15, 1994

By DANIELLE Y. HATCHETT

Jason Taylor has rubbed shoulders with Lionel Hampton, Branford Marsalis and Bill Cosby, and now he hopes some of their success will rub off. Taylor is a vibraphonist from Hillside who is out to make his mark on the jazz scene. He has termed his music "vibrafunk," describing it as "the sound of a vibraphone smacked together with the thumping of a bass guitar."

`I want my music to touch People’s souls. When they leave one of my shows, I want them to realize that there is a lot of great Talent out there to be recognized. - Jason Taylor, Musician

Taylor, who has been in the music business for 18 years, was first introduced to it at the age of 13 by his mother. "The drums. Were my first instrument. My mother wanted me to learn how to play them and get into music to keep me off of the streets." Fate took a twist in Taylor's life one night while he was listening to WRVR, a New York jazz station. It featured a vibraphone marathon with the famed Lionel Hampton. Taylor immediately decided that the vibraphone was the instrument he would "fall in love with."
Taylor then took some college courses as music

Major at the Berkeley College of Music in Boston where he became friends with Branford Marsalis. Marsalis gave him the nickname "Malletman." He later became a protégé of Hampton, traveling with and studying under him for three years. Taylor remembers that while playing with Hampton, he was "frequently surrounded by celebrities. Ninety two percent of the shows I did with Hampton had notable people in the audience."

In France, at a show he was doing with Hampton in Nice, Taylor finally realized it was time to strike out on his own. It was a famous celebrity and his wife who gave Taylor this advice. "Bill Cosby and his wife were backstage when I finished," Taylor recalled. "I told them what my problem was and Cosby told me to 'spread my wings and fly."' From the Apollo Theater in Harlem to playing regularly for Newark Mayor Sharpe James, Taylor is making a: name for himself. He has a four member band that has been with him for four months. Darryl Covington and Larry Ransome are his drummers, with Misha Piatigorsky on keys Board and Bill Grant on bass guitar.

"We work together very well. They enjoy being able to do what they want, as long as it is within my structure," Taylor; said. They have performed at such nightclubs as the Peppermint Lounge and Top Brass.

Taylor's next performance is tomorrow, sponsored ht the Newark Jazz Festival in conjunction with Pathmark Supermarkets. It's being held at Pathmark on Bergen and Orange streets in Newark, from 6 to 8 p.m. "Jason is well known in the metropolitan area. We full anticipate him signing with a major recording studio and touring all over the world," said Monte Ehrenkranz, his manager of two years. Although Ehrenkranz admits that he is not a big jazz an, he enjoys Taylor's music because he "incorporates a lot of different music into his own special type of jazz." Joe Robertazzi, vice president of Triple A Airfreight Co., where Taylor works in accounting, supports Taylor's music career. "We understand where Jason's passion is. We don't want to hold him back. All of us in the office go to all of his shows."

Taylor released one album in 1990 and has a record company, Mallet Records, with his brother in law partner, Richard Albert. "I want my music to touch people's souls. When they leave one of my shows, I want them to realize that there is a lot of great talent out there to be recognized. It's not all about rapping and singing," said the former singer. "There's so much more in the world of music."
- Star Ledger, Friday July 15, 1994

BY George Kanzler

This weekend, Jason "Malletman" Taylor, the. Man for whom the place is named, twill be performing at' wt's Place; Newark's latest downtown nigh;
"The mission of" Place is to Keep real music alive fields of Jazz and old school R&B;' Taylor Sails. "Real music that gives real Instrumentalists; a chance to show
What they've got. The DJs have done their thing. The hip hoppers have done their thing. Now. We need to bring back what's real music."

By day, Mallet's Place is the lobby of 10 Park Place (Sarah Vaughan Way), the old Fireman's Insurance Co. office building next door to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. On weekend nights it is transformed into a spacious nightclub with a two story ceiling and table and bar seating for nearly 200.

"I like to call it a cabaret, since 'club' in Newark suggests DJs and dancing, and we don't have either," Taylor Says. Mallet's Place boasts a large stage, an impressive Yamaha sound system (Yamaha is a corporate sponsor) and a state of the art computerized lighting system. The club has arranged for free parking for patrons at an attended lot a block and half away on Fulton Street (see the doorman for details). The venue is backed by Taylor's major partner in the venture, Newark real estate mogul Miles Berger, who owns the building.

Taylor, 39, has been a New Jersey resident (he currently lives in Pompton Lakes) since the mid1980's when he left the employ of jazz vibraphonist Lionel Hampton. He worked as Hampton's valet, became his protégé and played in Hamp's big band for three years in the early 1980s.

"Hump was my heart," says Taylor of his tame with the jazz legend, who is now 93 and in poor health. "His energy and swing will always be an inspiration for me."
Taylor hopes to be able to showcase other jazz Malletman musicians who play the xylophone family of instruments including vibraharp, vibraphone and marimba at the club.

"All the other jazz instruments have had their turns. There's a Trumpets in Montclair. Now we have a Mallet's Place in Newark I want to bring in other mallet players too, especially New Jerseyans like Stefon Harris, who lives in Newark and was just nominated for a Grammy, and New Brunswick's Steve Nelson."

Taylor's Malletman Band, which is playing this weekend, brings the high energy and showmanship of old school R&B together with swinging jazz improvisation. The band includes a saxophonist, James Kelly, and a singer, Calvin Rock, who also plays keyboards. Also on keyboards is Tom Webber, the bassist is Baba Karade, and guitarist Mike Daniels is the band's musical director.

"I also have two drummers, Keith Hollis and David Jorge, who I like a lot. Sometimes I use both of them and boy .does the band swing," Taylor says.
Next weekend, Mallet's Place will feature two R&B vocal groups, BJ and, 40. Plus and the Silver Stars.
- Star Ledger, Friday, January 11, 2002

BY George Kanzler

This weekend, Jason "Malletman" Taylor, the. Man for whom the place is named, twill be performing at' wt's Place; Newark's latest downtown nigh;
"The mission of" Place is to Keep real music alive fields of Jazz and old school R&B;' Taylor Sails. "Real music that gives real Instrumentalists; a chance to show
What they've got. The DJs have done their thing. The hip hoppers have done their thing. Now. We need to bring back what's real music."

By day, Mallet's Place is the lobby of 10 Park Place (Sarah Vaughan Way), the old Fireman's Insurance Co. office building next door to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. On weekend nights it is transformed into a spacious nightclub with a two story ceiling and table and bar seating for nearly 200.

"I like to call it a cabaret, since 'club' in Newark suggests DJs and dancing, and we don't have either," Taylor Says. Mallet's Place boasts a large stage, an impressive Yamaha sound system (Yamaha is a corporate sponsor) and a state of the art computerized lighting system. The club has arranged for free parking for patrons at an attended lot a block and half away on Fulton Street (see the doorman for details). The venue is backed by Taylor's major partner in the venture, Newark real estate mogul Miles Berger, who owns the building.

Taylor, 39, has been a New Jersey resident (he currently lives in Pompton Lakes) since the mid1980's when he left the employ of jazz vibraphonist Lionel Hampton. He worked as Hampton's valet, became his protégé and played in Hamp's big band for three years in the early 1980s.

"Hump was my heart," says Taylor of his tame with the jazz legend, who is now 93 and in poor health. "His energy and swing will always be an inspiration for me."
Taylor hopes to be able to showcase other jazz Malletman musicians who play the xylophone family of instruments including vibraharp, vibraphone and marimba at the club.

"All the other jazz instruments have had their turns. There's a Trumpets in Montclair. Now we have a Mallet's Place in Newark I want to bring in other mallet players too, especially New Jerseyans like Stefon Harris, who lives in Newark and was just nominated for a Grammy, and New Brunswick's Steve Nelson."

Taylor's Malletman Band, which is playing this weekend, brings the high energy and showmanship of old school R&B together with swinging jazz improvisation. The band includes a saxophonist, James Kelly, and a singer, Calvin Rock, who also plays keyboards. Also on keyboards is Tom Webber, the bassist is Baba Karade, and guitarist Mike Daniels is the band's musical director.

"I also have two drummers, Keith Hollis and David Jorge, who I like a lot. Sometimes I use both of them and boy .does the band swing," Taylor says.
Next weekend, Mallet's Place will feature two R&B vocal groups, BJ and, 40. Plus and the Silver Stars.
- Star Ledger, Friday, January 11, 2002