: News

Filed Under:

Jazz Legend Billy Taylor Made His Mark in D.C.

By: Jessica Jordan // December 30, 2010
Play associated audio
comments
Jazz pianist and composer Billy Taylor was a presence on public radio and an advisor to the Kennedy Center.
Tom Marcello
Jazz pianist and composer Billy Taylor was a presence on public radio and an advisor to the Kennedy Center.

Jazz pianist and composer Billy Taylor died of heart failure this week at age 89.

Taylor grew up in the District, and through his storied career, left his mark on public radio and the Kennedy Center.

Taylor was born in North Carolina, but attended Dunbar High School in Washington.

He then studied music at Virginia State College, graduating in 1942.

Soon after that, he headed to New York City, where he played with top jazz musicians and eventually became a jazz teacher and advocate, traveling to high schools and colleges to talk about music.

In the 1960's, Taylor hit the radio airwaves and later hosted the popular NPR program, "Billy Taylor's Jazz at the Kennedy Center"-a series where he introduced live performances and interviewed artists.

He also served as an advisor to the Kennedy Center.

Taylor earned a doctorate in music education from the University of Massachusetts, then went on to perform hundreds of free concerts around the world.

He also penned more than 300 compositions in his lifetime, including "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free," which became an unofficial anthem of the civil rights movement.

Arts & Culture

NPR

Giant Renaissance Food People Descend Upon New York

Giuseppe Arcimboldo was a 16th-century artist who liked to play with his food, transforming it into the building blocks of many of his fantastical portraits. Artist Philip Haas has taken those portraits out of museums, reinterpreting them as colossal statues that interact with the natural environment.

Food

NPR

Giant Renaissance Food People Descend Upon New York

Giuseppe Arcimboldo was a 16th-century artist who liked to play with his food, transforming it into the building blocks of many of his fantastical portraits. Artist Philip Haas has taken those portraits out of museums, reinterpreting them as colossal statues that interact with the natural environment.

Politics

NPR

Nonconservative Groups Say IRS Scrutinized Them, Too

The IRS has admitted it flagged tax-exemption requests from groups with "tea party" or "patriot" in their names starting in 2010. But some liberal groups and journalism organizations say their applications also faced long delays during the same period.

Technology

NPR

Book News: Amazon May Be Called Before Parliament Over Taxes

Also: AARP and The Nation join a growing list of ebook publishers; Hilary Mantel on Jane Austen; Anne Applebaum on Sheryl Sandberg.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.