"It's like Willie Nelson crashed into Prince and Tom Petty saw the whole thing," muses Jef Taylor about his unique mix of country, funk and soul. He calls it CountryFunk, and his first CD, Southern Soul, has just been released. Taylor is a charismatic mix of pedigree (Berklee College of Music), ability (multi-instrumentalist, writer-composer), and unabashed flair. On stage, there's no trace of self consciousness, just something pure and alive, and it's what makes his performances so electric. "When I'm performing, I'm the rainmaker. I throw it out to the audience and it comes rushing back tenfold. It's an agreement; they trust where I'm taking them. But that agreement is fragile, you've got to work for it every moment."

Although immersed in music from childhood, and working as a musician/singer, Taylor hesitated to do his own recording until life gave him a painful push. "My mom was very proud of my talent, but she wanted me to dig in, get my own music out there. She thought I was getting by on charm." When his mother passed suddenly in an accident, Taylor traded in his comfortable life to finally get serious about his music.

Recording Southern Soul was challenging, but the journey turned out to be exactly what Taylor needed. "It burned away anything that wasn't true. Listen, everything is hard about this dream," he says, "especially the part when you realize it's up to you alone. But you get down to what's essential. That, and a slug of Jack Daniels." Taylor already has new songs and projects in the works, but is prepared to follow wherever the music takes him.
"The only thing I'm afraid of," he pauses, "is the whiskey will run dry." But after a breath he offers it up, "For the longest time I was afraid no one would be interested. That's a lack of belief. I got over it." Now Taylor says his only fear is not living up to his own expectations. But it's a good fear, he says, it's the one that keeps you moving.

Jefrey Taylor
Singer/songwriter/pop-rock artist
602-999-8816
jefreytaylor@yahoo.com