Samuel Lawrence Taylor (June 26, 1942 – August 19, 2019) was an American bass guitarist, best known for his work as a member of the

blues rock Blues rock is a fusion music genre, genre and form of rock music, rock and blues music that relies on the chords/scales and instrumental improvisation of blues. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electri ...

band

Canned Heat Canned Heat is an American blues rock band that was formed in Los Angeles in 1965. The group has been noted for its efforts to promote interest in blues music and its original artists. It was launched by two blues enthusiasts, Alan Wilson and ...

. Before joining Canned Heat, he had been a session bassist for

The Monkees The Monkees were an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. The band consisted of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones (musician), Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork. Spurred by the success of ''The Monkees (TV series), Th ...

and

Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American pianist, singer, and songwriter. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock 'n' roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis m ...

. He was the younger brother of

Mel Taylor Mel Taylor (September 24, 1933 – August 11, 1996) was an American musician who was the drummer for the Ventures from 1962 to 1996. He was born in Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York, and was the older brother of Canned Heat bassist Larry Taylor. ...

, longtime drummer of

The Ventures The Ventures are an American instrumental rock band formed in Tacoma, Washington, in 1958, by Don Wilson (musician), Don Wilson and Bob Bogle. The band, which was a quartet for most of its existence, helped to popularize the electric guitar acro ...

Early life

Taylor was born in New York City. His mother was Jewish and his father was a "

WASP A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder ...

" from

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

. Taylor was the younger brother to

(1933-1996), drummer for

. As a kid, Taylor's family moved back and forth from

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

and Tennessee. They also lived in Texas and California. While living in California, Taylor was sent by his mother back to Tennessee to join a mandatory

Reserve Officers' Training Corps The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC; or ) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. While ROTC graduate officers serve in all branches o ...

to punish him and teach him discipline as he was an "incorrigilbe" child. In an interview, Taylor said he only went to school for a year before dropping out: His first exposure to music was through brother Mel, who was a bluegrass guitarist at the time as opposed to the surf rock drummer he was known for. Like his brother, Larry originally played guitar. He switched to bass guitar after seeing local California musician Wesley Reynolds at the Sea Witch club. Taylor would later run away from home with Reynolds, and drove in his car to

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

Career

1950s

Taylor played bass guitar in The Gamblers, one of the first rock groups to play instrumental surf music. Its personnel also included

Elliot Ingber Elliot Ingber (August 24, 1941 – January 21, 2025) was an American guitarist, best known as a member of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention (1965-66), founder of the Fraternity of Man (1968-69), and then a member of Captain Beefheart's Magic Ba ...

, a future member of

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American guitarist, composer, and bandleader. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestra ...

Mothers of Invention The Mothers of Invention (also known as the Mothers) were an American rock band from California. Formed in 1964, their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Originally an R&B band ...

Fraternity of Man The Fraternity of Man were an American blues rock and psychedelic rock group from the 1960s. They are most famous for their song "Don't Bogart Me" (a.k.a. "Don't Bogart That Joint"), which was released on LP in 1968, and subsequently used in th ...

and

Captain Beefheart Don Van Vliet (; born 'Don Glen Vliet'; January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. Conducting a rotating ensemble known as the M ...

The Magic Band The Magic Band was the backing band of American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Captain Beefheart between 1967 and 1982. The band was formed by guitarist Alex St. Clair with Beefheart as the lead singer; eventually, they morphed into ...

;

Bruce Johnston Bruce Johnston (born Benjamin Baldwin; June 27, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter and musician who is a member of the Beach Boys. He also collaborated on many records with Terry Melcher (his bandmate in Bruce & Terry, the Rip Chords, and ...

, half of the Bruce and Terry duo with

Terry Melcher Terrence Paul Melcher (; February 8, 1942 – November 19, 2004) was an American record producer, singer, and songwriter who was instrumental in shaping the mid-to-late 1960s California Sound and folk rock movements. His best-known contribution ...

from 1962–66 and longtime "sixth" member of

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their f ...

, for a time brother Mel Taylor, and guitarist-songwriter-bandleader Derry Weaver, who would record and perform in several capacities during the early 1960s. The Gamblers had a local hit in the Los Angeles area with "Moon Dawg" and Taylor played on the recording.

1960s

Taylor played bass for

in 1961: Taylor played bass on the majority of the albums, produced by

including; ''The Monkees'' (1966), ''

More of the Monkees ''More of the Monkees'' is the second studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released in 1967 on Colgems Records. It was recorded in late 1966 and displaced the band's debut album from the top of the ''Billboard'' Top LPs chart ...

'' (1967), '' The Monkees Present'' (1969), ''Instant Replay'' (1969), and

Changes Changes may refer to: Books * '' Changes: A Love Story'', 1991 novel by Ama Ata Aidoo * ''Changes'' (The Dresden Files) (2010), the 12th novel in Jim Butcher's ''The Dresden Files'' Series * ''Changes'', a 1983 novel by Danielle Steel * ''Chan ...

(1970). He would play bass on their hit

Last Train to Clarksville "Last Train to Clarksville" is a song by American rock band the Monkees. It was released as the band's debut single on August 16, 1966, and was later included on the group's self-titled album, which was released on October 10, 1966.''The Monkees ...

. Taylor was asked to join

in 1967 after receiving a phone call from member Henry Vestine to join on bass. Taylor played with Canned Heat from 1967 to 1970, and appeared with them at various festivals including the

Monterey International Pop Festival The Monterey International Pop Festival was a three-day music festival held June 16-18, 1967, at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, California. The festival is remembered for the first major American appearances by the Jimi Hendrix E ...

and

Woodstock The Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held from August 15 to 18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. Billed as "a ...

. The bands manager, Skip Taylor, gave each member of the band a nickname connected to an animal. His band nickname was "The Mole." In addition to playing bass, he also played

lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...

on occasion. An example can be heard on the track "Down in the Gutter, But Free", on the album ''

Hallelujah ''Hallelujah'' (; , Modern ) is an interjection from the Hebrew language, used as an expression of gratitude to God. The term is used 24 times in the Tanakh (in the book of Psalms), twice in deuterocanonical books, and four times in the Christ ...

''.

1970s

In 1970, when

John Mayall John Brumwell Mayall (29 November 1933 – 22 July 2024) was an English blues and Rock music, rock musician, songwriter and producer. In the 1960s, he formed John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, a band that has counted among its members some of ...

moved to Los Angeles, Taylor and Mandel quit Canned Heat to join him in the Bluesbreakers. Taylor served the longest tenure as a member of the Bluesbreakers in the 1970s (1970–1977). After the Bluesbreakers tours in 1977, Taylor played briefly with the Sugarcane Harris Band (later called

Pure Food and Drug Act The s:Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, also known as the Wiley Act and Harvey Washington Wiley, Dr. Wiley's Law, was the first of a series of significant consumer protection laws enacted by the United States Con ...

In 1972, Larry joined his brother Mel's band to play on the Ventures album ''Rock and Roll Forever''. Canned Heat member Harvey "The Snake" Mandel also played on the album. In 1974, Taylor became part of The Hollywood Fats Band led by Mike "

Hollywood Fats Michael Leonard Mann (March 17, 1954 – December 8, 1986),Liner notes from Al Blake's album ''Dr. Blakes Magic Soul Elixir'' by Eric LeBlanc known as Hollywood Fats, was an American blues guitarist, active in Los Angeles, California. Biogra ...

" Mann. The pair joined Canned Heat for a

King Biscuit Flower Hour The ''King Biscuit Flower Hour'' was an American syndicated radio show presented by the D.I.R. Radio Network that featured concert performances by various rock music recording artists. History The program was broadcast on Sunday nights from 1 ...

concert in 1979. The bands history started around 1973/1974 when Hollywood Fats met Al Blake, Fred Kaplan, Jerry Smith and

George "Harmonica" Smith George "Harmonica" Smith (born Allen George Smith, April 22, 1924 – October 2, 1983) was an American electric blues harmonica player. Apart from his solo recordings, Smith is best known for his work backing both Muddy Waters and Big Mama Thornt ...

, who were the touring members for

Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913April 30, 1983), better known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer-songwriter and musician who was an important figure in the post-World War II blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of moder ...

at the time. Fats was invited to be Water's

sideman A sideman is a professional musician who is hired to perform live with a solo artist, or with a group in which they are not a regular band member. The term is usually used to describe musicians that play with jazz or rock artists, whether solo o ...

. Fats soon invited Taylor to replace Smith, and the band started touring as "The Hollywood Fats band". It was the first professional band Taylor played upright bass in. Taylor and Fats also returned to Canned Heat for two years (1978-1980). The Hollywood Fats band ended when Fats died tragically of a heart attack in 1986, aged 32. When he left John Mayall in 1977, Taylor started studying playing upright bass. Taylor became a leading exponent and practitioner of the acoustic

upright bass The double bass (), also known as the upright bass, the acoustic bass, the bull fiddle, or simply the bass, is the largest and lowest-pitched string instrument, chordophone in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding rare additions ...

in the

contemporary blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrati ...

scene. He was quite prominently seen with his upright bass in the live blues film, ''Lightning in a Bottle''. He started playing upright bass with

Rod Piazza Rod Piazza (born December 18, 1947, Riverside, California) is an American blues harmonica player and singer. He has been playing with his band The Mighty Flyers, which he formed with his pianist wife Honey Piazza, since 1980. Their boogie sound ...

, eventually cutting ties with him when Honey Piazza started getting involved as he thought that "she couldn't play" and "she was horrible".

1980s–2010s

Taylor returned to Canned Heat again for five years in 1987. Taylor recorded ''Reheated'' in 1988, again with Canned Heat. He also briefly toured with them again from 1996 to 1997. In 2002, the surviving members of the Hollywood Fats band reformed. Not wanting to be a

ghost band A ghost band is a legacy band that performs under the name of a deceased leader. In rock and roll, it is a band that performs under the name of the band whose founders are either deceased or have left the band. Use of the phrase may refer to a ...

, they changed the name to "Hollywood Blue Flames". In 2010, Taylor and Harvey "The Snake" Mandel reunited with Adolfo "Fito" de la Parra and the rest of the current Canned Heat line-up to perform certain shows. Taylor, Mandel and de la Parra were all in the line-up that played

. The three members of Canned Heat's Woodstock line-up toured extensively from 2010 to 2014. He was featured in a concert DVD released in winter 2013, from the album ''Time Brings About A Change'' by

Floyd Dixon Floyd Dixon (February 8, 1929 – July 26, 2006) was an American rhythm-and-blues pianist and singer. Life and career Dixon was born in Marshall, Texas. Some sources give his birth name as Jay Riggins Jr., although Dixon himself stated that F ...

. This concert features three elder piano players – Dixon,

Pinetop Perkins Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins (July 7, 1913 – March 21, 2011) was an American blues pianist. He played with some of the most influential blues and rock-and-roll performers of his time and received numerous honors, including a Grammy Lifet ...

and

Henry Gray Henry Gray (1827 – 13 June 1861) was a British anatomist and surgery, surgeon most notable for publishing the book ''Gray's Anatomy''. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) at the age of 25. Biography Gray was born ...

— and was filmed at the Rhythm Room in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...

on 1 and 2 June 2006. Taylor played on numerous

Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on society's underworld and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He began in the American folk music, fo ...

albums and was the bass player in his touring band. He appeared with Waits on

Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the second installment of the ''Late Night (franchise), Late Night'' franchise originally established by David Letterman. Hosted by Conan O'Brie ...

The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has been broadcast on NBC since 1954. The program has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2 ...

Late Show with David Letterman ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production com ...

(in 2012) and a show hosted by

Jon Stewart Jon Stewart (born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz, November 28, 1962) is an American comedian, writer, producer, director, political commentator, actor, and television host. The long-running host of ''The Daily Show'' on Comedy Central from 1999 to 20 ...

. He played on ten of Waits' studio albums released between 1980 and 2011. In 2014, Taylor was nominated for a

Blues Music Award The Blues Music Awards, formerly known as the W. C. Handy Awards (or "The Handys"), are awards presented by the Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization set up to foster blues heritage. The awards were originally named in honor of W. C. Handy, " ...

in the 'Best Instrumentalist – Bass' category.

Death

Larry Taylor died at his home in

Lake Balboa, Los Angeles Lake Balboa is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. The area was previously part of Van Nuys.The Monkees The Monkees were an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. The band consisted of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones (musician), Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork. Spurred by the success of ''The Monkees (TV series), Th ...

* ''

'' (1966) * ''

'' (1967) * ''

Instant Replay Instant replay or action replay is a video reproduction of something that recently occurred, both shot and broadcast live TV, live. After being shown live, the video is replayed so viewers can see it again and analyze what just happened. Spo ...

'' (1969) * '' The Monkees Present'' (1969) * ''

'' (1970) * ''Listen to the Band'' (1991) * ''Greatest Hits'' (1995) * ''Missing Links, Vol. 3'' (1996) * ''Anthology'' (1998) * ''Music Box'' (2001) With

(See full discography at Canned Heat discography) With

* ''Empty Rooms'' (1969) * ''USA Union'' (1970) * '' Back to the Roots'' (1971) * ''Memories'' (1971) * '' Jazz Blues Fusion'' (1972) * ''Moving On'' (1973) * ''Latest Edition'' (1974) * ''New Year, New Band, New Company'' (1975) * ''Notice to Appear'' (1975) * ''Banquet in Blues'' (1976) * ''Lots of People'' (1977) * ''Archives to Eighties'' (1988) * ''Rock the Blues Tonight'' (1999) With Harvey Mandel * ''Games Guitars Play'' (1970) * ''Baby Batter'' (1971) * ''Electronic Progress'' (1971) * ''Snake'' (1972) * ''Mercury Years'' (1995) With

* ''

Heartattack and Vine ''Heartattack and Vine'' is the seventh studio album by Tom Waits, released on September 9, 1980, and his final album to be released on the Asylum label. "On the Nickel" was recorded for the Ralph Waite film of the same name. It was used as th ...

'' (1980) * ''

Swordfishtrombones ''Swordfishtrombones'' is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Tom Waits, released in 1983 on Island Records. It was the first album that Waits self-produced. Stylistically different from his previous albums, ''Swordfishtrombones ...

'' (1983) * ''

Rain Dogs ''Rain Dogs'' is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Tom Waits, released in September 1985 on Island Records. A loose concept album about "the urban dispossessed" of New York City, ''Rain Dogs'' is generally considered the middl ...

'' (1985) * ''

Franks Wild Years ''Franks Wild Years'' is the tenth studio album by Tom Waits, released 1987 on Island Records. It is the third in a loose trilogy that began with ''Swordfishtrombones''. Subtitled "Un Operachi Romantico in Two Acts", the album contains songs wr ...

'' (1987) * ''

Bone Machine ''Bone Machine'' is the eleventh studio album by American singer and musician Tom Waits, released by Island Records on September 8, 1992. It won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album and features guest appearances by David Hidalgo, Les ...

'' (1992) * ''

Mule Variations ''Mule Variations'' is the thirteenth studio album by American musician Tom Waits, released on April 16, 1999, on the ANTI- label. It was Waits' first studio album in six years, following ''The Black Rider'' (1993). The album was backed by an ex ...

'' (1999) Gold Record Award * ''

Alice Alice may refer to: * Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Literature * Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll * ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...

'' (2002) * ''

Blood Money Blood money may refer to: * Blood money (restitution), money paid to the family of a murder victim * A stream of revenue used by boarding masters for placing many seaman on ships * Money obtained from crime, especially at the cost of another's lif ...

'' (2002) * '' Real Gone'' (2004) * '' Bad as Me'' (2011) With others * ''Test Patterns'' ( Boyce & Hart, 1967) * ''Slim's Got His Thing Goin' On ( Sunnyland Slim, 1969) * ''Fiddler on the Rock'' (

Don "Sugarcane" Harris Don Francis Bowman "Sugarcane" Harris (June 18, 1938 – November 30, 1999) was an American blues and rock and roll violinist and guitarist. He is considered a pioneer in the amplification of the violin. Career Harris was born and raised in Pas ...

, 1971) * ''Lost Session'' (

Albert King Albert King ( Nelson; April 25, 1923 – December 21, 1992), was an American guitarist and singer who is often regarded as one of the greatest and most influential blues guitarists of all time. He is perhaps best known for his popular and ...

, 1971) * ''Mudlark'' (

Leo Kottke Leo Kottke (born September 11, 1945) is an American acoustic guitarist. He is known for a fingerpicking style that draws on blues, jazz, and folk music, and for syncopated, polyphonic melodies. He has overcome a series of personal obstacles, i ...

, 1971) * ''Rock And Roll Forever'' (

, 1972) * ''The Devil's Harmonica'' (Shakey Jake Harris, 1972) * ''Cup Full of Dreams'' (Don "Sugarcane" Harris, 1974) * ''Summit Meeting'' (Free Creek, 1976) * ''I'm a Southern Man'' (Louis Myers, 1978) * ''Hollywood Fats Band'' (Mike „Hollywood Fats“ Mann, 1979) * ''Rock This House'' (Mike „Hollywood Fats“ Mann, 1979) * ''Anthology Previously Unreleased Material'' (The Grandmothers, 1980) * ''Rock Therapy'' (Colin Winski, 1980) * ''The Other Side of Town'' ( Chuck E. Weiss, 1981) * ''Hard Line'' (

The Blasters The Blasters are an American rock music, rock band formed in 1979 in Downey, California, by brothers Phil Alvin (vocals and guitar) and Dave Alvin (guitar), with bass guitarist John Bazz and drummer Bill Bateman (drummer), Bill Bateman. Their s ...

, 1985) * ''Harpburn'' (Rod Piazza, 1986) * ''Best'' (Leo Kottke, 1987) * ''Kristen Vigard'' ( Kristen Vigard, 1988) * '' The Healer'' (

John Lee Hooker John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1912 or 1917 – June 21, 2001) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. The son of a sharecropper, he rose to prominence performing an electric guitar-style adaptation of Delta blues that he develo ...

, 1989) * ''Keith Levene's Violent Opposition'' (

Keith Levene Julian Keith Levene (18 July 1957 – 11 November 2022) was an English musician who was a founding member of both the Clash and Public Image Ltd (PiL). While Levene was in PiL, their 1978 debut album '' Public Image: First Issue'' reached No. 2 ...

, 1989) * '' Mr. Lucky'' (John Lee Hooker, 1991) * ''Got Love If You Want It'' (

John P. Hammond John Paul Hammond (born November 13, 1942) is an American singer and musician. He is the son of record producer John H. Hammond, and is sometimes referred to as John Hammond Jr. in order to distinguish the two. Early life and education Hamm ...

, 1992) * ''Trespass'' (

Ry Cooder Ryland Peter Cooder (born March 15, 1947) is an American musician, songwriter, film score composer, record producer, and writer. He is a multi-instrumentalist but is best known for his slide guitar work, his interest in traditional music, and h ...

, 1992) * ''In My Time'' (

Charlie Musselwhite Charles Douglas Musselwhite (born January 31, 1944) is an American blues harmonica player and bandleader who came to prominence, along with Mike Bloomfield, Paul Butterfield, and Elvin Bishop, as a pivotal figure in helping to revive the Chicago ...

, 1992) * ''Mother of an Anthology'' (The Grandmothers, 1993) * ''That's Life'' (

Kim Wilson Kim Wilson (born January 6, 1951) is an American blues singer and harmonica player. He is best known as the lead vocalist and frontman for The Fabulous Thunderbirds on two hit songs of the 1980s, " Tuff Enuff" (which was the group's only Top ...

, 1994) * ''My New Orleans Soul'' (

Ronnie Barron Ronnie Barron (born Ronald Raymond Barrosse, October 9, 1943, in Algiers, New Orleans – March 20, 1997) was an American actor, keyboardist, organist, and blue-eyed soul singer during the 1970s. He was known for his work as a session music ...

, 1994) * ''Long Overdue'' (

Junior Watson Junior Watson is an American jump blues guitarist and singer. Career Watson is a West Coast blues guitarist. He was a founding member of the blues band The Mighty Flyers and, starting in the early 1980s, he performed with the band for a decade. ...

, 1994) * ''Trouble No More'' (John P. Hammond, 1994) * '' Martinis & Bikinis'' (

Sam Phillips Samuel Cornelius Phillips (January 5, 1923 – July 30, 2003) was an American disc jockey, songwriter and record producer. He was the founder of Sun Records and Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, where he produced recordings by Elvis Presley, R ...

, 1994) * ''Blues for Thought'' ( Terry Evans, 1994) * '' Closer to You'' (

J. J. Cale John Weldon "J. J." Cale (December 5, 1938 – July 26, 2013) was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Though he avoided the limelight, his influence as a musical artist has been acknowledged by figures such as Neil Young, Mark Knopf ...

, 1994) * ''To Love'' ( Randy Resnick, 1994) * ''Working Girl Blues'' (Phillip Walker, 1995) * ''88th Street Blues'' (Smokey Wilson, 1995) * ''Adventures at Catfish Pond'' (Bob "Catfish" Hodge, 1996) * ''Rough News'' (Charlie Musselwhite, 1997) * ''Lost in America'' (Lynwood Slim, 1997) * ''Mr. Blake's Blues'' (Al Blake, 1997) * ''My Blues'' (Kim Wilson, 1997) * ''Signifyin''' (Fred Kaplan, 1997) * ''Back to Back'' (Lynwood Slim, 1998) * ''Lookin for Trouble'' (Edward Taylor, 1998) * ''Jump Children!'' ( Finis Tasby, 1998) * ''New Depths'' (

, 1998) * ''Soul Disguise'' (

Cesar Rosas Cesar J. Rosas (born September 26, 1954) is a Mexican-American singer, songwriter and guitarist best known as a member of the rock and roll group Los Lobos. Rosas also participates in the Latin supergroup Los Super Seven. Rosas is known for hi ...

, 1999) * ''Zero Zero Zero: The Best of Sam Phillips'' (Sam Phillips, 1999) * ''Something Good for Your Head'' ( Blackburn & Snow, 1999) * ''I'm Going All the Way'' (Peggy Pruitt, 2000) * ''I Can Tell'' (Junior Valentine, 2000) * ''World Wide Wood'' (Lynwood Slim, 2000) * ''Mo' Na'Kins, Please!'' (

James Harman James Gary Harman (June 8, 1946 – May 23, 2021) was an American blues harmonica player, singer, and songwriter. The music journalist Tony Russell described Harman as an "amusing songwriter and an excellent, unfussy blues harp player". Biograp ...

, 2000) * '' The Toughest Girl Alive'' ( Candye Kane, 2000) * ''West Coast House Party'' (

Kid Ramos Kid Ramos (born January 13, 1959) is an American electric blues and blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. Ramos has released four solo albums since 1995 on Black Top and Evidence Records. He has worked with James Harman, Roomful of ...

, 2000) * ''There's a Song in There'' (Mark DuFresne, 2000) * ''Fool's Paradise'' (

Dale Hawkins Delmar Allen "Dale" Hawkins (August 22, 1936 – February 13, 2010) was a pioneer American rock singer, songwriter, and rhythm guitarist who was often called the architect of swamp rock boogie. Career Hawkins was born in Goldmine Plantat ...

, 2000) * ''Wicked Grin'' (John P. Hammond, 2001) * ''Smokin' Joint'' (Kim Wilson, 2001) * " You Can Make It If You Try" (Gene Allison, 2002) * ''Sky Like a Broken Clock'' (

Kelly Joe Phelps Kelly Joe Phelps (October 5, 1959 – May 31, 2022) was an American musician and songwriter. His music has been characterized as a mixture of delta blues and jazz.Ann Powers, ''The New York Times'', February 9, 2000. Career Kelly Joe Phelps grew ...

, 2001) * ''Beggar's Oil'' (

, 2002) * ''Harmonica Blues Orgy'' (Easy Baby, 2002) * ''Magic Soul Elixer'' (Al Blake, 2002) * '' Let It Rain'' (

Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman (born March 30, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter, widely known for her hit singles " Fast Car" (1988) and " Give Me One Reason" (1995). She was signed to Elektra Records by Bob Krasnow in 1987. The following year she rel ...

, 2002) * ''Whole Lotta Love'' (Candye Kane, 2003) * '' You've Never Seen Everything'' (

Bruce Cockburn Bruce Douglas Cockburn ( ; born May 27, 1945) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist. His song styles range from folk to folk- and jazz-influenced rock to soundscapes accompanying spoken stories. His lyrics reflect interests in spirit ...

, 2003) * ''Heart Trouble'' (

Wanda Jackson Wanda LaVonne Jackson (born October 20, 1937) is an American retired singer and songwriter. Since the 1950s, she has recorded and released music in the genres of Rock music, rock, Country music, country and Gospel music, gospel. She was among th ...

, 2003) * ''Villanelle'' (Paul Reddick, 2004) * ''Fernando Ortega'' (

Fernando Ortega Juan Fernando Ortega Work ID No. 332498534 (born March 2, 1957) is a singer-songwriter in contemporary Christian music. He is noted both for his interpretations of many traditional hymns and songs, such as " Give Me Jesus", " Be Thou My Vision ...

, 2004) * ''Think About It'' (Alex Schultz, 2004) * ''Soul Sanctuary'' (Hollywood Blue Flames, 2005) * ''Southern Jumbo'' (Colin Linden, 2005) * ''Time Brings About a Change... A Floyd Dixon Celebration'' (

, 2006) * ''Hell Under the Skullbones'' (Graham Lindsey, 2006) * ''Spooked'' (Marley's Ghost, 2006) * ''Road to Rio'' (Hollywood Blue Flames, 2006) * ''Can't Quit the Blues'' (

Buddy Guy George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He is an exponent of Chicago blues who has influenced generations of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaug ...

, 2006) * ''Shower Some Love'' (Layni Kooper, 2007) * ''Luminous'' (

Chris Murphy Christopher Scott Murphy (born August 3, 1973) is an American lawyer, author, and politician serving as the junior United States senator from the state of Connecticut since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the U ...

, 2007) * ''Big Plans'' (Mannish Boys, 2007) * ''Like a Fire'' (

Solomon Burke Solomon Vincent McDonald Burke (born James Solomon McDonald, March 21, 1940 – October 10, 2010) was an American singer who shaped the sound of rhythm and blues as one of the founding fathers of soul music in the 1960s. He has been called ...

, 2008) * ''Bluelisted'' (

JW-Jones JW-Jones (born July 15, 1980) is a Canadians, Canadian blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and band leader. He is a Juno Award nominee (2015), ''Billboard Magazine, Billboard'' magazine Top 10 Selling artist, and winner of the International Blues ...

, 2008) * ''Rusty Zinn & The Roadmasters, Featuring Kim Wilson'' (Rusty Zinn) (2008) * ''Midnight Memphis Sun'' (JW-Jones, 2010) * ''Definitive Albert King on Stax'' (Albert King, 2011) * ''New World Generation'' (New World Generation, 2011) * ''Driftin' From Town To Town'' (Barrelhouse Chuck & Kim Wilson's Blues All Stars (2013) * ''Blues And Boogie'' (Kim Wilson) (2017)

References

External links

Larry Taylor Interview
at NAMM Oral History Collection (2010) {{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Larry 1942 births 2019 deaths American blues guitarists American male guitarists American rock bass guitarists American male bass guitarists American double-bassists Jewish American musicians American male double-bassists American lead guitarists Canned Heat members John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers members 21st-century American musicians Guitarists from New York City 20th-century American guitarists 21st-century American double-bassists