In honor of the posthumous release of Fred Taylor’s memoir, What, and Give Up Showbiz?, the Fred Taylor Scholarship Fund will host a special documentary-style memorial event online this coming Monday, December 7. The fund was designed to help Berklee College of Music students who are studying Music Business or Professional Music and in need of financial assistance. During his lifetime, Taylor, a Boston music promoter, was devoted to nurturing artists and helped bring up such talent as Norah Jones, Eva Cassidy, Esperanza Spalding, and Grace Kelly.
Kelly, a Berklee alumna, will produce and host the virtual tribute event, which will take place on YouTube and Facebook on December 7 at 8 p.m ET. Diana Krall, Esperanza Spalding, Kurt Elling, Danilo Pérez, Terri Lyne Carrington, Grace Kelly, Catherine Russell, Kat Edmonson, John Patitucci, Jason Palmer, James Montgomery, and Bo Winkler will all perform to celebrate Taylor’s life and legacy and to raise funds for the scholarship. The event will also feature special appearances by Pat Metheny, Roger Brown, Harry Connick Jr., Robin Young, and others.
A true jazz impresario, Taylor ran and booked several venues in the Boston area, including the Jazz Workshop, Paul’s Mall, and Scullers. In addition, he produced numerous concerts at theaters and other venues, including Bob Dylan at Symphony Hall in 1964 and Miles Davis’ comeback concert at Kixx in 1981. His memoir was completed just weeks prior to his passing in October 2019, a culmination of over six decades of experience in the music business. The book, due to be released on December 7, can be pre-ordered here.
For more information about the event or scholarship fund, visit fredtaylorscholarshipfund.org.
