Ben Taylor (musician)

Ben Taylor
Taylor at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival premiere of Russian Winter
Background information
Birth name	Benjamin Simon Taylor
Born	January 22, 1977
Genres	Folk, folk rock, soft rock, pop, funk
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter, producer, engineer, drum programming, actor
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active	1995–present
Labels	Iris Records
Website	Official website

Benjamin Simon "Ben" Taylor (born January 22, 1977) is an American musician and actor. He is the son of folk rock artists James Taylor and Carly Simon.^[1]

Career

On his first released album Famous Among the Barns and his EP #1, Taylor collaborated with friends Adam MacDougall and Larry Ciancia to form "The Ben Taylor Band." Ultimately deciding that this path (which yielded music that Taylor describes as "neo-psychedelic folk funk") did not represent his true musical nature, Taylor released a follow-up solo album that is much more acoustic in nature and more in line with his family roots. That solo effort, Another Run Around the Sun, featured backing vocals by his sister and mother, with Taylor as vocalist and guitarist, Peter Calo on Guitars, Larry Ciancia as drummer, and bass guitar by Kevin Bacon who also produced the album.

Acting

Ben Taylor in concert in Mullingar, Ireland, July 2007

Taylor's most recent role was that of Cal Cooper on American Dreams (2004). He has also appeared on the UK show Always and Everyone (1999).

Taylor's cover of Macy Gray's "I Try" was used in a Honey Nut Cheerios television commercial in Canada aired late 2008, early 2009.

Taylor recently appeared as himself on the ABC Family Reality summer hit, The Vineyard (2013)

Charitable work

Taylor appears on the CD Too Many Years contributing the original track "Listen to The Music" to benefit Clear Path International's work with land mine survivors.

Personal and early life

Taylor attended high school at Tabor Academy, a college preparatory boarding school in Marion, Massachusetts.

Taylor has been training in martial arts since he was a teenager. According to the December 2008 issue of Black Belt Magazine, Taylor has trained extensively in qigong, t'ai chi ch'uan, wing chun kung fu, and recently Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Renzo Gracie.

Taylor's sister, Sally Taylor, is also a musician and they have frequently worked together.

Discography

Bye Bye, Love: Original Soundtrack Album (1995, one track by Ben Taylor)

1. "I Will" (This song also available on "CD 6" from the Huh Music Service, 1995)

Green Dragon, Name a Fox (Recorded c. 1997) (Unreleased)

1. ""
2. "Paradise"
3. "Revenge"
4. "Broken Tonight"
5. "It May Take Some Time"
6. "Lie Down My Love"
7. "Well Enough Alone"
8. "Surround Me"
9. "I'm Doing Something Bad"
10. "Losing My Resistance"
11. "I Can't Believe It"
12. "Tower For Fools (Just In Time To Fall Down)"
13. "Jamie Loves the Ocean"

Famous Among the Barns (2003)

1. "Island"
2. "Let It Grow"
3. "I Am the Sun"
4. "Day After Day"
5. "No More Running Away"
6. "Safe Enough To Wake Up"
7. "Time of the Season"
8. "Just Like Everyone Else"
9. "A Good Day To Be Alive"
10. "Mushroom Dance"
11. "Rain"
12. "Tonight"

EP #1 (2004, EP)

1. "Day After Day" (edit)
2. "Island" (acoustic with Carly Simon)
3. "I'll Be Fine" (super rough mix)
4. "Surround Me" (acoustic version)

Another Run Around the Sun (2005)

1. "Nothing I Can Do"
2. "You Must Have Fallen"
3. "Think a Man Would Know"
4. "Someday Soon"
5. "One Man Day"
6. "Always"
7. "Digest"
8. "I'll Be Fine"
9. "Surround Me"
10. "Love"
11. "More Beautiful"

Deeper Than Gravity (2006, EP)

1. "Nothing I Can Do"
2. "I Try"
3. "Digest"
4. "You Belong To Me"
5. "Lady Magic"
6. "Glory Box"

The Legend of Kung Folk [Part 1 (The Killing Bite)] 2008

1. "Wrong"
2. "She's Gone"
3. "Wicked Way"
4. "It's Only Love"
5. "Dangerous Girl"
6. "Something For Nothing"
7. "Wilderness"
8. "You're the One For Me"
9. "Space"
10. "After It's Over"

Listening (2012)

1. "Listening"
2. "Oh Brother"
3. "Not Alone"
4. "Giulia"
5. "Worlds Are Made of Paper"
6. "Vespa's Song"
7. "America"
8. "Dirty"
9. "Burning Bridges"
10. "You Could Be Mine"
11. "Next Time Around"
12. "America (Acoustic Bonus Track)"

References

1. Wilson, MacKenzie. "Biography: Ben Taylor". Allmusic. Retrieved April 26, 2010.

External links

• Official website
• Ben Taylor Band – official site
• Ben Taylor discography at Discogs
• Ben Taylor at the Internet Movie Database