BIOGRAPHY
Welcome to josiahtaylor.com, the platform dedicated to showcasing the musical journey of Josiah Taylor. Here, you'll find the story behind the music, the creative process, and the inspiration that drives the passion for jazz. Dive into the world of soulful melodies, captivating rhythms, and the art of musical expression.
Josiah Taylor is a jazz guitarist based in Philadelphia, PA. He plays and teaches both acoustic and electric guitar as well as piano and keyboard.
Starting the guitar at age 11, Josiah learned the style of Django Reinhardt from his father. By 13, he was performing regularly with Gypsy/Hot Jazz group The Hot Club of Reading, playing all over eastern Pennsylvania. In 2020, Josiah attended Princeton University where he studied with Rudresh Mahanthappa, Dmitri Tymoczko, and Miles Okazaki while majoring in Astrophysics. It was there that he was first introduced to the greatness of Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, and the jazz that followed the swing era.
In addition to gypsy/hot jazz, Josiah is heavily influenced by the music of Jacob do Bandolim, Paco de Lucia, Astor Piazzola, Led Zeppelin, J. S. Bach, and Van Halen.
His performance credits include Gonzalo Bergara, Olli Soikkeli, Julien Labro, and Danny Tobias — to name a few