Derry Jazz Festival set to host performance from award-winning soul singer Buck Taylor

Derry Jazz festival-goers are in for a real treat this May Bank Holiday when the award winning and hugely popular soul performer, Buck Taylor, renowned for his likeness to the legendary Soul performer, James Brown, will perform at the festival next month. Buck Taylor is a multi-award-winning singer, who has been living and performing in Ireland now for over 11 years, where he has been named the "Best Soul Performer" on three consecutive occasions at the Irish Entertainment Awards, adding to his already glowing list of achievements in the USA, including the prestigious "Best of Boston" award he won in the early 90's. This will be Buck Taylor’s first appearance at the Derry Jazz Festival. His decision to perform at the festival came about when his agent Liam Brennan, who knows the “Mindbenders” spoke with Paul Curran and Gerry Coyle about the possibilities. Having met up numerous times at the Cork Jazz, The Mindbenders were aware of Buck’s vocal prowess, so they too were keen to help out and felt that Buck would go down a storm with the audiences in Derry and recommended he come along to the Festival. It will be his first live performance in Derry City and Buck is very much looking forward to it. In fact, Buck has only performed a handful of times in Northern Ireland. Once in Omagh, which was a memorable gig, and a couple of weddings and functions in and around Enniskillen. So get ready Derry, this is going to be a real treat! Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Buck’s formative years in the music business were forged with his siblings in their “All Family”, TAYLOR MADE Band featuring his brothers and sisters. Buck and his brother Bird Taylor later moved to New England where they reformed the Taylor Made Band with new and exciting musicians in the Boston area and quickly won themselves much respect as one of the leading bands to emerge from the New England area, regularly appearing on the bill alongside some of the best in the business at that time. Buck has toured and performed with many of the world's best known artists, including Dan Akyroyd & The Blues Brothers (Booker T & The MG’s), Patti Labelle, Donna Summer, James Taylor, and with his cousin, the Memphis Soul legend - Johnny Taylor (RIP), Alex Taylor (RIP), Aerosmith, New Kids on The Block, Dr. John, Jimmy Buffet, J Geils Band (Peter Wolfe), Joan Jett and a host of others throughout the USA in his long and distinguished career there. He has also performed regularly at Caesars Palace Las Vegas as well as many of the leading auditoriums and Concert Halls throughout the USA. In the 80’s he was a member of the acclaimed “East Coast Funk Busters” Band that was headed up by the great Alex Taylor (RIP), the older brother to James Taylor, and the band toured extensively throughout the States. Buck was working around the Boston area when he met his Irish born wife, Fidelma, and the couple have been living in Ballina, County Mayo since 2005 where Buck has enjoyed great success performing all over Ireland. His likeness to the legendary Soul performer, James Brown, coupled with his unparalleled vocal styles and ability, have marked Buck out from the ordinary and Irish people have taken him to their hearts. Whilst in Ireland, Buck has performed on the same bill as Dr Hook, The Commitments, The Camembert Quartet, Thin Lizzy, Jools Holland, Imelda Maye, The Rubber Bandits (Oxegen Festival), Ryan Sheridan, Mundy and Tommy Fleming, to mention but a few. During his time in Derry at the City of Derry Jazz Festival, Buck will be joined by the fabulous, Keith McDonald, a multi-award winning performer with fantastic trumpet skills and a unique vocal ability. Together Buck & Keith give a show that will leave you wanting more. It’s a spectacular set list, covering all the Soul / Disco classics and with a peppering of great nostalgia that you won’t hear rivalled too often on the gigging scene. For full details of the jazz festival line-up and to download a copy of the programme visit www.cityofderryjazzfestival.com or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DerryJazzFestival and Twitter @DerryJazzFest for regular updates