Mosaicthump.com Interviews Russell Taylor

Russell Taylor has carefully crafted a lifetime into his debut CD; experiences that in totality, have etched out a not-so-ordinary musical journey spanning Rock, Gospel, Soul, and R&B. Mosaicthump.com talks to Russel Taylor about what it took to create this wonderful piece of music.

Russell Taylor's music can be found comfortably nestled between the intense and raucous pentameter we call Rock and soulful, 70's inspired, Philadelphia grooves reminiscent of McFadden and Whithead. As hard as it was for me to come up with this definition for the man's music, it was even harder to decipher the man himself. Upon further review I found myself inspired at the way he has merged the chasms of his life to not only become complete physically but spiritually. It is this zen-like composure that I found most fascinating in his debut CD, Somewhere In Between.

Russell Taylor is one of the rare personages that will represent the same values in and outside of the recording studio. He has carefully crafted a lifetime into his debut CD; experiences that in totality, have etched out a not-so-ordinary musical journey spanning Rock, Gospel, Soul, and R&B. Seamless in it's construct you might not realize that you have been taken to school, cleverly disguised in the form of 16 live studio tracks.

To listen to his recordings is to be introduced to a world where one is no longer afraid to step out on a limb, or quit a safe corporate career in search of a not-so-safe passion of the heart. After meeting Russell, any doubts I had in my own abilities were immediately quelled and cultured into purposeful affirmations. Russell's music has that affect on you.

Not only did Russell pay close attention to the Blues inspired riffs that his grandfather (Poppa Emmet) played for him as a child; Poppa would have been proud to learn that Russell came to understand the history and theory within each love inspired note. It's this grasp of what is takes to create a soul inspired song, piece by piece, that makes this CD lovelier every time I play it.

Are you ready for Russell Taylor? If you answered yes then you are more than a few steps ahead of me because Somewhere In Between is anything but. This CD is a commitment to the height of the Philadelphia sound. If you listen closely you will hear cues from the Stylistics, Billy Paul and Blue magic. This release is an unabashed homage to Philadelphia's rich past and a well constructed look into what's to come.