[3] As a teenager, Taylor joined a local Harlem band that featured Sonny Rollins, Jackie McLean and Kenny Drew.

[4][5] Between 1957 and 1963, he toured with Donald Byrd, recorded with Miles Davis, Gene Ammons and John Coltrane, and performed with Thelonious Monk; Taylor also was a member of the original Kenny Dorham Quartet of 1957.

[9] De Capo Press has released an extended edition of his book which features in-depth interviews of jazz musicians such as Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, Ornette Coleman and Dizzy Gillespie.

[10] In a 1994 interview with Modern Drummer Magazine he shares childhood memories of his father taking him to the Apollo Theatre, to see J.C. Heard and other artists such as Duke Basie, Buddy Rich and Charlie Barnet.

Other influential names in his lifetime included Big Sid Catlett, Philly Joe Jonas, Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, and Kenny Clarke who had encouraged him to study music.

[10] Taylor also reveals in a 1994 voice recording interview by The National Public Radio (NPR) that he first studied drums in Paris with Kenny Clarke.

[13] Taylor mentions a few students he took under his wing, from places such as Germany, Australia, and Japan and would come into the United States once a year and take multiple lessons.

[10] Whether playing with Johnny Griffin, Jackie McLean, Dexter Gordon or Coleman Hawkins, he pays careful attention to the individual’s sound and tone.

[10] With Pepper Adams, et al. With Gene Ammons With Chris Anderson With Dorothy Ashby With Benny Bailey With Kenny Burrell With Donald Byrd With Paul Chambers With Sonny Clark With James Clay With Jimmy Cleveland With Arnett Cobb With John Coltrane With Continuum With Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis With Miles Davis With Walter Davis Jr. With Kenny Dorham With Art Farmer With Tommy Flanagan With Red Garland With Matthew Gee With Benny Golson With Dexter Gordon With Bennie Green With Johnny Griffin With Tiny Grimes With Steve Grossman With Gigi Gryce With Hampton Hawes With Ernie Henry With Elmo Hope and Frank Foster With Noah Howard With Milt Jackson With Thad Jones With Clifford Jordan With Duke Jordan With Ken McIntyre With Jackie McLean With Thelonious Monk With Lee Morgan With Oliver Nelson With Cecil Payne With Bud Powell With Julian Priester With Dizzy Reece With Charlie Rouse With Sahib Shihab With Horace Silver With Jimmy Smith With Johnny "Hammond" Smith With Louis Smith With Sonny Stitt With Idrees Sulieman, Webster Young, John Coltrane, and Bobby Jaspar With Buddy Tate With Clark Terry With Toots Thielmans With Stanley Turrentine With Mal Waldron With Julius Watkins and Charlie Rouse With Randy Weston With Lem Winchester With Kai Winding & J. J. Johnson With Frank Wright