About
“Taylor Barnett is a formidable jazz and legit trumpet player, a creative and masterful arranger, and a seriously committed pedagogue. Everything he undertakes is done with conscientious attention to detail and a total commitment to excellence.”
John D’earth – World-renowned jazz trumpeter, composer, and Director of Jazz at the University of Virginia
Taylor Barnett is a Richmond, Virginia based trumpeter, teacher, and composer whose innovative work in jazz, classical, and commercial music places him on the forefront of the musical vanguard. In 2001 he was awarded First Place in the Jazz Division of the National Trumpet Competition. Taylor is currently a member of No BS! Brass and has performed with the Woody Herman Orchestra, the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra, the Oratorio Society of Virginia, and with artists such as Gladys Knight, The Temptations, Frankie Avalon, Steve Wilson, Ray Anderson, John D’earth, and René Marie. As a composer, Taylor’s work is published by UNC Jazz Press and has been commissioned by trumpeter Rex Richardson for performances at international music festivals in Australia, Portugal, China, and the U.S. Taylor is an active member of the creative music scene in Richmond as a member of the Mingus Awareness Project Big Band, and as a leader of his own groups. Taylor received a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Studies and a Master of Music degree in Trumpet Performance from Virginia Commonwealth University.
A dedicated educator, Taylor has served as the director of the instrumental music program at the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School, a full-time high school for gifted students. There he taught and developed the curriculum for two jazz ensembles, jazz improvisation, string orchestra, and music theory. While at Maggie Walker, Taylor established a guest-artist series focusing on free-jazz and avant garde music that allowed his students to observe and play with internationally acclaimed artists including Ken Vandermark, Jim Black, Andrew D’Angelo, Hilmar Jensson, and Joe Morris. Taylor taught for seven years as an adjunct professor at VCU directing the Jazz Orchestra II, teaching theory/aural skills classes, teaching in the applied trumpet studio, and teaching jazz history. He is currently a Doctor of Musical arts teaching assistant at James Madison University, where he directs the Jazz Band and teaches in the applied trumpet studio.
In 2010, he formed Old New Things, an instrumental ensemble that draws inspiration from American folk music and European chamber-jazz. Their debut album “Ghosts” features original compositions as well as arrangements of compositions by Albert Ayler and J. S. Bach. Purchase “Ghosts” here.
Most recently, Taylor participated in the prestigious International Workshop for Jazz and Creative Music at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Alberta, Canada led by artistic director Dave Douglas. During the three-week program, Taylor collaborated with fellow participating artists and world-renowned faculty and recorded and performed his original compositions, including “Promises,” a new piece for big band, composed at the center.
