The James Taylor Quartet (JTQ)
British four-piece jazz-funk band formed in 1985 in Rochester, Kent, by Hammond organist James Taylor (b. — see note) after the break-up of his former band the Prisoners and Stiff Records' bankruptcy. Current lineup: James Taylor (organ), Mark Cox (guitar), Andrew McKinney (bass), Pat Illingworth (drums), with vocalist Yvonne Yanney on many recordings. Genres: acid jazz, jazz funk; active 1985–present.^[raw/articles/wikipedia-james-taylor-quartet.md]
JTQ is the band that gave the modern Hammond revival its template — so much so that the revival's own record label, Hammondbeat Records, began in 1997 as the JTQ fan site JTQgroove.^[raw/articles/wikipedia-hammondbeat.md]
The Hammond-led sound
- Debut single "Blow-Up" (1987) — a funked-up Herbie Hancock film theme on the label that became Acid Jazz Records; championed by NME and John Peel (Festive Fifty 1987).^[raw/articles/wikipedia-james-taylor-quartet.md]
- Mission Impossible (1987): 1960s film-theme covers ("Alfie", "Goldfinger") in a "rough, up-tempo, almost punk-like style... primarily focused on Taylor's Hammond organ playing". The Money Spyder (1987): imaginary spy-film soundtrack of Taylor originals.^[raw/articles/wikipedia-james-taylor-quartet.md]
- Signature tune "The Theme from Starsky and Hutch" (1988) with Fred Wesley and Pee Wee Ellis of the JBs.^[raw/articles/wikipedia-james-taylor-quartet.md]
Phases
- Film-theme beginnings (1987–91): instrumental organ-funk, strong live reputation, Absolute – JTQ Live (1991).
- Acid-jazz vocal era (early–mid 90s): song-based UK soul/acid-jazz albums with Rose Windross, Alison Limerick, Noel McKoy; "Love the Life" top 40; In the Hand of the Inevitable (1995) — still the Acid Jazz label's biggest-selling album.^[raw/articles/wikipedia-james-taylor-quartet.md]
- Return to funk roots (late 90s–): instrumental Hammond-led jazz funk; Hammond-Ology: The Best of the James Taylor Quartet (Sanctuary, 2001) collects the organ era. Also library music for Bruton, the New Jersey Kings side project, and the Austin Powers soundtrack.^[raw/articles/wikipedia-james-taylor-quartet.md]
Legacy
JTQ's success created the market the next-generation organ bands fed on: Italy's The Link Quartet (JTQ's opening act on tour) and the whole hammondbeat roster cite the band directly. In the wider Hammond lineage, JTQ is the 1980s/90s UK bridge between the 1960s soul organ tradition and the club era — the same bridge Medeski was building in the US jam scene.