Another groundbreaking force among the sax elite of contemporary jazz, Denver native Paul Taylor began playing the saxophone at the age of seven and graduated from the University of Nevada as a music performance major. Although he lived in Las Vegas, the proximity of his adopted hometown to Los Angeles gave him many opportunities to connect with other R&B and contemporary jazz stars, including Jeff Lorber, the Rippingtons, and Keiko Matsui. In addition, the charismatic showman and longtime basketball enthusiast has been part of Gentlemen of the Night, alongside Marion Meadows and Warren Hill, Sax and the City, with Meadows and Vincent Ingala, and Peter, Paul and Euge, with Peter White and Euge Groove.

With his new recording, “It’s A Brand New Day,” the charming and down-to-earth saxman, who is also an avid golfer, scores an ace by showcasing ten tracks, including nine original compositions and one Billie Eilish cover. “Chihiro” is inspired by a character from one of Billie’s favorite films, “Spirited Away.” Paul’s saxophones create a mesmerizing reimagining of her ethereal vocals. He explains: “I heard this single playing over the speakers in a store and thought, ‘Wow, this is pretty cool.’ When I heard it again, I knew I had to record my own version on soprano. When I got together with my friend and producer Dino Esposito, we put our own spin on it, and I think we created a beautiful homage to the song. Who knows, maybe Billie will hear it and like it!”