The James Taylor Quartet are a British four-piece jazz funk band formed in 1985 by Hammond organ player James Taylor following the break-up of his former band The Prisoners, and in the wake of Stiff Records' bankruptcy. The band consists of James Taylor (organ), Mark Cox (guitar), Andrew McKinney (bass), and Pat Illingworth (drums). Recordings and live performances often include vocalist Yvonne Yanney.
James Taylor Quartet (November 2005, Forlì, Italy)
James Taylor Quartet at Club Citta, Japan, 1989
The James Taylor Quartet in Pizza Express, Maidstone, England, December 2010, with vocalist Yvonne Yanney
Jazz-funk is a subgenre of jazz music characterized by a strong back beat (groove), electrified sounds, and an early prevalence of analog synthesizers. The integration of funk, soul, and R&B music and styles into jazz resulted in the creation of a genre whose spectrum is quite wide and ranges from strong jazz improvisation to soul, funk or disco with jazz arrangements, jazz riffs, jazz solos, and sometimes soul vocals.
Herbie Hancock, one of the pioneers of jazz-funk