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Taurey Butler

Hailing from East Orange New Jersey, Taurey began studying piano at the age of seven. He loved playing, but by the time he reached the age of fourteen he found that the musical direction he was heading in was not fulfilling - something was missing. During his last year of high school, a prescient teacher, who was also a distinguished percussionist, Barry Centanni handed Taurey a CD of Oscar Peterson and advised him to listen. He did, and from then on, he knew where he was going. " I didn't know a piano could do that!" he recalls and began to focus more on jazz studies.

Taurey went on to Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, where he studied Japanese and majored in Electrical Engineering - he left with a BSc and BE and saw himself as, "a Japanese-speaking electrical engineer who loves playing jazz piano." He decided to return to New Jersey to develop and grow as a musician and found himself attending jam session in New York. His powerful swinging style, dexterity and lyrical imagination were duly noted - and gigs started to come his way. Over time Taurey found himself playing clubs and festivals with various acts - and it was while playing at The Cotton Club and Swing 46 - that he was introduced to bassist/vocalist Eldee Young - the opportunity to work regularly with such a mentor was an inspiration. They played regularly in Singapore and at Bangkok's prime jazz room, The Living Room as well as Hong Kong and Dubai. It was after Eldee's passing in 2007 that Taurey made the move to Montreal - a city he that he had been very anxious to visit since learning it was Oscar's home town.

Taurey secured a regular gig at one of Montréal's most prestigious jazz clubs, the House Of Jazz as well, he began accompanying Juno Award winning vocalist Ranee Lee, it wasn't long before he signed with Canada's premier Jazz label - Justin Time Records - the result of which is the November 2011 release of Taurey's captivating debut recording as a leader simply entitled Taurey Butler. Taurey leads his trio - featuring the preeminent Eric Lagacé on bass and Wali Muhammad on drums - through his own compositions as well as standards - his arrangements are adventurous and respectful - the results are positively breath-taking. A truly impressive beginning for a talented young man with a long and promising career ahead of him.

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4
Album Review

Taurey Butler: One Of The Others

Read "One Of The Others" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic


An East Orange, New Jersey native now firmly entrenched in the Montreal jazz scene, pianist Taurey Butler's approach to his music and that of others (Charlie Chaplin's eternal “Smile," The Beatle's “Can't Buy Me Love," Stevie Wonder's “I Can Only Be Me," and Cole Porter's “What Is This Thing Called Love?") strides across generations and genres to bubble up as an assured, soulful, and full-bodied sound. Butler's self-titled debut on Justin Time Records was released in 2011. Now ...

2
Album Review

Taurey Butler: Taurey Butler

Read "Taurey Butler" reviewed by Larry Taylor


Having first heard pianist Taurey Butler while vacationing in Montreal, Canada at the House of Jazz, suffice it say that it was a great night of jazz from a trio also including bassist Eric Lagacé and drummer Wali Muhammad. Butler's self-titled debut features the same trio, playing six familiar tunes and five originals from the pianist.In his youth, a friend gave Butler a recording by pianist Oscar Peterson. And, in Butler's words, “I knew right away that's what ...

40
Album Review

Taurey Butler: Taurey Butler

Read "Taurey Butler" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


A keen interest in learning and a predilection for Oscar Peterson-style piano playing seem to be the two biggest guiding forces behind pianist Taurey Butler's life journey thus far. The New Jersey native started on piano in his youth, but put the instrument on the back burner until a Peterson-produced epiphany rekindled his interest in the 88s toward the end of his high school days. While he clearly had talent, he never put all of his eggs ...

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Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

One Of The Others

Justin Time Records
2022

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Makin' Whoopee feat...

Barbette Records
2021

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Taurey Butler

Justin Time Records
2012

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Taurey Butler

Justin Time
2011

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