Taylor's Wailers

Taylor's Wailers is the debut album by drummer Art Taylor, released in 1957 on Prestige. It features tracks recorded mainly on February 25, 1957 plus a track from a different session featuring John Coltrane on saxophone.^[1]

Taylor's Wailers
Studio album by Art Taylor
Released	1957
Recorded	February 25, 1957 (#1, 3–6) March 22, 1957 (#2) Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack
Genre	Jazz
Length	41:00
Label	Prestige PRLP 7117
Producer	Bob Weinstock
Art Taylor chronology
Taylor's Wailers (1957) Taylor's Tenors (1959)

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
MusicHound Jazz	[3]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[4]
The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide	[5]

In a review for AllMusic, Scott Yanow singled out the renditions of Bryant's "Cubano Chant" and Monk's "Off Minor" and "Well, You Needn't" for praise, and wrote: "Bryant is the most mature of the soloists, but the three horn players were already starting to develop their own highly individual sounds."^[2]

The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings called the album a "well-cooked hard-bop session," and stated that Taylor's playing is "authoritative, although some of his mannerisms leave him a degree short of the single-minded drive of Art Blakey."^[4]

A writer for Billboard noted the music's "open, throbbing swing," and commented: "Rouse and... Byrd are in especially fine form; Taylor, his forceful, tasteful self."^[6]

Track listing

1. "Batland" (Lee Sears) – 9:52
2. "C.T.A." (Jimmy Heath) – 4:43
3. "Exhibit A" (Sears) – 6:16
4. "Cubano Chant" (Bryant) – 6:36
5. "Off Minor" (Monk) – 5:38
6. "Well You Needn't" (Monk) – 7:55

Personnel

Tracks 1, 3–6

• Art Taylor – drums
• Donald Byrd – trumpet
• Jackie McLean – alto sax
• Charlie Rouse – tenor sax
• Ray Bryant – piano
• Wendell Marshall – bass

Track 2

• Art Taylor – drums
• John Coltrane – tenor sax
• Red Garland – piano
• Paul Chambers – bass