Welcome to John Taylor Drums. I grew up in Camarillo, California, about 50 miles northwest of LA. I first began drum lessons at age 8 in the 1960s, playing on a practice pad for two years and advancing to a snare drum afterwards. My parents wanted to make sure I was committed to being a drummer, so they bought me individual parts of a drum set over the next few years until I had a full set.

I credit excellent drum teachers and good instructional drum books for my early development and still dedicate myself to essentially the same practice sessions borne from those early days.

My brother is Bob Taylor, a renowned jazz and classical trumpet player, jazz clinician and jazz educator living in Newport, Oregon, has been a great influence on my life, both musically and personally. Bob is the author of Sightreading Jazz, a brilliant study of practice techniques designed to improve sight reading and enhance improvisational skills. Bob is arguably the most accomplished improvisational jazz trumpet player in the Intermountain west.

Throughout my school years I played in bands, marching bands, jazz bands and orchestras. In 1973, I then attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, where I played drums for the BYU jazz ensemble, Synthesis, as well as numerous jazz ensembles and combos during my years there. I also toured parts of the U.S. with BYU performing groups.

From 2005 to 2012 I played for BRIJJ, a highly accomplished and innovative jazz quartet in Salt Lake City, Utah and I continue to perform occasionally in the Salt Lake City area.