Compositions for the Moons of Jupiter

Track Listings

1. Ant March

2. Waltz for a Wedding In a Texas Forte

3. Memoirs of Don Quixote

4. Golden Harvest Time/Harvest Jam

5. Plainsong

6. Song For A Friend

7. Vinegar Tasters Gentle Suite

Editorial Reviews
Rick Clark, BILLBOARD MAGAZINE,
Spans an intelligently freewheeling grabbag of styles, from classical chamber music, combo jazz, ragas, black gospel and strong cinematic themes.

About the Artist
Sam Taylor, Texas based artist/producer, a onetime protege of ZZ Top Svengali Bill Ham and former producer/video director/manager/guru to Texas' holy-rock troika -- King's X, Galactic Cowboys and Atomic Opera -- by the spring of 1996, stepped out from behind the studio console and performed in front of a live audience with his eclectic gypsy folk jazz fusion trio, Moons of Jupiter. Taylor, the producer of Conspiracy No. 5 for Atlanta-based Christian rockers Third Day; nominated for a Grammy in... read more

Album Description
From BILLBOARD MAGAZINE

Sam Taylor may be known by many in the music industry as the producer of bands like Kings X, Galactic Cowboys, and Third Day, but these days Taylor is coming out from behind the recording console and into the artistic limelight with his first solo effort, "Compositions For The Moons Of Jupiter, Volume One: Callisto," on Loco Entertainment/Wilde Silas Musicworks. Thanks to his sophisticated songwriting and arranging and his ability to play 16 different instruments, Taylor made significant contributions to the projects he produced. But over time, he felt that his own creative needs were not being satisfied, so he enlisted cellist Max Dyer and percussionist Ray Dillard to play as the Moons Of Jupiter at a local Houston club called Ovations, beginning in early'96. The trio's regular musical forays developed a devoted regional fan base. The name started out from someone trying to describe the music that we were doing and thought that we were sort of musical galactic explorers because we would really go out and stretch the conventional boundaries a bit." "CALLISTO" spans an intelligently freewheeling grab bag of styles, from classical chamber music and combo jazz to ragas black gospel, and music that showcases Taylor's penchant for writing strong cinematic themes. "This album runs through the full emotions of who I am and things that I have experienced - I feel very good," says Taylor. "The performances are genuine, and it was a joyful experience recording it."

-Rick Clark

Compositions for the Moons of Jupiter

Tracks:

Ant March
Waltz for a Wedding In a Texas Forte
Memoirs of Don Quixote
Golden Harvest Time/Harvest Jam
Plainsong
Song For A Friend
Vinegar Tasters Gentle Suite

Product Description

"CALLISTO" spans an intelligently freewheeling grab bag of styles, from classical chamber music and combo jazz to ragas black gospel, and music that showcases Taylor's penchant for writing strong cinematic themes. Rick Clark - BILLBOARD

Customer Reviews:

Sam Taylor's Callisto: Moons of Jupiter is Excellent!.......2006-03-23

I recently got a hold of this CD and can honestly say it's been playing nonstop since. Why haven't we heard of Sam Taylor before?! I sincerely recommend buying this album, because I can virtually guarantee that you will love it.

Why? Because anyone would enjoy listening to this CD, whatever their musical tastes. It's real, live, fun, playful, creative, extraordinarily beautiful music. Simple but not simplistic (far from it), and strange as this may sound, it's somehow very life affirming.

The artists are obviously professional musicians judging by the precision and skill of their performances, but they're not constrained to any particular style. In fact, what I love most about the album is the variety of styles represented. Some of the music is warm and sweet; some songs are just plain fun; and other tracks are a whirlwind of styles blended into a wonderment of composition. (In fact, the track "Wonderaga" reminds me of an instrumental version of Led Zeppelin's Kashmir!)

I don't generally listen to many instrumental albums, but this one captured my wholehearted interest because there's nothing boring or formulaic about it. Get it, and you won't regret it. I'll cross my fingers for a second album from these folks. And in the meantime, I'm getting some copies of this one for friends who I know will enjoy it too.

Music Album:

Music Album

1. Ant March
2. Waltz for a Wedding In a Texas Forte
3. Memoirs of Don Quixote
4. Golden Harvest Time/Harvest Jam
5. Plainsong
6. Song For A Friend
7. Vinegar Tasters Gentle Suite