
Creed Taylor
A Producer's Life
David Sutter(Author)
Backbeat (Publisher)
Will be published approx. on 20. August 2026
Book
Hardback
304 pages
979-8-7651-8879-8 (ISBN)
Description
The life and career of a producer who sought to bring jazz to the masses
Creed Taylor was one of the most successful jazz producers of all time-and one of the most controversial. His career spanned five decades, in which he produced albums with legends such as John Coltrane, Ray Charles, George Benson, Bill Evans, Charles Mingus, Stan Getz, and Nina Simone. In 1960, he famously founded Impulse! Records and signed John Coltrane, and in later years he produced at Verve Records-where he introduced the US to Bossa Nova, producing "The Girl from Impanema"-and ultimately founded Creed Taylor Incorporated, which defined the sound of jazz during the 1970s. One of the most sought-after jazz producers, he had a knack for enhancing an artist's commercial appeal without sacrificing their creativity. Yet his approach did not win universal acclaim: having vastly expanded the audience for jazz, he also earned the scorn of genre purists who distrusted his commercial success.
Written with the full cooperation of Taylor's estate, and based on years of interviews, this first biography of the man illuminates an era of dramatic change within jazz music. From Taylor's childhood in Appalachia to his decades-long career at some of the genre's most important labels, David Sutter's painstakingly researched book tells the full story of a man who did as much as anyone to broaden the audience for jazz.
Creed Taylor was one of the most successful jazz producers of all time-and one of the most controversial. His career spanned five decades, in which he produced albums with legends such as John Coltrane, Ray Charles, George Benson, Bill Evans, Charles Mingus, Stan Getz, and Nina Simone. In 1960, he famously founded Impulse! Records and signed John Coltrane, and in later years he produced at Verve Records-where he introduced the US to Bossa Nova, producing "The Girl from Impanema"-and ultimately founded Creed Taylor Incorporated, which defined the sound of jazz during the 1970s. One of the most sought-after jazz producers, he had a knack for enhancing an artist's commercial appeal without sacrificing their creativity. Yet his approach did not win universal acclaim: having vastly expanded the audience for jazz, he also earned the scorn of genre purists who distrusted his commercial success.
Written with the full cooperation of Taylor's estate, and based on years of interviews, this first biography of the man illuminates an era of dramatic change within jazz music. From Taylor's childhood in Appalachia to his decades-long career at some of the genre's most important labels, David Sutter's painstakingly researched book tells the full story of a man who did as much as anyone to broaden the audience for jazz.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
454 gr
ISBN-13
979-8-7651-8879-8 (9798765188798)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
approx. 11/2026
Backbeat
€29.49
Available for download

E-Book
approx. 11/2026
Backbeat
€29.49
Available for download
Person
David Sutter has worked in published since 1980, and has contributed in various capacities to academic journals, popular magazines, newspapers, promotional materials, websites, textbooks, and trade books. In 2014, he became the copy chief at Inc., the New York-based business magazine that focuses on entrepreneurs and independent, U.S.-based companies. From 2017 until Creed Taylor's death in 2022, he worked with Taylor to prepare what was originally conceived as a co-written autobiography.
Content
Introduction
Prelude
Bethlehem
ABC-Paramount
Impulse!
MGM / Verve
A&M
CTI
Acknowledgments
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Prelude
Bethlehem
ABC-Paramount
Impulse!
MGM / Verve
A&M
CTI
Acknowledgments
Notes
Bibliography
Index