Taylor Roberts

The love affair began early, which may very well explain how Taylor Roberts’ professional career is well into its second decade. Spanning a wide range of influence and success, Taylor Roberts has earned a reputation as one of the Southeast’s top calls for Jazz Guitar. Yet, it is not just the jazz label that defines Roberts’ career. He cut his young teeth on punk, dove headlong into classic rock standards, and found a voice in jazz. Yet, Roberts does not easily fit into any one box.
Years of intensive study with world-renowned educators such as Barry Greene, Keith Javors, and Bunky Green have proven to continually pay off as his career expands. His reworkings and adaptations of songs old and new entrance established fans, serving up Roberts with the type of challenge that any artist craves, the ability to be creative while erasing expectation and assumption.
Roberts has appeared multiple times at the Jacksonville Jazz Festival and has toured internationally with the Christian Tamburr Quintet. He has been hired by the Rolling Stones to play their private events. Accolade and admiration are the reward for years dedicated to the guitar. Forever enveloped in humility, Roberts will always attribute his success to the simple tenet, “music serves all occasions.”
Since switching to 7-string, he has become a favorite among local and regional vocalists for duo work and can be seen frequently playing solo guitar at events in Jacksonville and the surrounding areas. Roberts can do what few can, which is deliver the whole song on one instrument. No looping stations. No playback tracks. Yet, a sound so full and rich that the casual listener is taken aback and the professional stands in awe.
Likened to Tommy Emmanuel, Russell Malone, Tuck Andress and Charlie Hunter, Roberts’ masterful playing has begun to etch his name alongside his heroes. He continued to learn and record and in 2021 will release a sophomore album recorded live. Roberts doing what he does best, connecting with people through his music and inviting all to relish in the sound.