Fri. Feb. 22

      There is no way to mention Jazz in Boston without mentoning Fred Taylor. As the man who opened legendary listening rooms Paul’s Mall and the Jazz Workshop, the founder of the Tanglewood Jazz Festival, and the man who is responsible for bringing international talent to the award-winning Scullers Jazz Club (www.scullersjazz.com), Taylor is often mentioned in the same breaths as Newport Jazz creator George Wein.Among Taylor’s earliest adventures in sound were making live recordings of legends like the dearly departed Dave Brubeck. Perhaps it is fitting, then, that all these years later, Taylor is still focusing on recorded music and music broadcasting to make his latest mark on the scene.
     “I've always wanted to do live broadcasts whenever the opportunity arises,” Taylor explains, recalling his early days of live broadcasting on the also dearly departed WBCN over 35 years ago. “It's a win-win situation for the artist, the club, [and] the radio station.”
     In a collaboration with WGBH radio, which until recently was the clear leader in Jazz programming in New England, Taylor is presenting a new series of live performances from Scullers that will feature such award-winning artists as violinist Regina Carter, trumpeter Roy Hargrove and drummer Antonio Sanchez.     All three parts of the “Live from Scullers” show will be hosted by Taylor’s long-time friend and colleague and legendary local Jazz broadcaster Eric Jackson.
     “Live From Scullers is an exciting addition to our weekend jazz programming, and a special new approach in     WGBH’s longstanding tradition of supporting and amplifying local Jazz artists and venues,” said WGBH radio’s Managing Director Phil Redo, Managing Director of WGBH Radio.
     To kick off the series, Carter brought sounds from her African-inspired new album “Reverse Thread” to Scullers on December 28. “The broadcast went great,” Taylor beams, recalling the “thunderous applause” that greeted Carter and also closed the live set. “At the end, Eric did a brief little interview with Regina and made some closing credit remarks closing out the broadcast [before] returning it to the studio.” According to their arrangement with WGBH, Live from Scullers will continue with two more monthly shows: Hargrove on Fri. Jan. 18 (Saturday's shows will not be broadcast) and Sanchez on February 18. “We’re thrilled to be able to extend the intimacy of the Scullers club performances to the wider audience of Eric’s listeners,” Taylor says. “This is an exciting first for Scullers and WGBH!”

- Matt Robinson

Tix for Hargrove: $35, shows at 8 & 10 
Tix Sanchez - $25, show 8 & 10

400 Soldiers Field Road, 617- 652-4111  www.scullersjazz.com