As a teenager, Taylor first decided that he wanted to become a musician after hearing
Sid Catlett play at a jam session at the current site of the
Lincoln Center. After playing in the bands of
Howard McGhee (1948),
Coleman Hawkins (1950–51),
Buddy DeFranco (1952),
Bud Powell (1953–58; 1961; 1964),
George Wallington and
Art Farmer (1954), Wallington again (1954–55),
Gigi Gryce and
Donald Byrd (1956), he formed his own group, Taylor's Wailers. Between 1957 and 1963, he toured with
Donald Byrd, recorded with
Miles Davis,
Gene Ammons and
John Coltrane, and performed with
Thelonious Monk; Taylor also was a member of the original
Kenny Dorham Quartet of 1957. with musicians
Donald Byrd (trumpeter),
Jackie McLean (altoist), Charlie Rouse (tenor),
Ray Bryant (pianist), and Wendel Marshall (bassist). Their album featured modern hard bop and multiple swinging sessions. Two notable tracks, "Well, You Needn't" and "Off Minor", are compositions of Thelonious Monk. Other tracks include "C.T.A" which featured artists such as John Coltrane, Red Garland and Paul Chambers. Having worked for fellow expatriate Powell throughout the 1950s, Taylor once again recorded with him in 1964 for the album
The Invisible Cage, at
Paris' Studio Acousti. This was, for many musicians, a ground-breaking work, because it presented the interviewees' perspectives on the wider social, political, and economic forces in which they operated – topics normally not mentioned in mainstream coverage of jazz musicians. Additionally, Taylor shares that his book had helped him put him on the "right track". Since writing his book, people assumed that he could not play well anymore, which only reignited the fire in himself to play better than he ever had in his life. In 1995 Taylor's last recording session was with
Jimmy Smith on the album
Damn! which was dedicated in his memory. == Style and influences ==