Bio

KIT TAYLOR is a 12x award-winning singer/songwriter, pianist x producer based in Portland, OR, USA. He was accepted into the prestigious Berklee University in Boston, MA.

Kit is currently best known for working with recent America’s Got Talent finalist Jimmie Herrod on Kit’s debut pop single, “Lately (Time Stops for You)” featured on the album “Love + Pain”.

Kit was part of what is now known as the “magical” classes of 1998-2002 in the music program @ Clackamas Community College. Directed by Lonnie Cline, both the classical and mainstream jazz choirs from those years have produced an astonishing number of prodigal musicians. These include singer Paul Creighton, R&B star Jarrod Lawson, pianist Rich Turnoy, pianist Jed Wilson, singer David Kruger, composer Ostin Drais, drummer Micah Kassell and countless others.

Jarrod himself was recently mentioned by Michelle Obama in a televised and written interview with Entertainment Weekly. When asked what artists she was currently listening to, Obama mentioned Beyoncé, Jon Batiste, and Lawson.

As a pianist Kit is most often compared to Bruce Hornsby, Jim Brickman and Brad Meldhau.

As a songwriter, Kit writes in a variety of genres, but his music is most often compared to composers, songwriters and producers like David Foster, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Phil Collins and Max Martin.

Kit has studied under the likes of Nashville songwriter Craig Carothers (Trisha Yearwood), platinum-certified songwriter Marv Ross (Quarterflash), engineer and producer Bob Stark (Esperanza Spalding, Everclear), former VP of Warner-Chappell Publishing Judy Stakee (Sheryl Crow, Katy Perry, Jewel), songwriter Jon Asher (writer of Britney Spears’ first #1 single in ten years, “Mood Ring”), Hollywood re-mixer Ron Bartlett (two Oscar nominations; “Bladerunner 2049” and “Life of Pi”), and Cliff Goldmacher (Grammy-winning songwriter for Keb Mo)

AWARDS

Kit has won or been nominated for 12 major independent songwriting awards; including two John Lennon Songwriting Contest nominations, and wins in the Independent Music Awards, the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest, the USA Songwriting Competition, and in 2018-19 was the first multiple category winner in the history of the Great American Song Contest. He won the instrumental category for his song “Winter in the Village”, composed with Bob Stark, and in the pop category for his song “Persephone”, featured on the album “Love + Pain”.

DEBUT POP ALBUM

Even before its release, the new album received praise from several of the featured artists, including David Torn (songwriter, guitar; Madonna, John Legend), and Jennifer Batten (guitar; Michael Jackson, Jeff Beck). See the quotes page for more.

Artists featured on the record include the aforementioned Marv Ross, David Torn and Jennifer Batten, as well as R&B singer Tahirah Memory (daughter of Grammy-winning trumpeter Thara Memory), Joey Diggs Jr. (Midnight Red), internationally recognized vocalist Paul Creighton (the Motet), Jimmie Herrod (Pink Martini), Damian Erskine (Gino Vanelli, Peter Erskine), and Phil Baker (Pink Martini).

 The video for his debut single, “Lately (Time Stops For You)”, garnered over 60,000 views on Facebook, and the song was picked up by multiple Spotify playlists, including several with 20-50,000 followers.

Since then the Special K. Remix of the single “Persephone”, has been featured on over 170 independent playlists, and is closing in on 100,000 streams.

INTERVISION

From 2003-2013 Kit played with the soul/pop band Intervision. The group was co-founded by Kit along with college classmates Paul Creighton (mentioned above), Mike Glidden, Jon Barber, and Tony Stovin, and over the years featured those five, along with other musical all-stars Paul Mazzio (Nu Shooz), Willie Matheis (Cherry Poppin’ Daddies), and Damian Erskine (Gino Vanelli, Peter Erskine). The band toured the country, was featured on the front page of the Oregonian, sold out Portland's Aladdin Theater on multiple occasions, and shared the stage with legendary groups such as Lifehouse, The Neville Brothers and Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, as well as Tyrone Wells, Vicci Martinez (“The Voice), Justin Hopkins (“The Voice), Geoff Byrd (Hall & Oates), and European R&B star Jarrod Lawson, who was also a college classmate of Kit and other members of the band.

In 2008 Kit and Intervision won the International Independent Music Award in the category of ‘Best R&B Song’ for the track “Live Out Loud” off of their sophomore album “Shades Of Neptune”. That album and others were produced and engineered by both Bob Stark (see top) and Dean Baskerville (Sheryl Crow). In the same year, the song was also chosen as a finalist in the JLSC (John Lennon Songwriting Contest).

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

Other career highlights include a west coast tour with platinum pop band AWOLNation; photoshoots with David Bergman (Bon Jovi, Barack Obama) and Craig Mitchelldyer (Sports Illustrated, Portland Trail Blazers, Portland Timbers); and sharing the stage with the likes of cellist Dave Eggar (Phillip Phillips, Evanescence), members of Live, Kansas, and Blessed Union Of Souls, and multiple artists featured on hit TV shows like NBC’s ‘The Voice’ and FOX’s "American Idol".

WEDDINGS + EVENTS

If you are looking for live piano or DJ services for your wedding, funeral, or event, Kit runs Kit Taylor Piano + DJ for just that purpose. Kit Taylor Piano + DJ is the NW's premier choice for classy wedding and party entertainment. Kit specializes in wedding ceremonies, cocktail hours, receptions, parties, corporate events, and funerals and memorials. Prime performance locations include Portland and surrounding areas, Salem, Eugene, the Oregon Coast, Vancouver, and Seattle, WA.

For questions on anything, or for booking, visit the contact page.