Marshall Thomas Taylor

Retired saxophonist Marshall Taylor passed away peacefully in the evening of October 16 at Lankenau Hospital near Philadelphia after a week's hospitalization. Taylor had been living with a serious lung infection for a number of years, while maintaining good quality of life up until last summer. Born in Portland, Oregon, his parents, brother, sister and he next moved to southern California. When Marshall was age 9 they moved to Wheaton, Illinois where he attended public schools and later Wheaton College. He received additional musical training with a Fulbright Scholarship to Paris to study with the legendary player and teacher, saxophonist Marcel Mule. Taylor performed as a recital soloist during this time in Italy as well as in France. He also earned a masters from Northwestern University under the tutelage of Fred Hemke. Taylor joined the army as a member of the U.S.M.A Band at West Point, appearing frequently as a soloist. After a year teaching at Ithaca College, he moved to Philadelphia, eventually joining the faculty of Temple University where he taught classical saxophone and chamber music for many years. He also taught at University of the Arts, La Salle University, and Cairn University. Marshall toured Europe with Relâche, the Ensemble for Contemporary Music, and played extensively with modern dance companies Group Motion and Zero Moving Dance Company, including concerts in West Berlin, also writing and performing a score commissioned by Zero on stage in Berlin. Marshall studied jazz improvisation with pianist Ron Thomas, later leading jazz gigs of his own. In Philadelphia he performed with Relâche, Network for New Music, Sequenza, Penn Contemporary Players, Concerto Soloists, Pennsylvania Ballet, and the Philadelphia Orchestra, and with various new music groups in New York. His commercial recording with pianist Charles Abramovic of contemporary composer Milton Babbitt's Whirled Series was admired by both composer Luciano Berio and Babbitt himself, who reportedly said, "This is how my music should sound." That piece and some other modern repertoire Taylor played was often not the easiest on the ears yet he had the ability to make any music sound lyrical and expressive. He had a truly beautiful sound on the saxophone and extraordinary control, contrary to the prejudice of some who might regard that instrument as blatant or rough. Another series of concerts centered around Temple was "Entartete Musik" (what the Nazi's referred to as degenerate music.) With pianists Sam Hsu and Ephraim Schäfli and scholars Marion Kant and Laura Levitt he unearthed and performed forgotten scores by victims and refugees from that terrible period, also commissioning works by emigré composers. An initiative is under way to post concert recordings on youtube, listed on the channel Marshall Taylor, Saxophone. In the coming months there is a planned release of a recording with harpsichordist Joyce Lindorff- music for four members of the saxophone family, commissioned by Taylor and Lindorff.

In addition to his rich life as a musician, Marshall Taylor was a dedicated Christian. While faith and the church were very much a part of his early life, it was not till his late 20's that he began seriously to seek and eventually to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Marshall applied his sharp and inquisitive mind to the Bible and became an expert, always seeking to know the details of the writing but also the meaning behind the words. He was a member of Malvern Bible Chapel in suburban Philadelphia.

Marshall is survived by his three nephews, Leon Taylor Hillsboro, OR, Benjamin Taylor Happy Valley, OR, and Mathew Taylor Nagoya, Japan. He was preceded in death by his father Donald M. Taylor, his mother Mary Taylor, his brother Donald S. Taylor, and his sister Janet Taylor. Marshall had an extensive church family at Malvern Bible Chapel. Marshall was also welcomed into the Sellers family when he became caretaker of their property in Radnor, PA. The Taylor family would especially like to thank the Reiland family, the Diefenbach family, and Chuck Holdeman for their help in Marshall's final days. We would also like to thank the dedicated staff at Lankenau Hospital. Marshall's loving presence will be missed by all who knew him.

The date and time for the memorial service is November 9 ,4-5 PM with visitation afterward at Malvern Bible Chapel, 20 Woodland Ave., Malvern, PA 19355. Marshall will be interred in a brief service at Washington Crossing National Cemetery, 830 Highland Rd., Newtown, PA 18940, on November 10, at 10:30 AM with military honors. For questions call Joe Tirrell 484-885-8763.