The Artists
NAVIGATION
SOCIAL
CONTACT
fredhughesmusic@gmail.com
(410) 703-0755
Copyright Hughes, Simonson & Taylor 2024
James Simonson
Bass Besides having traveled and performed around the world as Music Director for Verve/Universal artist Bettye Lavette, being 2019’s headliner for the Chicago Blues Fest, James is also the jazz upright and electric bassist for the Detroit Symphony and The Detroit Opera House. Has performed with Aretha Franklin, Andrea Bocelli, Patti Smith, Robert Gordon and spent a year traveling with the worlds best-selling stage show, The Lion King. He has also backed Jeff Lorber, David Sanborn, Bob James, Earl Klugh, and Larry Carlton via Alexander Zonjic. Was recently used as principal bassist for The Who’s 2019 Orchestra Tour and backed Stanley Clarke at last year's Detroit Jazz Fest. A performer on the final week of the David Letterman show with Bettye LaVette. James plays a Ken Smith Black Tiger Elite 5 and uses Ernie Ball Strings.
Fred Hughes
Piano From concerts, recordings and military service in Seoul, Korea to jazz festivals as a Jazz Ambassador; conducting orchestras across the United States as a musical director to recording and producing records as a pianist and leader of his own group; Fred Hughes has had a long and varied musical journey. He has performed in all fifty states, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Korea and Europe. A sampling of the jazz festivals at which he has performed include the Newport, Montreux, Nice and North Sea Jazz Festivals. He has conducted symphony orchestras to include the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Cincinnati Pops and Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestras. Fred can be heard on over 30 recordings and his book, The Jazz Pianist: Left Hand Voicings and Chord Theory was originally published by Warner Brothers Publications and is now available from Alfred Publications.
Hughes, Simonson & Taylor
About
Meet Hughes, Simonson & Taylor With each artist having careers ranging from classical music to blues, pop, R & B, and straight-ahead jazz; pianist Fred Hughes, bassist James Simonson & percussionist David Taylor bring all these influences together to create a style of jazz that respects the past all the while pushing beyond the present. From unique takes on the jazz standards, lesser-known gems from some of the art form's greatest practitioners, with some originals thrown in the mix - - Hughes, Simonson & Taylor create a program that reflects the complexity of this great American art form.
STORY
How We Got Started
For years we played together in the rhythm section for the productions of Too Hot to Handel in Detroit and Chicago. As we got to know each other, we thought
it would be great to play in a setting outside of the production. We booked a date at Cliff Bell’s in Detroit and had a great time playing and made a promise to
continue. Then the pandemic! Trying to make the best of it, we recorded several long-distance videos which you will see on our YouTube Channel and those led
to our appearance at the Detroit Jazz Festival in 2022.
MUSIC THAT REFLECTS THE COMPLEXITY OF THE
GREAT AMERICAN ART FORM - - JAZZ.
VIDEO
Hughes, Simonson & Taylor
David Taylor
Drums David Taylor studied percussion performance at the University of Cincinnati/College-Conservatory of Music where his principal teacher was William Youhass. Other teachers include Salvatore Rabbio, Gordon Stout, and Tim Hagans. Since returning to Detroit, David has performed shows at the Fox, Masonic, and Fisher Theatres. In addition, he performs regularly with the Michigan Opera Theater Orchestra and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. David has been a member of Wayne Sate University's jazz faculty since 1991 and has toured Europe and South Africa with saxophonist Chris Collins. He has been on countless recordings, including work with Emmy award winning composer/producer Joseph LoDuca. David has taught at the Interlochen National Music Camp. David is a Vic Firth Artist.
NAVIGATION
Copyright Hughes, Simonson & Taylor 2024
CONTACT
fredhughesmusic@gmail.
com
(410) 703-0755
SOCIAL
James Simonson
Bass Besides having traveled and performed around the world as Music Director for Verve/Universal artist Bettye Lavette, being 2019’s headliner for the Chicago Blues Fest, James is also the jazz upright and electric bassist for the Detroit Symphony and The Detroit Opera House. Has performed with Aretha Franklin, Andrea Bocelli, Patti Smith, Robert Gordon and spent a year traveling with the worlds best-selling stage show, The Lion King. He has also backed Jeff Lorber, David Sanborn, Bob James, Earl Klugh, and Larry Carlton via Alexander Zonjic. Was recently used as principal bassist for The Who’s 2019 Orchestra Tour and backed Stanley Clarke at last year's Detroit Jazz Fest. A performer on the final week of the David Letterman show with Bettye LaVette. James plays a Ken Smith Black Tiger Elite 5 and uses Ernie Ball Strings.
Fred Hughes
Piano From concerts, recordings and military service in Seoul, Korea to jazz festivals as a Jazz Ambassador; conducting orchestras across the United States as a musical director to recording and producing records as a pianist and leader of his own group; Fred Hughes has had a long and varied musical journey. He has performed in all fifty states, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Korea and Europe. A sampling of the jazz festivals at which he has performed include the Newport, Montreux, Nice and North Sea Jazz Festivals. He has conducted symphony orchestras to include the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Cincinnati Pops and Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestras. Fred can be heard on over 30 recordings and his book, The Jazz Pianist: Left Hand Voicings and Chord Theory was originally published by Warner Brothers Publications and is now available from Alfred Publications.
Hughes, Simonson & Taylor
About
Meet Hughes, Simonson & Taylor With each artist having careers ranging from classical music to blues, pop, R & B, and straight-ahead jazz; pianist Fred Hughes, bassist James Simonson & percussionist David Taylor bring all these influences together to create a style of jazz that respects the past all the while pushing beyond the present. From unique takes on the jazz standards, lesser- known gems from some of the art form's greatest practitioners, with some originals thrown in the mix - - Hughes, Simonson & Taylor create a program that reflects the complexity of this great American art form.
STORY
How We Got Started
For years we played together in the rhythm
section for the productions of Too Hot to Handel
in Detroit and Chicago. As we got to know each
other, we thought it would be great to play in a
setting outside of the production. We booked a
date at Cliff Bell’s in Detroit and had a great time
playing and made a promise to continue. Then
the pandemic! Trying to make the best of it, we
recorded several long-distance videos which you
will see on our YouTube Channel and those led
to our appearance at the Detroit Jazz Festival in
2022.
MUSIC THAT
REFLECTS THE
COMPLEXITY OF
THE GREAT
AMERICAN ART
FORM - - JAZZ.
The Artists
VIDEO
Hughes, Simonson & Taylor
David Taylor
Drums David Taylor studied percussion performance at the University of Cincinnati/College-Conservatory of Music where his principal teacher was William Youhass. Other teachers include Salvatore Rabbio, Gordon Stout, and Tim Hagans. Since returning to Detroit, David has performed shows at the Fox, Masonic, and Fisher Theatres. In addition, he performs regularly with the Michigan Opera Theater Orchestra and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. David has been a member of Wayne Sate University's jazz faculty since 1991 and has toured Europe and South Africa with saxophonist Chris Collins. He has been on countless recordings, including work with Emmy award winning composer/producer Joseph LoDuca. David has taught at the Interlochen National Music Camp. David is a Vic Firth Artist.
