HAMMOND hero James Taylor is bringing his band to Cumbria for a show at the Brewery Arts Centre.

The Quartet appears at the Kendal venue on Friday February 12, performing their relentlessly entertaining tunes that take inspiration from the rare-groove style funk, and boogaloo funk of the '60s and '70s.

One of the great British instrumentalists of his generation, Taylor has taken his trademark howling Hammond sound to the masses for more than 25 years, and he is famed for his upbeat, energetic live shows.

The band is without doubt one of the most important jazz-pop crossover outfits in British live musical history today.

After the collapse of mod legends The Prisoners in the 1980s, and before moving to Sweden, James recorded some demos with brother David on guitar, the bass player from The Prisoners, and a drummer from down the road - and The James Taylor Quartet was born. 

It wasn't long before the first single, Blow Up, had been released, and the band were in the studio rehearsing for the Mission Impossible EP, gigs were booked, and the late great John Peel was offering a session.

Skip forward 25 years and JTQ has evolved into one of the most exciting and well-respected touring bands in the UK, with numerous albums to its name, touching genres as diverse as jazz, funk, soul, rock, and even rap.

Live, the band is explosive, with a diverse and unmatched back catalogue.

JTQ RONNIE SCOTTS PROMO from Joel Watt on Vimeo.

JTQ’s fired-up signature tune, The Theme from Starsky and Hutch, cemented its reputation as master of the jazz-funk workout, while '60s spy themes, psychedelic and free-form jazz all added something to the band’s distinctive sound. 

Among their many accolades to date, JTQ’s Whole Lotta Live album was nominated for a MOBO award in 1998, and the following year Taylor featured on Tom Jones’ duets album, Reload, while The Wonderstuff, Manic Street Preachers, The Pogues and U2 have all featured James and his distinctive Hammond sound on their albums.

Catch a key player in British music history at the Brewery Arts Centre on Friday February 12. Doors open at 8pm and tickets are available from the venue's box office .