Michael Ronald Taylor, known as Mike Taylor, was born on June 1, 1938, in Ealing, London. He began his musical career in the early 1960s, recording two albums for the Lansdowne series produced by Denis Preston: Pendulum (1966) and Trio (1967), both released under Columbia Records. Taylor's compositions were featured on Cream's 1968 album Wheels of Fire, including "Passing the Time", "Pressed Rat and Warthog", and "Those Were the Days". His work was also included on Neil Ardley's New Jazz Orchestra album Le Déjeuner Sur L’Herbe (September 1968). Taylor drowned in the Thames near Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, on January 19, 1969. In 2007, Dusk Fire Records released the posthumous tribute album Mike Taylor Remembered. Reissued in 2025, the album Trio reached the 9th place in UK Jazz & Blues chart.
