Photo of Laura Taylor by Bradford Rogne

Laura Taylor

A Life in Song, A Legacy in Jazz

BY LAURA HENKEL

In the story of American music, some careers are defined not by a single genre or moment but by the way they weave across traditions, cultures and eras. Laura Taylor’s path, spanning classical roots, disco success, platinum-record songwriting and a distinguished career in jazz, embodies that journey. Her voice, once heard selling Buicks and beckoning travelers to “Fly the Friendly Skies,” would go on to resonate in recording studios, concert halls and classrooms. It is the story of a woman shaped by music from her earliest breath and who, in turn, has shaped music across decades.

Roots in a Musical Household

Taylor’s mother liked to say her daughter’s first word was “Toscanini,” though as a toddler she pronounced it “Toxcanini.” That small detail says nearly everything about the household in which she was raised.

“In my household, there was music, music, music!” Taylor recalls.

Her mother, a gifted pianist who won a fellowship to Juilliard, gave concerts and taught at Syracuse University. Her father, a World War II veteran studying on the GI Bill, moonlighted as a radio disc jockey who spun Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billy Eckstine and Peggy Lee for listeners and even interviewed Louis Armstrong.

She remembers her father playing the song “Laura” on the air for her third or fourth birthday and teaching her to sing the standards with his own rich baritone. Though his career eventually shifted to business, music remained their shared language, even as the family moved from town to town.

A Voice Takes Shape

By high school, Taylor’s gifts were undeniable. In Monroe, Ohio, she starred in musicals such as “Annie Get Your Gun,” “The Music Man” and “Oklahoma!” Her mother, recognizing her promise, brought her to Robert Powell at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Powell accepted her as a student and secured her a scholarship upon graduation. His rigorous bel canto method became the foundation of her technique, and Taylor credits his training for a career free of vocal strain or injury.

Powell’s sudden death left her adrift. Around that time, she wore out a roommate’s Nancy Wilson record and leaned on her father’s guidance. A booking agent told her that if she could play and sing 10 songs, she could earn $100 a week at the Van Cleve Hotel. Taylor assembled a repertoire, including “Take Five,” “Laura” and “The Girl from Ipanema,” and launched her professional career.

Finding a Studio Home

Commercial work soon followed. Taylor’s voice rang out in households across America in national campaigns for United Airlines and Buick.

“My mother was grocery shopping in Detroit and heard ‘Wouldn’t You Really Rather Have a Buick,'” Taylor laughs. “She said she broke down in tears buying toilet paper, telling people around her, ‘That’s my daughter’s voice!'”

For Taylor, the jingles did more than pay the bills. They introduced her to her true love.

“The most important effect on my life from singing jingles was realizing how much I love being in a recording studio,” she says. “It has been one of my real happy places.”

But life was not linear. Marriage and two sons briefly sidelined her career. After six years, divorced and a single mother, she began again, working nights and writing songs into the early hours. At North Miami’s famed Criteria Studios, she recorded demos that caught the attention of owner Mack Emerman. Soon she was singing background vocals on Firefall’s “Elan,” produced by Tom Dowd. The album went platinum, and Taylor received her first platinum album as part of the team.

A Miracle Named Tony Bennett

She still remembers the weight of that demo tape in her hand, the quick heartbeat as Tony Bennett opened the door backstage at the Doral in Miami. She barely managed to say, “Mr. Bennett, I am a singer-songwriter, and you are my standard of excellence. This is a tape of some of my original songs.” Bennett took the tape, shook her hand and closed the door.

“That was it. No hope, I thought,” she remembers.

Two days later, the Miami Herald carried a surprise. Bennett had pulled out a pocket recorder during his interview and pressed play on Taylor’s songs.

“She’s really unique, you gotta listen to her,” he told the reporter. “I think she’s really something.”

Taylor was stunned.

“Well, talk about validation! Hugely emotional moment for me! That was all I needed to know I was on the right track.”

‘Dancin’ in My Feet’ and the Disco Era

When Criteria Studios needed a new vocalist for the theme of the pioneering television show “Disco Magic,” Taylor was offered the track. “Dancin’ in My Feet” went on to become a Billboard top-10 disco hit, putting her alongside songs such as “I Will Survive” and “Ring My Bell.” The single led to a full album, featuring eight of Taylor’s original compositions.

The Bee Gees’ backup band, in Miami recording “Spirits Having Flown,” played on the record.

One afternoon, walking down the hallway at Criteria Studios, Taylor suddenly froze. Barry Gibb was approaching. She braced for a polite nod, then realized he was humming—not a Bee Gees classic, but one of her songs.

“My first thought was, ‘Oh no! Did I copy one of his songs?!'” Taylor laughs. Instead, Gibb stopped, smiled and told her he thought the melody was beautiful. Then he added the words that stuck with her: “You should be writing all the time.”

“I couldn’t believe it. I was on cloud nine,” she recalls.

The disco wave also brought her to national television. Taylor performed “Dancin’ in My Feet” on “The Midnight Special” alongside Wolfman Jack, Sylvester and Chic, and later appeared on “The Dinah Shore Show” and other broadcasts celebrating the era.

Encounters with Legends

The studio continued to open remarkable doors. Taylor sang backup for George Martin, the Beatles’ legendary producer. At a friend’s urging, she slipped him a demo. Days later, Martin called, declaring her song “Think I’m in Love” a hit. He even came to her Miami condo to help her rework the demo.

Diana Ross eventually recorded the song for her “Why Do Fools Fall in Love” album, and though it landed as the B-side, the album went platinum.

“I confess to having a great deal of pride,” Taylor says, “having a platinum record for a song I wrote the music and lyrics to. And yes, I think it changed me for the better!”

On the Road: New York, Atlantic City, Las Vegas

That recording led to appearances on “The Merv Griffin Show,” where Merv Griffin insisted Taylor perform her own compositions. She went on to perform at Caesars Palace, the Waldorf Astoria and Steve Wynn’s Golden Nugget. Comedian Don Rickles brought her on as his opening act, eventually leading to a move to Las Vegas and a long association with the Desert Inn.

Michael Feinstein once stopped mid-performance at Bellagio to introduce her from the stage as “a very special talent.” Encounters with Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and others solidified her place in the pantheon of working musicians whose talent was recognized by legends.

Jazz Evolutions and Turning Points

Though disco and cabaret gave her wide recognition, it was jazz that increasingly defined Taylor’s artistry. A partnership with pianist Steve Kuhn in New York revealed new harmonic possibilities that deepened her singing. Recording with Joe Henderson at the jazz club Fat Tuesday’s affirmed her place among jazz greats.

In Las Vegas, she married Dr. David Mulkey, a jazz lover who became both her life partner and collaborator. With Mulkey’s support, Taylor recorded six jazz albums, performing with luminaries such as Eddie Gomez, Lewis Nash, Red Holloway, Jack Sheldon and the Candoli Brothers.

The Teacher’s Heart

Today, mentoring the next generation gives Taylor immense joy. With Mulkey, she endowed a chair at UNLV, now held by David Loeb. She has been a guest artist and composer with the DownBeat award-winning Jazz Band One, featured on their CDs and live concerts.

“I feel very motherly toward them,” Taylor says, “and yet playing jazz together transcends age and we are all speaking the same language.”

Reflection and Resilience

Taylor has lived through seismic shifts in the industry, from analog to digital, from disco to streaming. She embraces Alexa and Spotify even as she dreams of pressing her latest record to vinyl.

“Rather than bemoan the loss of some high notes, I am relishing all the ‘life’ in my voice,” she reflects.

Her place in musical history, she believes, lies in striving always for excellence, from jazz standards to originals. She is proud to be in the Disco Hall of Fame, prouder still to be a platinum songwriter, and grateful for the joy of sharing music across generations.

“I wrote a song that went platinum and I am in the Disco Hall of Fame,” she says. “The joy really lies in the writing and still having a dream.”

Concert Calendar and Album Spotlight

Taylor’s music continues to unfold onstage and in the studio.

Her newest project, “Think I’m in Love” with pianist and arranger Uli Geissendoerfer, revisits the classic she penned and reimagines it for today with fresh arrangements and heartfelt performances.

“When people play the album ‘Think I’m in Love,’ I hope they will feel a happy sensuality,” Taylor says. “Many of my life experiences are in the lyrics, and the music expresses my soul.”

Audiences will have the chance to hear Taylor live this season:

Dec. 14, 2025 – Holiday Concert with Uli Geissendoerfer
The Bootlegger Bistro, 1–3 p.m.
Presented by the Las Vegas Jazz Society, this afternoon concert blends seasonal favorites with Taylor’s signature style.

Her recordings, including “Think I’m in Love” and her previous jazz CDs, are available on all streaming platforms. For those who still treasure the warmth of vinyl, Taylor also plans to release the new album as an LP, a fitting nod to the analog roots of a career that has always embraced both history and innovation. For Taylor, the joy is not just in looking back but in making music that still sings forward.