PITTSBURGH MAGAZINE--December, 1995
RING IN THE SEASON

For the more traditionally minded, there's the B. E. Taylor Christmas. In true holiday fashion, Taylor is joined by friends Rick Witkowski, Pete Hewlett and Donnie Iris on the road to Christmas classics, ranging from "Joy to the World" to "Silent Night."
THE TIMES LEADER--December, 1997
B.E. TAYLOR KEEPS BUSY DURING HOLIDAY SEASON

B. E. Taylor doesn't have a day off until Christmas, but he's not complaining.

"I just keep telling myself, ' You have a Christmas CD out, what do you expect?"

When I caught him on the phone last Wednesday, he was getting ready for an afternoon Christmas gig at the Howard Long Wellness Center. After that, he was headed to Pittsburgh to film a Christmas video for the WTAE-Channel 4 Bundle Up Telethon and then on to the annual charity jam benefiting Toys for Tots at Nick's Fat City in Pittsburgh.

Not your average Wednesday.

But, as much as Taylor tries to keep life normal for his family, he's not your average Ohio Valley resident. Singles from his eclectic and energetic self-produced 1994 CD "B. E. Taylor Christmas," as well as from his new adult contemporary CD "Try Love," have received air play on over 100 stations across the country.

This year, Taylor's powerful rendition of "O Holy Night" can be heard on the airwaves in Pittsburgh, Denver, Richmond, Va., and Providence, R.I., as well as scores of medium-sized U. S. cities.

And on Thursday and Friday, Dec. 18 and 19, Taylor and his talented musical entourage of friends will perform "O Holy Night," "Mary's Boy Child," "Little Drummer Boy" and other favorites from the Christmas CD live in Wheeling's Capitol Music Hall for the third annual B. E. Taylor Christmas Concert.

This year's concert is full of surprises, Taylor said. The format is little changed from previous years due to overwhelming positive response, but Taylor said he and his band have built upon and enhanced the show.

"Last year, I know I said from the stage that we were going to o all these different things, and, you know, a lot of people came up to me after the show and said don't change. Everybody was saying "slow down, take a deep breath and just give it to us again." Taylor said.

He thought about how much he enjoys it when his favorite musicians perform their old hits and realized his fans were right. So he abandoned his lofty plans and will give them what they've come for in the past, including "Karen" and "Vitamin L," his early 80's hits from the B. E. Taylor Group.

One idea he kept, however, was expanding the show to two nights in order to accommodate newcomers. In 1995, the concert filled the Glessner Auditorium in Oglebay Park's Wilson Lodge, forcing it to a larger venue last year. Then, Taylor packed them in at the Capitol. Only a few weeks after last year's show, Taylor picked out the two dates for this year's concert.

The concert's draw is the variety of musical styles and sounds - reggae to Middle Eastern to rock 'n roll - as well as the energy created by Taylor and artists from Pittsburgh and the Ohio Valley whom he has worked with over the years, including: on guitar, vocals and percussion, Rick Witkowski of Weirton (who co-produced the Christmas album with Taylor and co-wrote "Vitamin L" with his wife); Jamie Peck of Wheeling on piano, saxophone and flute; Tom Bellin of Pittsburgh on bass guitar; Herman Granati of Pittsburgh on vocals and keyboards; Jeff Jimerson, the voice of the Pittsburgh Penguins, on guitar and vocals; Rick Dickerson of Pittsburgh on drums; and, Nat Kerr of Nashville on keyboards.

With harmonious voices, powerful music and the feel-good backdrop of the holiday season, the group appeals to all ages.

"I don't think there are young kids in the audience saying, 'Oh this isn't hip,' or grandparents complaining, 'It's too loud,'" Taylor said. "Last year, the people at the Capitol said folks were leaving the building with big smiles on their faces and singing," he said.

"I can't describe how wonderful I felt after the show, I just can't put it into wordsS"
THE INTELLIGENCER AND WHEELING NEWS-REGISTER (TGIF)--December, 1997
ON THE COVER Singer

B. E. Taylor of Wheeling will stage his third annual Christmas Concert at the Capitol Music Hall in downtown Wheeling tonight. The two-show event began Thursday. Portions of proceeds will benefit the Wheeling Soup Kitchen and the House of the Carpenter.

"For the past 10 years the guys in the group and I have seen the need for help and have been fortunate, thorough the strength of Christ, to be able to give back to those in our own communities," he said.

Taylor, a native of Aliquippa, PA, resides in Wheeling with his wife, Veronica, and their two children.
THE DOMINION POST--December, 1997
B.E. TAYLOR SPREADS SOME HOLIDAY CHEER

B. E. Taylor was a man on a mission Friday night at Capitol Music Hall. Actually, he was on a mission from God. The Third Annual B. E. Taylor Christmas Concert was the venue and B. E. Taylor's mission to spread a little Christmas cheer was nothing short of a religious experience.

I bumped into B. E. Taylor's bass player Tommy Bellin a few weeks ago and he invited me to check out the Christmas show. Since it was getting near the holidays and I hadn't quite found myself in the holiday spirit, I took him up on his offer and made the trip to Wheeling.

The two-hour show opened with a captivating version of "Angels We Have Heard on High," off the B. E. Taylor Christmas release. If you don't have the CD in your holiday music collection, I strongly recommend you pick it up for next year's yuletide enjoyment.

Taylor's ability to translate such Christmas classics as "We Three Kings," "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem," and "What Child is This," with the raw energy and emotion of modern rock & roll is superb. Timeless songs we all grew up with were brought to life in a way only Taylor can, with soulful spirituality and flawless execution. (It's hard to believe these guys only rehearsed the weekend before.) The concert is a holiday fund-raiser for The Wheeling Soup Kitchen and House of the Carpenter. Within the first few minutes of the show, I already had my ten bucks worth.

B. E. also treated the capacity audience to several tracks from his new CD "Try Love." "This Time," "Be There," and "Big Enough" were crowd pleasers. And the 'unplugged' version of his new single "I'd Love You All Over Again" was excellent. This was written for his wife Veronica. Evidently she grew tired of the only other "song" he had written for her "Veronica, Play your Harmonica."

Although it's been more than 11 years since I've seen these guys live, they've certainly improved with age. The all-star lineup for the two shows Thursday and Friday nights read like a who's who of Pittsburgh/Wheeling music mainstays. B. E.'s "American Express Card - can't leave home without him" Rick Witkowski is one of the most talented guitar players I've ever seen. And former G-Force keyboard player Hermie Granati wowed the audience with a killer Beatles medley and later confessed he was glad he "only had to do that once a year." A new addition to B. E. Taylor's band is Rick Dickerson. This guy is a major league talent and added a distinctive style to such Taylor hits as "Vitamin L" and "Karen." Dickerson lead the Wheeling Park High School Drum Line, marching through the theatre, in a phenomenal rendition of "Little Drummer Boy." Dickerson's playing is reminiscent of Omar Hakin from Sting's Blue Turtles band.

Several times during the concert it was clear that B. E. was fulfilling his goal of spreading the Christmas spirit. This guy really knows how to have fun on stage. You can tell that his band appreciates his positive energy as well. Midway through the show, the Grace harvest Church choir from Wheeling Island joined the group for ethereal renditions of "Joy to the World" and "Silent Night." But the highlight of the show was the encore performance of "Oh, Holy Night." With Nat Kerr on keys, B. E. sang as if the Holy Spirit filled his soul right there on the stage. I have never heard such a beautiful rendition of this traditional Christmas song. Come to think of it, I've never heard a more beautiful song, period. It was pure B. E. Taylor.

By the end of the performance, it was evident that the crowd deeply appreciated the efforts of their hometown hero. How many major label artists stay 90 minutes after the concert to sign autographs and talk to their fans? According to B. E., he plans to kick off a tour supporting the new CD. If you have a chance to see these guys, do yourself a favor and go. Tickets for next year's Christmas Concert are already on sale.

B. E. Taylor is one of the great unnoticed West Virginia treasures. By the positive sound in his voice it's clear: He's a man on a mission.