Chip Taylor, R.I.P.

Chip Taylor-The Living Room Tapes — Chip Taylor quit the record business around 1980 and spent the next 15 years as a highly successful professional gambler. But as he wrote in the liner notes to this 1997 album, he returned to music making because, “for some reason, I want to do nothing but make music again.”

Chip Taylor passed away on Monday at age 86, and anyone who knows his work will likely agree that his death represents a huge loss to the music world.

His obituaries predictably focus on the classic 1960s numbers he wrote, such as “Wild Thing” (The Troggs, Jimi Hendrix) and “Angel of the Morning” (Merilee Rush), as well as on his relatives, who include his brother, actor Jon Voight, and Voight’s daughter, actress, humanitarian, and filmmaker Angelina Jolie.

Taylor’s records garner less attention but are well worth seeking out. Start with his indispensable collaborations with Carrie Rodriguez on albums such as Let’s Leave This Town, Live from the Ruhr Triennale, Red Dog Tracks, and The Trouble with Humans. But don’t miss such solo outings as The Living Room Tapes, Yonkers N.Y., and The Little Prayers Trilogy.

On these and Taylor’s many other albums, you’ll hear heartfelt music from an ultra-talented artist who loved what he did and whose focus was on conveying kindness and sharing the lessons he learned from a rich life.