About Rita Taylor
Singer/Songwriter
Primary Musical Genre: Rock
Secondary Genre: Pop/Jazz
Contact Info: Rita (520)360-7893
Tucson, Arizona
Email: rtexpress357@ymail.com

"For a traditional, Americana pop-rock style...her lead vocal is sincere, communicates emotion to the listener...good use of imagery, in the category of such pop listings as Jewel, Sarah McLaughlin, and a wide range of singer songwriter artists." --Taxi A&R Staff

Artist Information
BIO: Rita's "go to" Guitar has been the YAMAHA acoustic she got in Seattle when she lived there for 3 years in the late 70s-80s and got her start as "street musician" at the Pike Street Market.
Writing for Rock Ensemble (and a horn or two) since age eleven, Rita started playing out at an early age with childhood friends from the neighborhood in her garage in New Jersey. She played both Electric guitar and Drumset in those early bands, and still perceives that role as most freeing, being able to express herself going from one instrument to another. Influenced from early 60s Pop and WW II Jazz Standards, Rita made the transition to 70s Rock like a champ. Her Ballads have truly become Rock Anthems, and the jazzier songs have made her indeed Progressive. By the early 90s, her lyrical style had become pensive and obviously ample in the new light that would be thrown upon every aspect of her life, and in the wonderful glow that the world would begin to wear for her. Always a message of hope, even in a love-lost, Rita sees the highest good in circumstances and continues to write music inspired by life, love and limitless wonderment. Now, with all the neccessary copyrights in order, Rita is capable of entertaining with 5 to 6 hours of original music to choose from, both Acoustic and Electric. Leaving two working bands behind in Tucson, Rita has relocated to Sedona where she found time to play drums for Ryan Van Band, then full-time with The Sammy Davis Band for the last year and a half. Enjoying some well-deserved 'down time' after a motorcycle accident, Rita has returned to work as a Registered Nurse after taking some time to heal and re-group with her own music endeavors. Finally catagorizing her body of works, Rita has breathed new life into her songs, and has started to re-tool them with Daryl Carter in Sedona. They're now on simmer on the front burner. She considers it an honor to be copied in any form. Being called "a musician's musician", Rita regards this as the highest complement from one of her peers, and hopes to continue to inspire others to pursue their love of music by demonstration.
Since the time of this writing (2008), Rita has returned to Tucson where she continues to immerse herself in auditory gratification and although working for a living, would be pleased to find a good fit with other local musicians to continue playing out and including others to record and work on original material.

InfluencesWith influences ranging from Tom Petty to Bonnie Raitt and from Joni Mitchell to Yes, Rita lives for pop melodies and Guitar and Bass hooks.

Equipment ListInstrumentation for solo appearances:
Rita (guitars, various mics, programmable Boss DR-5 drum/Bass machine, Harmonicas)

Writing tools include: FENDER Telecaster Electric Guitar and TAYLOR Electric/Acoustic (short scale) 710 CE L9 series; FENDER Musicmaster Bass; YAMAHA PSR-240 Midi Keyboard; YAMAHA Clarinet; Native flutes; Hohner Harmonicas; 5-piece TAMA Swingstar Drumset (with VIC FIRTH Dave Weckl signature sticks); SHALLOCK conga & bongo set.