Former Rolling Stones guitarist and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Mick Taylor will make a rare New York City appearance for a week of shows at Iridium from May 9 to 14.
The final night, May 14, will mark the launch of "Guitar World & The Iridium Present," a new monthly series highlighting the world's best guitarists performing with The Les Paul Trio.
Tickets are on sale today, with an exclusive pre-sale available to fans of Iridium on Facebook.
Taylor, ranked No. 37 on Rolling Stone's list of the Top 100 Guitarists of All Time, was in The Rolling Stones from 1969 to 1974 and appears on the classic Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St. albums.
He came to the band as a 20-year-old, following several years with John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers. After his time with the Stones, he went on to perform with everyone from Bob Dylan to Percy Sledge, even rejoining The Bluesbreakers for a tour in the early '80s.
At the Iridium, Taylor will perform with an all-star band featuring Max Middleon (keyboards), Wilbur Bascomb (bass), Bernard "Pretty" Purdie (drums) and Jon Paris (guitar/vocals). For the May 14 Guitar World & The Iridium Present show, Taylor will be joined by Middleton and The Les Paul Trio.
Since Les Paul's death in 2009, his Trio -- guitarist Lou Pallo, bassist Nicki Parrott and pianist John Colianni -- has carried on his legacy, performing every Monday night with special guests that have included guitar heroes from a variety of genres, including Jeff Beck, Steve Miller, Ted Nugent and Robert Randolph.
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IridiumLive, the club's new label launching April 3, will capture the magic of these and other performances at Iridium with its HD 32-track studio. The first release, A Jazz Tribute to Les, features the Trio performing with Nels Cline of Wilco, Stanley Jordan, Bucky Pizzarelli and Jane Monheit.
In Les' honor, Iridium seeks to balance established stars like Taylor with cutting-edge guitarists like Wayne Krantz, who will perform with the Trio April 9 and celebrate his record release at the club April 12 to 15. A portion of the door from each Les Paul Monday show goes to benefit The Les Paul Foundation, which pays tribute to Paul's memory by supporting music education, engineering and innovation.
WHO: Mick Taylor
WHAT: "Guitar World & The Iridium Present" Series Launch
WHERE: Iridium, 1650 Broadway at 51st Street, New York City
WHEN: 8 and 10 p.m. May 9 to 14
TICKETS: theiridium.com
For a complete calendar of events at Iridium, visit Iridium's calendar page.