Taylor Harvey keeps plugging away

By: JIM TRAGESER - Staff Writer | Wednesday, November 14, 2007 1:29 PM PST ∞

San Diego roots-rocker Taylor Harvey has been gigging around town for more than 15 years now, the last decade playing solo or leading bands of his own. But like hundreds and hundreds of other talented musicians who call San Diego County home, getting noticed and building a fan base has been among his biggest challenges.

A series of gigs opening for legendary local acts the Farmers (surviving remnants of the Beat Farmers) and Joey Harris (another former Beat Farmer) has raised his profile considerably during the past couple of years.

Now Harvey (playing Friday and Saturday at Cheers in Ramona) is getting ready to cut his fourth CD, and perhaps even get his four-piece band on the road for some regional weekend mini-tours to Phoenix, Las Vegas or points north.

While everyone in the band except Harvey (who stays home to care for he and his wife's daughter) has a day job, Harvey said that "If it's something we can plan for far enough in advance, we'd be able to do that."

And with a new label (his first three CDs were self-released), Taylor is even hoping that support might open some additional doors.

On the home front, Harvey said the support he receives from his wife is incalculable.

"My wife is very, very supportive ---- especially considering that when we met, I had a real job. She did not know that this full-time musician thing was in the cards ---- nor did I at the time."

By Harvey's own admission, he was a late bloomer as a professional musician. While he took violin lessons as a child (both parents were trained classical musicians), he didn't pick up guitar until junior high ---- and didn't play his first real gig until he was 28.

At that point, he'd left his native Oregon and relocated to San Diego, where he'd taken a job as a cook at a hotel in La Jolla.

Although he'd been playing guitar since he was 14, it had been for his own and his friend's entertainment.

But shortly after moving to San Diego, he met a local musician, Gary Seiler, who shared Harvey's passion for the music of Jimmy Buffett.

"What should have been just a 20-minute how-you-doing conversation turned into a four hour jam session playing all these old Jimmy Buffett songs. He was impressed enough with me at that point to invite me to join his band. I started playing rhythm guitar and doing a little background vocals and just trying to fit in where I could. The stage fright at that time was real bad, so I just stayed back as far as I could.

Harvey was playing behind the first rhythm guitarist and primary backup singer, a guy named Tim Flannery. When Flannery took a job managing a minor league baseball team, Harvey said he moved up to Flannery's spot in the band.

After playing with Seiler for three and a half years, Harvey played some solo gigs and also led a series of cover bands while living in Albuquerque, N.M., for a couple of years.

"I had really done everything you could do without doing original songs," he said. "And I was starting to write songs I was very proud of. My writing had come a long way over the years."

In 2001, he decided to record his first CD, "No Loitering," which was issued a year later.

"Very shortly thereafter, I realized that the guys who recorded with me had other musical commitments and weren't going to be available in any kind of supporting role. In mid-2002, I started looking around" to form his own band, Harvey said.

"The first guy I called was Tim Edwards. I had known him for several years, and done sound for his band. He's been with me ever since. I can't imagine doing what I've done without him."

His bassist, Mike Chandler, has been with the band three years, Harvey said, while drummer Greg Henning has been with the band for two.

And while his name is on the band, and he writes most of the band's songs, Harvey said all of the members of the band have a say in how things are run.

"Everybody has to like what we're doing. So if I'm coming up with songs that one or more of the guys don't like, I have to think about that. Do I even have veto power?

"Would I even want to use it if I did?"

Taylor Harvey Band

When: 9 p.m. Friday and 9 p.m. Saturday

Where: Cheers, 2475 Main St., Ramona

Admission: Free

Info: (760) 789-0270

Web: myspace.com/thetaylorharveyband or taylorharveyband.com

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