Chad Taylor is a composer, educator, percussionist, and scholar who is a co-founder, with Rob Mazurek, of the Chicago Underground ensembles (duo, trio, quartet). Originally from Tempe, AZ, Chad grew up in Chicago where he started performing professionally at the age of 16. Chad has performed with Fred Anderson, Derek Bailey, Cooper-Moore, Pharoah Sanders, Marc Ribot, Peter Brotzmann, Malachi Favors, and many others and leads his own trio, Circle Down. He has been busy in the recording studio, appearing on albums by Jaimie Branch, Eric Reaves, and others, but also on Radiant Imprints, in duo with saxophonist James Brandon Lewis and most recently, last year released a solo CD, Myths and Morals. Chad has a BFA from the New School in Jazz Performance and a MFA in Jazz Research and History from Rutgers University, where he currently teaches when he is not touring all over the globe.