This month in the busking spotlight is Jacob Taylor, better known as Coob Taylor. Coob Taylor has been a regular in the Brighton busking scene since he moved here from Regensburg, Germany, almost two years ago. Best known for his fingerstyle jazz guitar, but a master of all, Coob Taylor is one of the most exciting buskers on the Brighton streets.
Here Coob tells us a bit more about his busking experiences as well as playing one of his favourite songs to busk live, a cover of Dragostea Din Tei by O-Zone.
How did you first start playing guitar?
I always was into music from a very young age and got very fortunate that my parents were really supportive and offered me the opportunity to receive guitar lessons from the age of 7. From there it’s just the natural way of things, you get into something, and because you really enjoy it you do it more and more as you get older and then suddenly you are obsessed.
How and when did you get into busking?
Getting a part time job was never an option due to my disability [Coob has severe problems with his eye sight] so it seemed to be an easy way to make money. I started when I was around 15 and as my hobbies progressively got more expensive I started busking more frequently. I am very thankful to have this a source of income since it combines my favourite things; beings outside, meeting people and playing music. I’m just very fortunate that I manage to generate an income by doing what I love.
How is busking in Brighton compared to busking in your hometown?
My hometown is a significantly smaller but still touristy place in south Germany. The competition there is less quantitative, but from the same quality as in Brighton. The main difference is in the money you make, people in my hometown aren't bombarded by buskers as frequently so they tend to be a bit more giving then the people in Brighton who see buskers on a daily basis.
What projects are you involved in outside of busking?
When I’m busking or doing my solo projects I normally play a mixture of classical and jazz guitar. My other projects are far wider ranged though, past and current project I was part of have involved everything from folk world music with my last band, to new grunge with Liam Floyd & The Soy Boys which as a band we like to describe as “loser rock”.
Watch Coob perform his cover of 'Dragostae Din Tei' here:
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