A five-time Grammy-nominated vibraphonist known for a genre he invented himself is coming to Las Vegas next month, and tickets are just $20. Jason “Malletman” Taylor will bring his signature blend of jazz, R&B, and swing to Charleston Heights Arts Center on Sept. 5 at 7 p.m., with doors set for the 800 Brush Street venue.
The performance was announced by the City of Las Vegas, which promoted the show as a chance for jazz lovers to “feel the groove” with a world-class vibraphone performance. Taylor's five Grammy ballot nominations include nods for Best Jazz Instrumental Solo for his rendition of The Christmas Song and for his original single Color by Mallets, according to SABIAN Cymbals.
Taylor's musical pedigree traces directly back to one of jazz history's most towering figures. He began his professional career after meeting legendary vibraphonist Lionel Hampton in 1981, and Hampton named him his protégé, brought him into his home, and featured him on U.S. and European tours with his 18-piece big band, per Yamaha Music. Before settling on the vibraphone, Taylor transitioned from drums to xylophone at age 12, the same account notes.
The Sound Taylor Calls Vibrafunk
Out of that mentorship, Taylor developed what he calls Vibrafunk, his term for a signature style that fuses traditional jazz, R&B, and swing by pairing vibraphone melodies with thumping bass guitar rhythms. In 1985, while still working alongside Hampton, Taylor launched his own independent record label, Mallet Records, built around the mission statement of Keeping Real Music Alive, according to a 2017 release from PRWeb. The label was created to promote his debut recording, Once Upon a Mallet.
Taylor's career has crossed genre lines throughout the decades. He has recorded with two-time Grammy winner George Clinton and performed alongside drummer Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, Dizzy Gillespie, and B.B. King, and he has opened for Earth, Wind & Fire, according to Vic Firth Artist. His 2017 EP, It's A Groove, brought Clinton and Purdie together on the same project, the same profile notes.
An Advocate for Music Education
Beyond performing, Taylor has built a parallel career in arts education. To counter budget cuts hitting public school music programs, he launched the Slammin' Percussion Symposiums in 2009, bringing master drummers like Chester Thompson and Bernard Purdie to teach free masterclasses to young musicians, as reported by Modern Drummer Magazine in 2010. He also authored an educational comic book series called Malletman Saves Real Music, featuring a vibraphone-playing superhero who travels to stages and classrooms to inspire kids to play live instruments, according to his official site.
That educational bent lines up with the mission of the venue hosting him. Charleston Heights Arts Center is owned and operated by the City of Las Vegas Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, offering a theater, art galleries, rehearsal spaces, and year-round community classes in drama, dance, visual arts, and music. It also serves as the primary home for the city-funded Rainbow Company Youth Theatre, which has trained young performers for 50 years, and hosts resident groups including the Contemporary West Dance Theatre, which became an artist-in-residence there in June 2020.
Ticket Details for the Sept. 5 Show
Tickets for the Taylor performance are $20, and per City of Las Vegas policy, all ticket sales at Charleston Heights Arts Center are non-refundable, with fees supporting municipal box office operations. House doors typically open 30 minutes before scheduled performance times. Charleston Heights Arts Center has hosted a busy season of city-backed programming recently, from youth theater showcases to a senior talent competition, making Taylor's Vibrafunk set the latest addition to the venue's community-focused lineup.
