Chad Taylor is a composer, educator, percussionist, scholar, and co-founder of the Chicago Underground Duo. Originally from Tempe, Arizona, Taylor grew up in Chicago where he started performing professionally at the age of 16. Since then, he has performed with Fred Anderson, Derek Bailey, Cooper-Moore, Pharoah Sanders, Marc Ribot, Peter Brötzmann, and Malachi Favors. In 2009, Taylor, who holds a bachelor’s in fine arts in jazz performance from New York City’s The New School and a master’s in fine arts in jazz research and history from Rutgers University, released Circle Down, his debut as a leader, and the record grabbed five-star kudos from AllMusic.