Rochester Public Market musician, Hosea Taylor, dies

The Rochester Public Market won’t be the same without the saxophone.

The relaxed notes wafted into the air while shoppers passed by, many barely noticing the man behind the music. His name was Hosea Taylor Jr., and he didn’t play for the money sometimes offered to him — he played because he had a vision for Rochester.

“Hosea was the man with the horn,” said Rev. Fannie Reeves, a co-board member with Taylor at the Southwest Area Neighborhood Association. Taylor was on the board for more than 20 years and retired about a year ago.

Taylor passed away this month, but he is remembered by many as a giving and gregarious man who never gave up on his city.

“He was very community-minded,” said Reeves. “He wanted to try to better the neighborhood.”

He did this through his music and his "kind and gentle soul," said Mayor Lovely Warren, noting that Taylor would drop off cards of encouragement for her and other officials at City Hall.

"There wasn't a place he went where he didn't carry his saxophone," said Warren. "He didn't do it just to entertain but it was a ministry. When people probably felt at their lowest, he would come and deliver a song."

He had roots in Pittsburgh, and his father, Hosea Taylor Sr., was also a renowned saxophonist. Taylor Jr. showed up in Rochester in the 1970s and got involved with community activism work, said Naimah Sierra of Action for a Better Community.

“The reason he got into music was because he was trying to teach young people that there was an art they could dedicate themselves to,” she said. Taylor could play numerous instruments, and decided to use his music to influence kids to aim high, said Sierra.

He offered free music lessons, and had a hand in starting a band that would play for parades and other events in the southwest neighborhoods, said James Norman, President and CEO at Action for a Better Community.

“We always had a conversation about music,” said Norman. “He would talk to anyone as long as they would listen.”

That was one of the most striking things about him, said freelance videographer Zach Surpernant, who was filming in Rochester while waiting for a bus and spied Taylor playing on a city street.

“If there was one thing he taught me, it was to talk to strangers,” said Surprenant, who ended up spending two hours with Taylor, talking about brass instruments and life. Taylor called him occasionally after that, just to chat.

Taylor also sold incense and oils at a stand downtown, and between that and the market, he was able to meet new friends and stay in touch with old ones, said Sierra.

While he was often discouraged that many had lost their fervor for revitalizing Rochester, he remained excited about doing his small part until the end, and it showed.

“He just sort of glowed,” said Surpernant.

The viewing for Taylor is scheduled for 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at Cathedral of Hope Community Church, 1089 Joseph Ave.

The funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at the same location.

The Charleston House Restaurant in Rochester posted on Facebook that there will be a donation jar set up at the restaurant for those who want to donate toward Taylor’s funeral arrangements. The restaurant will donate 50 cents from every drink purchased and $1 from every entree sold until the date of the funeral.

STADDEO@Gannett.com