"Smart, rounded vocal harmonies, lyrical humor, and stylish pickin'–these are the hallmarks of Gecko music... " — Tony May, FOLK ROOTS
"A stalwart of the Gecko sound is the harmonies–unusual blendings of both human and instrumental voices ... this music is silky smooth and polished." — DIRTY LINEN
"They're full of the energy friends get from creating together, and they share this joy with the audience through their music. It's impossible to hear the Geckos and go home without feeling inspired to 'leave those blues behind!'" — Lavonne Carlson, IN ART MAGAZINE
"The human Banded Geckos are no less distinctive than their lizard namesake. So versatile as to defy compartmentalization, they blend elements of folk, swing, and vintage 'teapad' jive." — Perry Stewart, FT. WORTH STAR TELEGRAM
"The Banded Geckos specialize in smoothly acoustic instrumental interplay overlayed by bright vocal harmonies." — David Prince, THE NEW MEXICAN
"...An outstanding sound, entirely different from anything in Nashville now. I don't think there's anybody like them!" — Johnny Western, KFDI RADIO, WICHITA, KANSAS
"Some beautiful lyrics from the Geckos selection of songs only added to their fine perfomance." — Terry Hagerty, KERRVILLE DAILY TIMES, MAY 24, 1985
"Their versatility is finely honed to the extent of defining them as specialists in virtually their whole range of folk, bluegrass, swing, jazz, and close vocal harmony." — FOLK ROOTS, MARCH 1997
"'Law Against the Blues' is a good example of what the Geckos do best. Gus Fory's fiddle lends its voice with guest Joe Lynch's clarinet to gently nudge things to a start, soon to be joined by Tim Taylor's smooth understated vocals and Evelyne's harmonies." — DIRTY LINEN, SEPTEMBER 1991
"If you like bluegrass but not all bluegrass, Gecoupage is the album for you. If you like swing, but not 100% swing, try Gecoupage. The album is brought to you by Santa Fe-based band The Banded Geckos, which relies on versatility and and talent to carry the day." — David Steinberg, THE ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL
"… Four self-released albums in one and a half decades implies products that have been carefully hand crafted. Gecko Canyon is the first collection to feature only original material by The Banded Geckos - aka Tim and Evelyne Taylor, while the front of the liner booklet features Evelyne's painting of the hollow Arizona landmark. Kicking off in the Houston suburb of Bellaire, for the past seven years, the Taylors have been residents of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Swing rhythms, vocal harmony and humor have underpinned their previous, acoustic folk, approach and those elements reappear here in tunes such as Cartoon Music. The Love is Gone maintains Evelyne's penchant for penning odes of the heart, while Tim's Ode To Camelot brings a serious note to their oeuvre. The latter song reviews the (historical) events that led up to, followed and occurred on the fateful day in late November 1963 in Dallas, Texas and intelligently poses more questions than it attempts to answer. Gecko Canyon contains fourteen good reasons to contact: Spanish Omelet Productions, 1704 Llano, Suite B # 102, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505, U.S.A. or via the web at www.bandedgeckos.com or www.folkweb.com" — Arthur Wood, Issue of Folk Roots, The August / September 2000
Geckos Scale Back Harmony. New CD Focuses on Songwriting
The Banded Geckos have changed their stripes, musically speaking. With the folksy Santa Fe band's latest CD - "Gecko Canyon" on the Spanish Omelet Productions label - the Geckos have moved away a bit from the acoustic swing of the previous recordings. The change was prompted by the departure of former singing Gecko Gus Fory. "We used to concentrate really heavily on that old Harlem swing sound," says Evelyne Taylor, who with husband Tim Taylor formed the Banded Geckos in 1980 in Houston. "But Gus retired from the music business, and without that three-part harmony, you just can't get that swing sound. So we thought, 'What do we do now?' And we just decided to really work on our songwriting. "So this CD is pretty much songs Tim and I have written, no matter what the genre." "Gecko Canyon," released in May, contains 14 original tunes in which the husband-wife team explores nostalgia, relationships, old friends and - in Evelyne's bluesy "Oil Man" - the petroleum business. With a few lyric changes, the Geckos could turn the song into a topical send-up of oil man George W. Bush. But it's really a friendly look at the people who provide what makes internal combustion engines go. "When we lived in Houston, almost every other person you met was in the oil business," Evelyne said. "I have a couple of uncles in the business and some really close friends. It's a whole world into its own. I just thought I needed to write a song about it." Tim's contributions include "Ode to Camelot," a remembrance of JFK and the 1960's, and "The Ballad of Slider Red'" the story of trombone-playing wild man who turned away from football after he "ran into a goal post, it changed his life/Turned into a Fauvist, gave up gridiron strife." Tim also keeps up the band's swing tradition with the jivey "Cartoon Music." The third Gecko, New Mexico fiddler Grey Howell, provides the instrumental spark for many of the tunes. Members of Lyle Lovett's Large Band and the Austin Lounge Lizards are also on the disc. Evelyne said she and Tim have benefited from "a little songwriting group" that meets regularly in Santa Fe. "We try to bring a complete song or a fragment and get feedback," she said. "It's been a real boost for our songwriting." The Geckos' performing range still includes Texas as well as Colorado. They have scheduled a tour of Washington state, but they don't have a regular playing venue in Santa Fe for now. Evelyne said the band is looking forward to playing at Borders and complimented the national book vending agent for providing a sport for musicians. "They're really trying to help out the local scene," she said.

Mark Oswald, THE ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL, August 4, 2000