Dakota Moon

Dakota Moon stands out among urban R&B acts through its equal debt to Boyz II Men and the soft-rock sound of the 1970s, particularly Eric Clapton and James Taylor. The quartet consists of Ty Taylor on guitar and vocals, Ray Artis on bass and vocals, Malloy on percussion and vocals, and Joe Dean on guitar and vocals. Taylor and Artis grew up in New York, while Malloy and Joe Dean came from California. The four first crossed paths during a Los Angeles recording session overseen by Andrew Logan and Mike More; their instant rapport prompted them to launch a band. After Taylor and Artis relocated to Los Angeles, Dakota Moon began performing regularly on the city’s club circuit. Sylvia Rhone, president of Elektra Records, caught one of their shows and, sufficiently impressed, signed the group to the label. Prior to cutting their first album, they served as Tina Turner’s opening act throughout 1997. By year’s end they had tracked their debut under the guidance of Logan and More, and the self-titled Dakota Moon appeared in April 1998.