Ben Taylor looks to carve his own path (Updated January 2, 2013)

Ben Taylor doesn't just have a famous last name, he has the famous last name. The son of legendary musician James Taylor and songstress Carly Simon, there was little question as to Ben's career path, nor to his chosen genre of music.

As much as Ben has worked to distance himself from his legendary father, including stints in acting and an extensive background in martial arts, his true calling always seemed to be music. It's what happens, it seems, when your father is the owner of 40 gold, platinum and multi-platinum albums, along with five Grammy awards. Yet he hardly seemed destined for stardom when his first album, recorded for Sony back in 1999, was never even released. The second, "Famous among the Barns," was also released as a completely independent project.

Ben finally got a foothold in the business with the 2005 album "Another Run Around the Sun," which was heavily acoustic and featured backing vocals by his sister and mother. He would release an EP in 2006 called "Deeper Than Gravity," and an LP in 2008 ("The Legend of Kung Folk"), then spend the next four years recording what would become 2012's "Listening." The album was woven with acoustic and electric guitar over organ and keyboard, and with light percussion Taylor's vocals were finally able to come through.

A true road warrior, Ben already has dates penciled in on his calendar for 2013. He'll hit the east coast in February, starting with a performance at the Songs of Love Foundation in New York City on the 21st and ending with a performance at World Cafe Live at The Queen in Wilmington, Delaware on February 27th.