Martin Taylor
When Martin Taylor picks up a guitar, his intent is not
merely to play music. He wants to entertain, if not dazzle,
you. He doesn’t joke or prance on stage, but instead
channels all his wit and agility to the fingerboard, where
his fingers fly through dizzying passages and caress elegant
chords in ways that command the attention of anyone with
a pulse.
In addition to a series of outstanding solo albums and
videos beginning in 1984, Taylor has also made records
with jazz luminaries such as Buddy DeFranco and Stephane
Grappelli. In 1995 Taylor teamed up with mandolinist David
Grisman for a superb, all-acoustic recording of vintage jazz
tunes called “Tone Poems II,” and his latest outing features
Taylor in a trio with Ron Carter on bass and Max Roach on
drums (“The Three Bosses” on Tristan Records).
Taylor grew up in the English countryside of Essex,
about 30 miles outside of London. His father, William