Jazz / Bop, Cool, Crossover Jazz
Martin Taylor - Mandolin, Guitar, Producer
Bob Barnard Cornet
George Golla Guitar
Ian Date Banjo
James Morrison Trumpet
John Haxby Digital Design
John Nicol Guitar, Vocals
Mark Thomas Engineer, Mixing
Matt Lovell Engineer, Mixing
Peter Zog Guitar
Suzanne Wyllie Vocals
Wally Wrightman Producer, Liner Notes
William Bowden Mastering
The ultimate in mellow jazz.... the perfect record for when two is truly company.
---Jazz Action Society
Produced by Wally Wrightman
While touring Australia in 1997, Martin Taylor decided to record a CD featuring Australian musicians. The result is an intimate, diverse series of enjoyable duets covering great standards. Only James Morrison has had much exposure in the U.S.; both men play impeccably on "I Thought About You." There are several fine duets with different guitarists, although the lively pairing with Peter Zog on "Billie's Bounce" takes top honors. Suzanne Wyllie's vocal on "Skylark" is warm without being overly sentimental. Taylor switches to mandolin for a fun romp with banjo player Ian Date on "Royal Garden Blues." Taylor also solos on two tracks. All the musicians heard within this Martin Taylor CD deserve greater exposure. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide
Martin Taylor
Active Decades: '70s, '80s, '90s and '00s
Born: 1956 in Scotland
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Swing, Crossover Jazz
Since the death of Joe Pass in 1994, Martin Taylor has become one of the most highly regarded guitarists in jazz. He was given his first guitar by his father, Buck Taylor. Although he was inspired at first by Django Reinhardt, it was piano players like Art Tatum that drew his attention and helped him practice to develop his phenomenal solo technique. In the late '70s, Stephane Grappelli invited him to play in a series of concerts in France. The violinist was so impressed that he used Taylor often on tours and a variety of recording dates. Beginning in 1990, Taylor began recording a number of acclaimed CDs for the U.K. label Linn, distributed as HonestLinn in the U.S., and also did an excellent duet date with David Grisman for the mandolin player's Acoustic Disc label. All that is missing from Taylor's current roster of recordings is a live date, though an excellent concert video is available. In 2000, he released his debut on an American label, Columbia, entitled Kiss and Tell. Stepping Stones on Linn followed that same fall.
---Ken Dryden, All Music Guide |
