Happy Birthday Martin Taylor!
Happy Birthday to Martin Taylor MBE, who will turn seventy years old on October 20th!
Martin was born October 20, 1956, in Harlow, Essex, in eastern England. At age four, his dad gave him a guitar. His father was a jazz bassist who loved to perform hot-club swing music. Young Martin became enamored with Django Reinhardt’s music and practiced so hard that he was playing in his father’s band by age eight. At age fifteen, Martin dropped out of school to become a full-time musician in drummer Lennie Hastings’ band. By age seventeen, he was playing on the Queen Elizabeth 2, gigging around London, and met guitarist Ike Isaacs, who introduced him to the prodigious violinist Stéphane Grappelli. Grappelli, of course, played in the Quintette du Hot Club de France with the great Django Reinhardt himself.
When one of Grappelli’s guitarists was injured, Stéphane invited Taylor to play some European dates, which led to Martin joining Grappelli’s band. Taylor performed and recorded with Grappelli for eleven years, occupying the guitar chair his idol, Django Reinhardt, once held.
Since the 1990s, Taylor has performed as a solo artist, occasionally performing with his band Spirit of Django. His newest solo record, Standards Vol. 1, is available wherever records are sold.
Over the years in my interviews, Martin Taylor’s name has come up, and here is what a couple of guitarists have said of him.
Marty Ashby (Executive Producer: MCG Jazz, Pittsburgh, PA)….
Martin is the new Joe Pass. He can hold an audience playing solo guitar just like Joe could. He is different than Joe, but he can do it all just like Joe could. He can blow over bebop changes, comp, soar over a big band, whatever.
John Jorgenson …..
I first saw Martin when he was touring with Stephane, and Stephane featured him playing this Chet Atkins kind of thing, doing two songs at the same time. I was amazed at his playing then. He has his own sound. He has created his own place on the world stage, and his music appeals to more people than just guitar players. We all know that nobody goes into playing jazz guitar because there is so much money to be made there (laughter). Martin has done very well in presenting himself.
Josh Assad (of the gypsy jazz group Babik)
Martin is one of those guys: when I see him play, I just want to put my guitar down and say, “I’ll never be that good.”
Ron Eschete: “My Foolish Heart” from A Closer Look, Concord Records CCD-4607, Ron Eschete, solo guitar
Before: Oh, yes, I know that sound. I know those voicings. It is a seven string guitar.
After: Oh, it’s Ron Eschete. I didn’t know that he was a seven string player. Ron has a great concept of harmony and voicings. It is really beautiful. With rich voicings like these, he is a guy who knows a thing or two about harmony. I like how he brings the seventh string at just the right point with the voicing, creating the perfect musical effect. It is great playing. I must get some more of his records.
Joe Pass: “One Note Samba” from Sophisticated Lady, Pablo 5310-2, Joe Pass, guitar; Ella Fitzgerald, vocals
Before: This is Ella Fitzgerald singing, so it must be Joe Pass.
After: Joe is a phenomenon. I never met a guitar player who had such freedom in his playing. We worked together quite a few times. I would play a solo set, then Joe would play a solo set, then we would play duets for the third set. In fact, we were going to make an album together and sadly he passed away. He had a freedom in that he could play any idea that came to mind in his improvising. A rare gift in that he played whatever he felt. Listen how he is right there picking up Ella’s ideas and going with them as he trades fours with her on this song.
I enjoyed spending time with Joe because he was one of life’s characters! He was a fun guy to be around.
He showed the way for so many guitar players. When Virtuoso came out, it was a real milestone in the art form. When I was younger, I was struggling with the idea of playing jazz improvising as a solo player. I had heard George Van Eps, which is a more arranged approach to playing solo, which is very different from Joe. Joe influenced me in that he showed me that you can just go “out on a limb” as a solo guitar player. Joe showed me that this freer style of solo playing could be done. So, it was very inspirational for me.
It is not an easy thing to play solo guitar. It is even harder to play jazz as a solo guitarist and Joe set the standard. (Martin pauses and listens) Joe just had so many ideas. He never ran out of ideas. There is tremendous humor in his playing. What wonderful facility on the instrument. He could do whatever he wanted to do on the guitar.
Jimmy Ponder: “Dreamsville” from Alone, Highnote Records HCD 7069, Jimmy Ponder, solo guitar
Before: That’s a beautiful guitar sound. He’s playing with his thumb. I’m thinking that’s Jimmy Bruno? It may be George Benson?
After: Oh, it’s Jimmy Ponder. That is a beautiful sound. Jimmy Ponder is not someone that I have heard very much of. I’ve have mainly heard him as a sideman with others. He is very good at creating an atmosphere and a mood, which is very important as a performer. He has wonderfully captured that “3 o’clock in the morning mood.”
Pat Metheny: “Ferry Across the Mersey” from One Quiet Night, Warner Brothers 48473-2, Pat Metheny, solo baritone guitar
Before: Acoustic flat-top. . . Is this Larry Coryell? I am not scoring many points here. . . . It’s Pat Metheny.
After: This is Linda Manzer’s Baritone Guitar. I know Linda. In fact, she made two of the 42 string guitars that she made Pat and I recorded with the second one.
I love the openness of his sound and musical concepts. Pat is a genius. He is another one of those guitarists, like Wes Montgomery and Joe Pass, who is a ground-breaking musician. He takes guitar playing to another place altogether. I have great admiration for him. His compositions are fantastic! I think of Pat Metheny as more than a great guitar player. I think of him as a great musician. When I hear him play, I don’t just hear him playing the guitar, I hear the music. I think it is a sign of greatness when the music is bigger than the instrument.
Pat has the whole thing together, the technique, the musical concepts, the sound, the technology thing and his albums are recorded so well. It is as if from day one, he knew exactly what his path was going to be. He just keeps on surprising everybody and coming up with something new all the time. But, he is totally grounded in the history and tradition of the music. He is a great musician.
Larry Coryell: “Something” from The Power Trio, Highnote Records HCD 7109, Larry Coryell, solo guitar
Before: (pause) It is hard to say who that is because of the effects he is using. (pause) It is very nice. It is a Beatle tune. (pause) Is that Larry Coryell?
After: It just recognized something he played. I work a lot with Larry. At first, I was distracted by all the chorus effects, but then he played something that is distinctly Larry Coryell.
Larry is a interesting musician. He has never been afraid to stick his neck out and explore other things. Which is something that we all try to do to one degree or another. Larry also has such personality here in his playing.
