Martin Taylor (Linn Records: Two

C. Michael Bailey

Senior Contributor since 1997

...wants to know if Gene Harris is playing "Summertime" in Heaven...

Recent articles (1,692 total)

Published: June 1, 1999

The Standard Fare...with a twist. ...of lemon, of course. Please make mine dry, very dry, so I might enjoy this superb, easy listening disc with my sweetheart close. The listener will not even make it to Johnny Nicol’s performance of “I’ve Never Been Love Before” before sweet intoxication commands. This disc was recently honored as release of the week at All About Jazz and justly so. It is full of surprises.

Guitarmania The last number of months have seen some very fine traditional jazz guitar releases that include John and Bucky Pizzarelli’s Contrasts ( Arbors Records), Mark Elf’s New York Cats (Jen Bay Jazz), and Terri Alden’s Voice With Heart (Nagel Heyer Records). This particular recording runs an entire gambit of the Tin Pan Alley Canon. For kicks, this disc is worth it for the banjo/mandolin extravaganza of “Royal Garden Blues” and the dual guitar bebop of “Billie’s Bounce”.

Guitarology. Martin Taylor has assembled a most interesting cast of characters for this duets with guitars disc. It is a most festive collection of guitar-guitar, guitar-brass, guitar-voice combos that is very easy on the ears and psyche. There is no indigestible music here at all. This is that music in the background of a roaring fire on a cold night with a whiff of an equally cold Merlot. This is a disc that would appeal to those who like the Pizzarelli brand of guitar playing with a little added spice.

Track Listing: I Thought About You; I

Personnel: Martin Taylor: Guitar and Mandolin; Peter Zog: Guitar: James Morrison: Trumpet; Suzanne Wyllie: Vocal; George Golla; Johnny Nicoll: Guitar, Vocals; In Date: Banjo; Jim Pennell; Spanish Guitar; Bob Barnard: Coronet.

Record Label: AKD
Style: Straight-ahead/Mainstream