British guitarist Martin Taylor is one of the most highly regarded guitaris… Read Full Bio ↴British guitarist Martin Taylor is one of the most highly regarded guitarists in the world. Specialising in jazz, he has performed in groups, guitar ensembles and as an accompanist to many of the world’s most famous musicians. However, it is for his remarkable solo fingerstyle performances, in which he provides bass and chordal accompaniment in addition to a melody, that he is most renowned.
Taylor was born in Harlow, Essex in 1956 into a family with a musical heritage and a gypsy/traveller tradition, although he did not strictly lead the traditional gypsy lifestyle. It was no surprise then that, after being given a guitar at age 4 by his father, bassist William ‘Buck’ Taylor, he would develop a passion for jazz in general and Django Reinhardt in particular. Over the next few years the young Taylor would hone his skills and, by age 11, was playing regularly in his father’s band. This experience made him determined to pursue a career in music and, after much persuasion, his parents allowed him to leave school aged 15 to try and achieve this ambition.
Over the next few years Taylor played in numerous bands, in holiday camps, various radio dates and on cruise ships (one cruise lead to the personal highlight of jamming with the Count Basie orchestra). Performing dates in and around London soon brought him into contact with fellow jazz guitarist Ike Isaacs who took the younger man under his wing. In addition to performing with Taylor as a duet, Isaacs helped develop his sense of jazz harmony and started him on the road to developing his unique fingerstyle technique. It was through Isaacs that Taylor was introduced to Stephane Grappelli, erstwhile violinist in Hot Club of France with Django Reinhardt. When one of Grappelli’s regular band members sustained an injury, Taylor was invited to deputise for a few European dates. Suitably impressed, Grappelli invited him to join his band full-time. He accepted and performed and recorded with the Frenchman for the next eleven years.
His success with Grappelli allowed him more freedom in his career. He reduced some of his commitments and relocated to Scotland where he still lives (this explains why he is sometimes referred to as Scottish). Another benefit of his Grappelli association was that he began to tour North America regularly, allowing him to reach a new audience and to build new relations. He came to know musicians such as Chet Atkins and David Grisman, with whom he would both record, while another contact financed the production of an album, Sarabanda. The album received substantial airplay but financial difficulties at the record label prevented any major success.
This success was tempered by a difficult period in the mid 80s stemming from Grappelli suffering a heart attack. Although the Frenchman would go on to make a full recovery, it was some time before he would be able to tour again. Taylor found it difficult to replace the Grappelli gig with other work and fell into a period of financial hardship, forced to sell his guitars to survive. Depressed at being unable to provide for his family he became disenchanted with music, his guitars going virtually untouched for almost a year. He finally agreed a price for his one remaining guitar, a gift from mentor Isaacs, but, on the way to close the deal he pulled his car over to allow himself a final play of the instrument and suddenly found his passion for playing re-ignited. The deal was called off and this incident proved to be the catalyst in the next stage of his career.
Keen to avoid having to rely on other musicians for income, Taylor spent some time working on his fingerstyle technique before starting to perform as a solo act. These concerts were immediately successful, both critically and financially. So much so that, after a few years, he was able to stop touring with Grappelli and concentrate on his solo career, aided by a recording contract with Scottish label Linn. Primarily a manufacturer of high-end audio equipment, Linn felt that Taylor’s intimate and intricate style and unique tone would ably demonstrate the quality of their equipment. Some of these Linn recordings are solo (Artistry and Portraits which featured Chet Atkins), some recorded as a modern jazz quartet (Don’t Fret) and there is also a reunion album with Grappelli. The relative success of these albums, and his concert dates, raised his profile in the guitar community as his peers became interested in his unique style.
While Taylor is inspired by many guitarists, musically he relates more to pianists such as Art Tatum and Bill Evans and this influence can clearly be heard in his playing. His philosophy is that the guitar should be a complete instrument able to provide bass, harmony and melody. His arrangements and compositions are often influenced by composers like Nelson Riddle featuring moving lines and complex harmony as opposed to block chords with single note lines over the top. All this is achieved without compromising the melody which he considers the most important element in any arrangement.
From a technical standpoint Taylor’s most distinguishing feature is his ability to syncopate rapid bass lines with the melody, often incorporating thumb upstrokes on the bass strings to give a distinct rhythmic quality to his playing, Combined with a unique tone and extensive use of harmonics, his playing is instantly recognisable. His solo version of Gershwin’s ‘I Got Rhythm’ from his album Portraits, with its lightning fast double-time walking bass line, is probably the best example of all these qualities on a single recording.
Around the mid-90s Taylor started a band inspired by the music of Django Reinhardt and the Hot Club which he named Spirit of Django. He recorded and toured successfully with this band while continuing his solo commitments. At the end of the decade he signed for Sony, releasing two albums Kiss and Tell and Nitelife. After Sony he set up his own company P3 music with whom he has released the acclaimed Solo, and The Valley which features guest appearances by Bryn Terfel, Sacha Distel and Simon Dinnigan. Recently he has appeared with a few ensemble groups including the 4 Martins (with Martin Simpson, Martin Carthy and Juan Martin), Guitars 3 (with Neil Stacey and Martin Simpson) and Le Nouveau Trio Gitan (with Christian Escoude and Davide Reinhardt, grandson of Django). He has also worked with Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings and composer Karl Jenkins.
Some of his other achievements include a British Academy of Composers & Songwriters 'Gold Badge of Merit', ten time winner of Best guitarist at British Jazz awards, Freeman of the City of London, honorary doctorate awarded by Paisley University, Scotland, and in 2002 he was appointed a Member of the British Empire (MBE) for services to jazz. In 1999 Martin founded an International Guitar festival which is held over three days in the village of Kirkmichael, near his home in Ayrshire. The festival includes concerts, recitals and tutorials from some of the world’s best guitarists and emerging talents. The money raised is used to fund a Guitar for Schools program, a charity which provides equipment and tuition for local schools.
Martin Taylor is also a UK based stage hypnotist, who has created audio-guides to self-hypnosis.
Taylor was born in Harlow, Essex in 1956 into a family with a musical heritage and a gypsy/traveller tradition, although he did not strictly lead the traditional gypsy lifestyle. It was no surprise then that, after being given a guitar at age 4 by his father, bassist William ‘Buck’ Taylor, he would develop a passion for jazz in general and Django Reinhardt in particular. Over the next few years the young Taylor would hone his skills and, by age 11, was playing regularly in his father’s band. This experience made him determined to pursue a career in music and, after much persuasion, his parents allowed him to leave school aged 15 to try and achieve this ambition.
Over the next few years Taylor played in numerous bands, in holiday camps, various radio dates and on cruise ships (one cruise lead to the personal highlight of jamming with the Count Basie orchestra). Performing dates in and around London soon brought him into contact with fellow jazz guitarist Ike Isaacs who took the younger man under his wing. In addition to performing with Taylor as a duet, Isaacs helped develop his sense of jazz harmony and started him on the road to developing his unique fingerstyle technique. It was through Isaacs that Taylor was introduced to Stephane Grappelli, erstwhile violinist in Hot Club of France with Django Reinhardt. When one of Grappelli’s regular band members sustained an injury, Taylor was invited to deputise for a few European dates. Suitably impressed, Grappelli invited him to join his band full-time. He accepted and performed and recorded with the Frenchman for the next eleven years.
His success with Grappelli allowed him more freedom in his career. He reduced some of his commitments and relocated to Scotland where he still lives (this explains why he is sometimes referred to as Scottish). Another benefit of his Grappelli association was that he began to tour North America regularly, allowing him to reach a new audience and to build new relations. He came to know musicians such as Chet Atkins and David Grisman, with whom he would both record, while another contact financed the production of an album, Sarabanda. The album received substantial airplay but financial difficulties at the record label prevented any major success.
This success was tempered by a difficult period in the mid 80s stemming from Grappelli suffering a heart attack. Although the Frenchman would go on to make a full recovery, it was some time before he would be able to tour again. Taylor found it difficult to replace the Grappelli gig with other work and fell into a period of financial hardship, forced to sell his guitars to survive. Depressed at being unable to provide for his family he became disenchanted with music, his guitars going virtually untouched for almost a year. He finally agreed a price for his one remaining guitar, a gift from mentor Isaacs, but, on the way to close the deal he pulled his car over to allow himself a final play of the instrument and suddenly found his passion for playing re-ignited. The deal was called off and this incident proved to be the catalyst in the next stage of his career.
Keen to avoid having to rely on other musicians for income, Taylor spent some time working on his fingerstyle technique before starting to perform as a solo act. These concerts were immediately successful, both critically and financially. So much so that, after a few years, he was able to stop touring with Grappelli and concentrate on his solo career, aided by a recording contract with Scottish label Linn. Primarily a manufacturer of high-end audio equipment, Linn felt that Taylor’s intimate and intricate style and unique tone would ably demonstrate the quality of their equipment. Some of these Linn recordings are solo (Artistry and Portraits which featured Chet Atkins), some recorded as a modern jazz quartet (Don’t Fret) and there is also a reunion album with Grappelli. The relative success of these albums, and his concert dates, raised his profile in the guitar community as his peers became interested in his unique style.
While Taylor is inspired by many guitarists, musically he relates more to pianists such as Art Tatum and Bill Evans and this influence can clearly be heard in his playing. His philosophy is that the guitar should be a complete instrument able to provide bass, harmony and melody. His arrangements and compositions are often influenced by composers like Nelson Riddle featuring moving lines and complex harmony as opposed to block chords with single note lines over the top. All this is achieved without compromising the melody which he considers the most important element in any arrangement.
From a technical standpoint Taylor’s most distinguishing feature is his ability to syncopate rapid bass lines with the melody, often incorporating thumb upstrokes on the bass strings to give a distinct rhythmic quality to his playing, Combined with a unique tone and extensive use of harmonics, his playing is instantly recognisable. His solo version of Gershwin’s ‘I Got Rhythm’ from his album Portraits, with its lightning fast double-time walking bass line, is probably the best example of all these qualities on a single recording.
Around the mid-90s Taylor started a band inspired by the music of Django Reinhardt and the Hot Club which he named Spirit of Django. He recorded and toured successfully with this band while continuing his solo commitments. At the end of the decade he signed for Sony, releasing two albums Kiss and Tell and Nitelife. After Sony he set up his own company P3 music with whom he has released the acclaimed Solo, and The Valley which features guest appearances by Bryn Terfel, Sacha Distel and Simon Dinnigan. Recently he has appeared with a few ensemble groups including the 4 Martins (with Martin Simpson, Martin Carthy and Juan Martin), Guitars 3 (with Neil Stacey and Martin Simpson) and Le Nouveau Trio Gitan (with Christian Escoude and Davide Reinhardt, grandson of Django). He has also worked with Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings and composer Karl Jenkins.
Some of his other achievements include a British Academy of Composers & Songwriters 'Gold Badge of Merit', ten time winner of Best guitarist at British Jazz awards, Freeman of the City of London, honorary doctorate awarded by Paisley University, Scotland, and in 2002 he was appointed a Member of the British Empire (MBE) for services to jazz. In 1999 Martin founded an International Guitar festival which is held over three days in the village of Kirkmichael, near his home in Ayrshire. The festival includes concerts, recitals and tutorials from some of the world’s best guitarists and emerging talents. The money raised is used to fund a Guitar for Schools program, a charity which provides equipment and tuition for local schools.
Martin Taylor is also a UK based stage hypnotist, who has created audio-guides to self-hypnosis.
Gone With The Wind
Martin Taylor Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Gone With The Wind' by these artists:
A.M.P. It's the moments like these That fade into memories Before y…
Agata Karczewska Frankly my dear you’re not Scarlett O’Hara So I’m not gonna…
Alex Forte Man, here we go again Even when I'm close It always has…
Amann & The Wayward Sons GONE WITH THE WIND Long ago I had a house, met a…
Andr Last night we met And I dream of you yet With…
Anthony Newley Gone with the wind, Just like a leaf thart has blown…
Anti-Heros You're fat and ugly and you don't care, You got…
Architects The weight of the world is resting on thin ice When…
Art Mardigan Gone with the wind, Just like a leaf thart has blown…
Bertie Higgins Gone With The Wind (Bertie Higgins, Sonny Limbo, Ken Bell) R…
Betty Carter Gone with the wind, Just like a leaf that has blown…
Billie Holiday Gone with the wind Just like a leaf that has blown…
Billy May & His Orchestra Last night we met And I dream of you yet With…
Blackmore's Night Twisting turning Oh, the winds are burning Leaving me withou…
Blackmore's Night/Black more's Night Twisting turning The winds are burning Leaving me without a …
Bob Crosby & His Orchestra Last night we met And I dream of you yet With…
Bruce Tip it back Tip it back Till the Jack runs dry Call her…
Bunny Berigan & His Orchestra Last night we met And I dream of you yet With…
Charlie Barnet Gone with the wind, Just like a leaf thwart has blown…
Chris Conner Gone with the wind, Just like a leaf thart has blown…
Chris Connor Gone with the wind, Just like a leaf thart has blown…
Chris Connor; Hank Jones Trio Gone with the wind, Just like a leaf thart has blown…
Cjb Oh, oh, oh Yeah, yeah Okay let's go (Dee B got that heat) Ye…
Claude Thornhill & His Orchestra Last night we met And I dream of you yet With…
Clever Sleepin' all my troubles away Sleepin' all my troubles away,…
Clyde Otis & His Orchestra Last night we met And I dream of you yet With…
Connor Chris Gone with the wind, Just like a leaf thart has blown…
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa & Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra Gone with the wind Just like a leaf that has blown…
Desperados praying to the wretched beasts maybe they can forgive the …
Di-rect I wonder where you'll be I wish I had a good…
Dick Jurgens & His Orchestra Last night we met And I dream of you yet With…
Doris Day Gone with the wind Just like a leaf that has blown…
Duprees Featuring Joey Vann Gone with the wind Just like a leaf tha…
Ella & Louis Gone with the wind Just like a leaf that has flown…
Ella Fitzgerald Frank DeVol And His Orchestra Last night we met And I dream of you yet With…
Ella Fitzgerald & Joe Pass Gone with the wind Just like a leaf that has flown…
Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong Gone with the wind Just like a leaf that has flown…
Ella Fitzgerald (USA) Gone with the wind Just like a leaf that has flown…
Ella Fitzgerald and Her Famous Orchestra Gone with the wind Just like a leaf that has flown…
Ernie Wilkins And His Orchestra Last night we met And I dream of you yet With…
Eryn Young I remember you sitting there Staring at me with that same…
Feeding The Wolves Day after day I am struggling to survive The cold is…
Frank Cordell & His Orchestra Last night we met And I dream of you yet With…
Frank Sinatra Gone with the wind Just like a leaf that has blown…
Frank Sinatra with Nelson Riddle & His Orchestra Last night we met And I dream of you yet With…
GENEVVA Gone, gone with the wind How it all ends Is the same…
GLAY 瞬きするのも惜しんでた そっと触れると壊れそうで 切ない夜に二人きり 見えない明日のドアを叩く OH MY PR…
Golden Slumbers I didn't sleep last night and I have no intentions of…
Great White My heart is empty Like cold open ground Where ghosts & memor…
Gun Barrel [G. Feldhausen] I'm walking down along a desert road The…
HIM I love your skin oh so white I love your touch…
Horace Heidt Gone with the wind Just like a leaf that has blown…
Ice MC Damn! Standing here brings back a gang of memories, man Sitt…
J.J. Johnson Quartet Can't drive drunk so I won't een sip again Travel…
Jacintha Gone With the Wind Just like a leaf that has flown…
Jackie and Roy / Charlie Ventura and His Orchestra Last night we met And I dream of you yet With…
Julie London Gone with the wind, Just like a leaf that has blown…
Karmina I am ready to go How far will you go On…
LaLa Hsu 該說的 都說了 除了說不會離開我 該演的 也合格 耳邊風在兩人之間 開始流動著 哭過 又笑了 愛早陷落在途中的黑洞 都…
Lennie Hayton and His Orchestra Last night we met And I dream of you yet With…
Lydia&Sebastien I'm sorry If I've disappointed you I thought I made myself c…
M.T.Scott I love your skin oh so white I love your touch…
Mantovani & His Orchestra Last night we met And I dream of you yet With…
Matt Monro It was only yesterday I thought love had come to…
Mel Torme Gone with the wind, Just like a leaf that has blown…
Merle Haggard Hey, just like in the movies a long time ago The…
Muncie Girls I've thought of cutting my hair and moving away but I always…
Naturally 7 I saw you yeah you were waiting for your song One…
Nelson Riddle Frank Sinatra Gone with the wind Just like a leaf that has blown…
Nibiru Ordeal You have seen but a shade Of what there is being…
Noora Noor She's on a Friday Night Express She got her nails done…
Paris Blue 本当は信じてた あなたには私一人だと 噂が消した 二人の恋 どうしてあの時に 疑うことしかできなかった あなたは黙ってみ…
Paul Weston & His Orchestra Last night we met And I dream of you yet With…
Peggy Lee Gone with the wind Just like a leaf that has flown…
Peggy Lee with the Dave Barbour Band Gone with the wind Just like a leaf that has flown…
Pete Rugolo & His Orchestra Last night we met And I dream of you yet With…
Pete Rugolo and His Orchestra Gone with the wind Just like a leaf that has flown…
Pete Rugulo & His Orchestra Last night we met And I dream of you yet With…
Rita & The Tiaras I gave up everything I love, I liked What things I…
Robin Gibb I never knew until tonight of the danger, That any…
Roy Fox & Orchestra Last night we met And I dream of you yet With…
Roy Wang 被遺忘的 不被承認的 像飛行器落入銀河 被擊中後墜落 曾被談起的 絢爛如花火 捨命光亮過 就不會不捨 被遺忘就是結局吧…
Sarah Vaughan Gone with the wind, Just like a leaf thart has blown…
Sarah Vaughan & Quincy Jones Gone with the wind Just like a leaf thart has blown…
Shadows of Steel [Solo: Andre La Fisic] You're a dream of years ago, just…
Sid Bass and His Orchestra Last night we met And I dream of you yet With…
Side Walk Slam Well i'm sitting here thinking of you Trying to keep from…
Sparks Burn Atlanta tonight Hey, for a buck we could stay here…
Spice 1 Damn! Standing here brings back a gang of memories, man Sitt…
Stan Getz & His Orchestra Last night we met And I dream of you yet With…
The Anger Every time the wind touches my skin I feel like she’s…
The Duprees Featuring Joey Vann Gone with the wind Just like a leaf tha…
The Tuesdays Maybe I'm crazy But I've got these photographs I take them o…
Tony Bennett Gone with the wind, Just like a leaf that has blown…
Tony Evans And His Orchestra Last night we met And I dream of you yet With…
Tony Perkins Gone with the wind Just like a leaf that has…
Toots and The Maytals Gone (x4) With the wind Say something is wrong with this wor…
Vanessa Hudgens I used to think Being like you Was the key to having…
Vanessa Hudgens|Ванесса Хадженс I used to think Being like you Was the key to having…
Various Artists muung raep na honjaseoman tteodaninda nae juwineun da tteona…
Warner Bros. Orchestra Last night we met And I dream of you yet With…
WAvY DEM Gone with the wind, oh lord, yeah I’ve gone too…
夏炎 电脑桌面是你的照片 你的口红还在卫生间 衣柜里面留着你的大衣 汽车里面放着你的CD 手机里面都是你的短信 脑海里面全是你…
여자친구 나른해진 오후 햇살 맞으며 내게 다가오는 바람에 난 아무도 몰래 하품 하며 내쉬는…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Martin Taylor:
A Foggy Day I was a stranger in the city Out of town were…
Autumn Leaves The falling leaves drift by the window The autumn leaves of…
bewitched She's a fool and don't I know it But a fool…
Bridge Over Troubled Water When you're down and out When you're on the street When even…
Deja Vu This is insane All you did was say hello Speak my name Fe…
Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans? Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans And…
Don't Blame Me Ever since the lucky night I found you I've hung around…
East Of The Sun East of the sun and west of the moon We'll build…
Emily Emily, Emily, Emily Has the murmuring sound of may All silve…
Everything Happens To Me Black cats creep across my path Until I'm almost mad I must…
Georgia on My Mind Made Up My Mind Written by Josh Martin It takes courage to…
Ginger My Memory moh doo gee uhk hae yoh geuh soon…
Goofus I was born on a farm out in Ioway A flaming…
Have You Met Miss Jones? "Have you met Miss Jones?" someone said as we shook…
Here There and Everywhere To lead a better life I need my love to be…
How High the Moon Somewhere there's music How faint the tune Somewhere there's…
How Long Has This Been Going On? As a tot, when I trotted in little velvet panties, I…
I Got Rhythm I've got you under my skin. I've got you deep in…
I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free I wish I knew how It would feel to be free I…
I'll Never Be the Same I'll never be the same Stars have lost their meaning for…
I'm Old Fashioned I am not such a clever one About the latest fads I…
I've Got You Under My Skin I've got you under my skin. I've got you deep in…
It's Only a Paper Moon Say, it's only a paper moon Sailing over a cardboard sea But…
Just Friends Just friends, lovers no more Just friends, but not like befo…
Just Squeeze Me Want you to know I go for your squeezin' Want you…
Lady Be Good Listen to my tale of woe, It's terribly sad but…
Like Someone in Love Lately, I find myself out gazing at stars, Hearing guitars…
Lulu's Back in Town Where's that careless chambermaid? Where'd she put my razor…
Mona Lisa Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa men have named you You're so like…
Mood Indigo You ain't never been blue; no, no, no, You ain't…
My Foolish Heart The night is like a lovely tune Beware my foolish heart How…
My Funny Valentine Şimdi uzaklardasın Gönül hicranla doldu Şimdi uzaklardasın G…
My One and Only Love The very thought of you makes my heart sing Like an…
Ol' Man River Ol' man river That ol' man river He don't say nothing But…
Polka Dots And Moonbeams A country dance was being held in a garden I felt…
Skylark Skylark Have you anything to say to me? Won't you tell me…
Sweet Lorraine Everything is set, skies are blue, Can't believe it yet, but…
Takin' a Chance on Love Here I go again, I hear those trumpets blow again. All…
Taking a Chance on Love Here I go again, I hear those trumpets blow again. All…
The Nearness Of You Its not the pale moon that excites me That thrills and…
Time After Time No eye has seen No ear has heard The beauty…
True One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do Two can…
You know it's true Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans And…
You Stepped Out Of A Dream You stepped out of a dream You are too wonderful to…
You're My Everything I know we don't always agree Feels like I'm always saying…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Robert Green
Great playing from two masters!!!👍👍🎸🎸
Martin
Ah, I know it's been a while now, but it's still so great to see Frank back playing again after the accident.
Ian Campbell
Wonderful musicians, great guitars. I'd Love; to own one of those! Thanks for inspiration!
Colin Scallan
Great stuff Martin. Hope all is well with you.
Ángel Marzoa
Thanks for sharing. Best wishes for you, great Master!!!😃🙏
Simon Hofstetter
absolutely amazing
Colin Meyerowitz
That was amazing, you should have 200k followers.
RYO's guitar
good job🐼
p d bowman
hurrah! : )
Christiaan Offerhaus
Fingerstyle with pick?