One of the lost arts these days is the mastery of acoustic guitar. One of today’s pre-eminent proponent of the warm analog sound is a man perfectly named for the job, Martin Taylor (having both first and last names the same as famous guitar makers). I’ve seen him in various settings, and his strength tends to be in duet form, but here, you get samples of his various environs, and they all are richly rewarding.
First up Is a 2002 meeting with Yes charter member Steve Howe, and the pair fit in like long lost brothers., Fortunately, there is a check list on each song as to which guitar is being played for which specific part of the songs, and all I can say is “thou shalt not covet”. The pair are delightfully lyrical on “All The Things You Are”, in fantastically swinging form on “No Pedestrians” while stretching out on the bluesy ready of the jazz standard “Blue Bossa” with more axes than the sales room at Guitar Center. Where has this been hiding?!?
In 2008, Taylor comes up with the brilliant idea of doing an 
album of duets…with himself! His twelve strings do a hip read of “Drop Me Off At Harlem” while giving some glorious Latin romance to “Triste” and “Estate’”. He taps into his inner Freddie Green on Count Basie’s “Jive At Five” and casts a blue shadow for “I Fall In Love To Easily”. More tasty than a Neoplolitan cannoli.
Taylor takes a trip to Django Reinhardt land on a 2010 session with Jack Emblow/acc, Alan Barnes/cl-ss, Alison Burns/voc, John Goldie/g, Terry Gregory/b and James Taylor/dr. The tunes have that gyps feel, but are mostly original, with “La Mer” cooed out seductively by the bohemian Burns. She also adds harmonies to the gently swinging title track, with Barnes fitting in well with his soprano sax on the street scene of “Mirette” and his clarinet going Left Bank on “Ruede Dinan”. Taylors fingers delight in the caravan swing of “La Belle Dundee” and “Le Javanaise”. Le Bon Ton Roulet!
Most original is a quartet of Martins in Martin Carthy, Martin Simpson/ Juan Martin and Taylor holding a summit meeting in 2005 at The Royal Concert Hall, in Glasgow, Scotland. The wide range of moods, solos and atmospheres is a true joy. Carthy sings with his warm baritone brogue on the folksy “Glass Of Water” as well as traditional “Heather Down The Moor” and “I Sowed Some Seeds”. The four create a rain forest of notes on the Latin lover of “La Pasion Del Lement” while getting blues on “Barrack Street Stroll”.
A 2002 release has Martin going absolutely solo, focusing on jazz standards ranging from a gorgeously laid back “Lil Darlin” to a sublimely swinging “In A Mellow Tone”. He shows his bop cops on a nifty “Moose The Mooch” and “Joyspring”, but he also pulls out a couple of rich ringers. He works wonders on a cozy “Tennessee Waltz” , and his own pieces like a note bending blues of “Wasabi Greens” and a folkish minstrel’d “True”.
Last but not least is a collection of duets with the clear voiced vocalist Alison Burns, with the atmosphere in ultra cozy tones. Burns has an effortless vibrato, oozing emotion on “Sophisticated Lady” and hip to the hep on “Drop Me A Line”, while the two get nostalgic on “I’m Confessin'” and take on modern pieces with aplomb, as James Taylor’s “If I Keep My Heart Out of My Sight” and Stevie Wonder’s “If It’s Magic” glow like an informal session with only the lonely still in the audience.