CD-Charts Position 1
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Double Standards

by: Martin Taylor

Release Date October 13, 2008
I heard a sneak preview of "Triste" on a jazz programme on the radio last Sunday night. I was immediately seduced and ordered the album on-line. It arrived yesterday and I haven't stopped playing it!
I've seen Martin Taylor play live several times and he has GOT to be the greatest jazz guitarist - ever. He manages to play basslines, partial rhythmn and melody all simultaneously making him sound like two guitarists playing together.
On this album he has recorded some jazz standards then overdubbed himself improvising over the original track, so now he sounds like THREE guitarists all playing together.
The clarity and tone of his Vanden guitar is phenomenal - this recording is so well produced, no gimmicky digital effects - Taylor's ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
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Adiemus IV - The Eternal Knot

by: Adiemus

Release Date September 25, 2000
For a composer who has produced such timeless tracks (mainly those from his first album, Adiemus) Karl Jenkins seems to have let himself down a bit with his predecessing efforts.
The Eternal Knot has an Irish influence running throughout, but I find the often highly tedious vocals rarely blend with the Celtic sound. The styles of some tracks are also unoriginal, with a very blatant method of adding "Irishness" to the cauldron of sounds.
If the vocals were not sung by a choir of smurfs (the lead singer doesn't actually sing specific words; as Jenkins has previously admitted, they are made up sounds) I might actually be able to enjoy this album a lot more than I currently do.

The only songs worth a listen are Cu Chullain, King of ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
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Solo

by: Martin Taylor

Release Date September 23, 2002
There are a clutch of guitarists out there, living and passed on, whose virtuosity makes most so-called rock 'guitar heroes'look like rank amateurs. Here I would include Michael Hedges, Leo Kottke, Tony Rice, Jerry Reed, Paco de Lucia and Martin Taylor. I recently saw MT live together with Martin Simpson, Martin Carthy and Juan Martin. Fine players those 3 are, even my wife, no fan of jazz, thought he blew them off the stage. Some of the material he played was off 'Solo', probably his best 'guitar only' album yet. I consider myself a fair player and able to play a lot of Hendrix and Clapton but I'm finding it hard to figure out how MT does a lot of his stuff. For those unfamiliar with his work, 'Solo' is a fine introduction and an essential purchase for ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
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Kiss and Tell

by: Martin Taylor

Release Date October 11, 1999
This is the one. The album where Martin Taylor has finally found his niche.Now signed to Sony /Columbia he has assembled a classy collection of tracks recorded in Nashville and New York backed by top musicians such as Randy Brecker, Eddie Gomez and Matt Rollings.The album is pure cool from the title track through covers of TV themes The Odd Couple and Hawaii Five O. Best track though is the Joey Calderazzo- composed Midnight Voyage which drifts and swings in equal measure. Martin Taylor has long been admired and respected in the UK. This is the album that should launch him as an international star.Enjoy!

CD-Charts Position 5
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The Best of Martin Taylor

by: Martin Taylor

Release Date October 31, 2005
This is the one. The album where Martin Taylor has finally found his niche.Now signed to Sony /Columbia he has assembled a classy collection of tracks recorded in Nashville and New York backed by top musicians such as Randy Brecker, Eddie Gomez and Matt Rollings.The album is pure cool from the title track through covers of TV themes The Odd Couple and Hawaii Five O. Best track though is the Joey Calderazzo- composed Midnight Voyage which drifts and swings in equal measure. Martin Taylor has long been admired and respected in the UK. This is the album that should launch him as an international star.Enjoy!

CD-Charts Position 6
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Best Loved Hymns

by: King's College Choir

Release Date March 26, 2001
This is the one. The album where Martin Taylor has finally found his niche.Now signed to Sony /Columbia he has assembled a classy collection of tracks recorded in Nashville and New York backed by top musicians such as Randy Brecker, Eddie Gomez and Matt Rollings.The album is pure cool from the title track through covers of TV themes The Odd Couple and Hawaii Five O. Best track though is the Joey Calderazzo- composed Midnight Voyage which drifts and swings in equal measure. Martin Taylor has long been admired and respected in the UK. This is the album that should launch him as an international star.Enjoy!

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

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Portraits

by: Martin Taylor

Release Date January 15, 2007
This is the one. The album where Martin Taylor has finally found his niche.Now signed to Sony /Columbia he has assembled a classy collection of tracks recorded in Nashville and New York backed by top musicians such as Randy Brecker, Eddie Gomez and Matt Rollings.The album is pure cool from the title track through covers of TV themes The Odd Couple and Hawaii Five O. Best track though is the Joey Calderazzo- composed Midnight Voyage which drifts and swings in equal measure. Martin Taylor has long been admired and respected in the UK. This is the album that should launch him as an international star.Enjoy!

CD-Charts Position 8
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Freternity

by: Martin Taylor

Release Date March 19, 2007
I heard the title track of this on Humph's Radio 2 show, a great Latin original with terrific solos from Guy Barker (tpt) and David Newton (piano). On hearing the whole album though, I was a bit underwhelmed by it all. There is some good stuff - the opening track, a lovely solo version of "Stella By Starlight", but for me, the whole album was spoilt by David Newton's overuse of keyboards - Clifford Brown's "Joyspring" on an electric piano which sounds like it was made by Bontempi just doesn't fit - it's screaming out for an acoustic piano. The ballads come across as a bit mushy, especially with the keyboard fills behind. I would suggest "Spirit of Django" as a far better album.

CD-Charts Position 9
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Spirit of Django

by: Martin Taylor

Release Date April 05, 2004
I heard the title track of this on Humph's Radio 2 show, a great Latin original with terrific solos from Guy Barker (tpt) and David Newton (piano). On hearing the whole album though, I was a bit underwhelmed by it all. There is some good stuff - the opening track, a lovely solo version of "Stella By Starlight", but for me, the whole album was spoilt by David Newton's overuse of keyboards - Clifford Brown's "Joyspring" on an electric piano which sounds like it was made by Bontempi just doesn't fit - it's screaming out for an acoustic piano. The ballads come across as a bit mushy, especially with the keyboard fills behind. I would suggest "Spirit of Django" as a far better album.

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

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Spirit of Django

by: Martin Taylor

Release Date January 15, 2007
I heard the title track of this on Humph's Radio 2 show, a great Latin original with terrific solos from Guy Barker (tpt) and David Newton (piano). On hearing the whole album though, I was a bit underwhelmed by it all. There is some good stuff - the opening track, a lovely solo version of "Stella By Starlight", but for me, the whole album was spoilt by David Newton's overuse of keyboards - Clifford Brown's "Joyspring" on an electric piano which sounds like it was made by Bontempi just doesn't fit - it's screaming out for an acoustic piano. The ballads come across as a bit mushy, especially with the keyboard fills behind. I would suggest "Spirit of Django" as a far better album.