Emma Mykytyn Martin Taylor Returns to Glasgow Jazz Festival
When the first Glasgow Jazz Festival took place in 1986, guitarist Martin Taylor was among the musicians helping to set the tone for what would become one of Scotland’s most celebrated music events.
Four decades later, as the festival marks its 40th anniversary, Taylor returned for a special solo performance at Òran Mór, making him one of only a handful of artists to have appeared at both the inaugural festival and its milestone edition.
Reflecting on those early days, Taylor remembers the vision and enthusiasm that helped establish the festival.
“I remember the first year because I remember Ken Mathieson,” he said. “It was the first time the festival had happened and he did a splendid job. He got the ball rolling for everything that followed.”
Taylor’s love of jazz began at a young age. While many aspiring guitarists of the 1960s dreamed of pop stardom, his ambitions lay elsewhere.
“In the 1960s, every young lad wanted to play guitar and be a pop star, but I didn’t want to be a pop star, I just wanted to play jazz.”
Over the years, Taylor has played a key role in many memorable Glasgow Jazz Festival moments. Highlights include performing alongside legendary jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli at the Theatre Royal and sharing the stage with acclaimed guitarist Joe Pass at the Old Fruitmarket.
“That was very special for me,” Taylor recalled. “Joe was one of my guitar heroes and someone I was fortunate enough to know and work with. Looking back now, it feels like a real privilege.”
For this year’s festival, Taylor brought Standards to Glasgow – a solo show celebrating the timeless melodies of the Great American Songbook.
Despite the passing of many of the jazz greats he once performed with, Taylor is optimistic about the future of the genre.
“What is really uplifting is that we probably have more young jazz musicians playing at a very high level now than we’ve ever had before,” he said. “It’s wonderful to see.”
Taylor continues to maintain strong links with Scotland’s music scene through his work with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and is looking forward to hearing some of the emerging talent performing during the festival.
His connection to Glasgow also remains deeply personal.
“My wife is from Glasgow and I have so many relatives and friends there,” he said. “A little bit of that Glaswegian identity has rubbed off on me over the years.
“Glasgow is special anyway, with or without a jazz festival. But with a jazz festival, it makes it very, very special indeed.”
We went along to catch his enjoyable two-part set, which included a mixture of well-known songs given Martin’s touch, some jazz standards and lots of storytelling, such as his tale of of getting a gig on the QEII, and seeing the Renault Clio ‘Papa, Nicole’ advert for the first time (Martin did the guitar music used in tbe advert), with a segue into a similar story involving the man who wrote the lyrics to Delilah! One of the songs he devoted to his son Stewart, who tragically took his own life aged only 21, which garnered great applause. He finished with his Harry Mancini style theme to a holiday, using a little trick with paper to give the guitar a steel drum type sound. All-in-all, a great gig from an accomplished guitarist.
Martin Taylor performed at Òran Mór on Friday 12 June as part of the 40th edition of Glasgow Jazz Festival. The festival runs from 10–14 June, bringing together an exciting programme of international stars, emerging talent and special anniversary performances across venues throughout the city.
