| He is a Grammy-nominated jazz guitarist, she a Scottish songbird and together they are in Sri Lanka to treat fans to a night of superlative jazz on the British Council lawn at 7 p.m.
Hailing from the Land of bagpipes, kilts and the Loch Ness monster, professional jazz singer Alison Burns, who has won critical acclaim for her classic bluesy tone of voice, according to the Jazz Journal “has the ability, rare in all but the best jazz singers, to make even the most frequently heard, over-recorded standards sound fresh and interesting.”
Martin Taylor- an icon in the contemporary jazz music scene has awed fans with his propulsive rhythmic grooves for four decades. Completely self-taught, he has developed a unique style of playing the guitar that is admired and imitated by guitarists across the world.
The Times, London hailed him as the finest British guitarist of his generation, and the Washington Post enthused that “No matter how complex or daring, Taylor’s interpretation never short changes the melodies; indeed, his remarkably fluid touch imbues a seamless beauty. Taylor is something to behold.”
Taylor has several awards to his credit. The British Jazz Award for Best Guitarist is a title he is all too familiar with, having bagged the award ten times. He has also received a Grammy nomination for Best Country Instrumental for his piece “Together at Last”, and in 2002, he was appointed a Member of the British Empire (MBE).
In 2007 he received the prestigious BBC Radio 2 “Heart of Jazz” Award in recognition of his career in music, was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the North Wales Jazz Guitar Festival for his “Contribution to Jazz Guitar Worldwide” and was voted Best Guitarist in the British Jazz Awards for a record eleventh time.
When not touring he divides his time between his homes in France and Scotland where he writes music for TV and film. His film credits include the French comedy “Milou En Mai” directed by Louis Malle, and more recently his composition “Green Lady” is featured in the Andrew Piddington movie “The Killing of John Lennon”.
His autobiography “Martin Taylor- Autobiography of a Travelling Musician” and his latest CD/DVD “Freternity” are available worldwide.
Taylor is no stranger to Sri Lanka having played here twice before, but this is the first time, he will be performing with Alison Burns to a Lankan audience.
The concert tonight is presented in partnership with Hilton Colombo and the Sunera Foundation, along with print media partners Wijeya Newspapers and electronic media partners EFM and ETV.
Tickets priced at Rs. 1250 (first row) and Rs. 1000, are on sale at British Council and Hilton Colombo.
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