CALL me a raver. I keep raving about Martin Taylor. Keep saying he's one of the truly great guitarists on the planet. Here I go again. He's at the Queen's Hall on August 3, one of the truly star attractions in the E.I. Jazzfest. Along with violinist Florin Nicolescu and bassist Jean Philippe Viret he's doing a Stephane Grappelli centenary concert
Martin was back home in Perth from a gig in Strasbourg a few nights earlier, ever ready to gab about his upcoming commitments and his recent exploits.
"Can't complain about the work. My book's full up to March. I had a couple of nights at Ronnie S
cott's before the Montreal Jazz Festival. October/November will see me in the States, including a concert with the great Mundell Lowe, now in his eighties, and I'll be back in Pittsburgh with Stanley Jordan."
The Queen's Hall brings him back down to earth, so to speak. "We'll be doing all the stuff we did with Steph, authentic stuff to bring a nostalgic tear to the eye.
"Have you heard the new CD, by the way? Alison Burns (his daughter-in-law) and I made it in Pencaitland. We'll tour Australia, New Zealand and Singapore in the New Year."
Alison doesn't do jazz. She's a sweet singer of standards. Tickets for the Queen's on August 3 at the box office.
Crowning glory Tell Laura I love her. If ever I've seen a winning smile it's Laura Robson's. It's the teeth wot does it for Britain's new Wimbledon junior girls champion.
Let Laura's endearing beamer be an example to 14-year-olds everywhere. Doesn't do junk food or drink. Flosses on the hour. Mark you, her rich folks have made doubly sure she's had the best of dentistry.
As has your columnist. I never see my dentist. I just send both sets to him, one at a time, through the post, marked Fragile, every 12 months for an MOT.
Afterwords . . . . . for one week only, the Scottish Society of Architect Artists hold their annual exhibition at the Dundas Street Gallery and it's their 21st. Opens with a private viewing Monday night. Guest artist for the duration, Avril Jaques, whose art is jewellery. Her semi-retired architect husband Richard is society president. Cosy.
The full article contains 384 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
