Jazz Advance - Cecil Taylor

Advantages: Great guitar, good jazz, relaxing
Disadvantages: few

...Martin Taylor is one of the - if not the - best jazz guitarists in the world. And that is not me talking, it is as voted, repeatedly, by jazz fans. He came to fame when he released his first album, "Taylor Made", in 1978 and was invited to tour with the great Stefan Grapelli, a partnership which continued through the 1980s. Taylor played on a number of albums with Stefan Grapelli but also went on to release several albums himself, some with his own band and others mainly solo. He has also worked with a number of other great musicians such as Chet Atkins (who features on three of the tracks on Portraits) Taylor is a self taught guitarist; he has developed a unique style of playing in which he picks several parts simultaneously. Listening to a solo piece, hearing a bass line, rhythm part and a lead melody all going at the same... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Driven by musical passion. Great Jazz structures (+ lack of)
Disadvantages: All tracks are very similar (no variation)

...A must have for all JTQ fans. This album incorporates acid jazz with the classic James Taylor quartet sound. Opening with Joe's Diversions, the hammond organ sound takes lead throughout the album. Vocals from new singer Yvonne Yanney bring new light to the quartet - the most prominent track being 'It's all over'. For all jazz, and especially acid jazz fans, this album provides complex melodies and harmonies, whilst capturing the unusally simple structures of acid. The album is well produced, and the selection of tracks (11 in total) are well chosen. I would recommend this album to all fans of JTQ and jazz, and to those who are willing to try something new in their musical tastes. Truly a great album, full of musical passion.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: great vocals and songwriting
Disadvantages: a few weaker tracks in the middle, not released in the UK yet

...I first heard of Taylor Swift when I heard "Teardrops on My Guitar" on internet radio and promptly downloaded it. A few months later I heard "Our Song" and read an interview in a magazine as her debut album was to be reissued. Well, here it is, and I certainly wasn't disappointed. For those of you who are not familiar with her, Taylor is quickly making a big name for herself in the country music world - and she's only 18! After setting out to Nashville at the age of 13 from her home in Pennsylvania, she quickly snapped up a record contract and her debut single Tim McGraw was released in 2006, and to date all three of her singles have made not only the Top Ten on the Billboard Hot Country Songs (Our Song reaching number one), but also the Top 40 of the Billboard 100. This self-titled album, first released in 2006 and reissued in late... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful