Martin Taylor (guitarist)
A self-taught British jazz guitarist whose virtuosic solo performances create the illusion of an entire ensemble playing at once.
Born 1956 (age 70)·British jazz guitarist·Birthday: October 20·Baby Boomers
Biography
Martin Taylor's relationship with the guitar is a private conversation that happens in public. Largely self-taught, he developed a breathtaking technique that allows him to play bass lines, chords, and melodies simultaneously, weaving complete musical tapestries from a single instrument. While his decade-long partnership with French violin legend Stéphane Grappelli brought him international recognition, it is his solo work that truly defines his artistry. He moves through standards and original compositions with a fluid, graceful touch that belies the immense complexity under his fingers. Honored with an MBE for services to jazz, Taylor has also dedicated himself to education, creating instructional programs and inspiring a new generation of guitarists not just with his skill, but with his philosophy of making the instrument sing with orchestral fullness.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Martin was born in 1956, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Martin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Martin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1961Started school
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1969Became a teenager
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Could drive
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Could vote
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Turned 21
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1986Turned 30
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 60
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 70
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in 2002 for his services to jazz music.
- Performed and recorded extensively with jazz violin pioneer Stéphane Grappelli for over a decade.
- Developed a unique fingerstyle guitar technique that allows him to perform solo pieces with bass, harmony, and melody simultaneously.
- Founded the online music education platform 'Martin Taylor Guitar Academy' to teach his distinctive methods.
Did You Know?
He is completely self-taught and never had a formal guitar lesson.
He was the first British jazz musician to be signed to the American label Columbia Records.
He composed the score for the award-winning independent film 'One for the Road'.
He holds a PhD in Music from the University of Westminster, awarded based on his professional work.
“I don't think of myself as a solo guitarist. I think of myself as a musician who happens to play the guitar.”
