Martin Taylor & Alison Burns

artists who bring more to the microphone
Chapel Arts Centre
Sat 21 Jun ’25 20:00
Sat 21 Jun ’25
20:00
  • Sat 21 Jun ’25
    20:00
    Chapel Arts Centre, BA1 1QR
  • Ticket Price: £20 (exc.fees)

Scottish-Canadian jazz singer Alison Burns and British fingerstyle guitarist Martin Taylor are thrilled to announce their new album, “Songs for Nature”. The release of the first single “Nature Boy” will coincide with Earth Day on April 22nd.

More than just a collection of timeless jazz standards, “Songs for Nature” serves as a heartfelt tribute to the beauty of the natural world and the creative souls it has influenced. The album emerges as a beacon of hope amidst today's environmental challenges. In an era of global environmental upheaval, the redemptive power of music carves out a sanctuary of solace, a theme resonating deeply in “Songs for Nature”.

This album is not just about great love but more about the protection of all animals and nature.

states Alison Burns

Martin Taylor is widely considered to be the world’s foremost exponent of solo jazz and fingerstyle guitar playing. He dazzles audiences with a signature style that artfully combines his virtuosity, emotion and humour with a strong, engaging stage presence. In addition to his solo concerts and recordings, he has collaborated with musicians from many different genres, including Jeff Beck, Bill Wyman, Stephane Grappelli, Bryn Terfel, and George Harrison. Over his stellar career, Taylor has amassed a record 14 British Jazz Awards as a guitarist, received two Honorary Doctorates, and received an MBE for Services To Jazz Music.

There are singers, and there are jazz singers. There are jazz singers, and there are a few artists who bring more to the microphone - their life, love, heartaches and joy. Alison Burns is one of those artists.

She released her debut album ‘Kissing Bug’ in 2007, followed by 1:AM, Last Train to Hauteville, Freternity, and I’ll Be Home For Christmas.

These acclaimed albums captured the essence of jazz divas like Julie London and Ella Fitzgerald but with a modern sensibility that resonates globally, underscoring her unique ability to marry the spirit of a bygone jazz age with a contemporary and wide-reaching appeal. Alison Burns is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts and was awarded the International Brand Laureate Award whose other recipients have included Aretha Franklin, Taylor Swift and Adele.

QUOTES ON MARTIN TAYLOR:

“He out-shreds all of us put together…I’ve never seen anything like it”– Jeff Beck

“Martin Taylor is one of the most awesome solo guitar players in the history of the instrument. He’s unbelievable” – Pat Metheny

"Europe's finest guitarist" – JazzTimes

"There is a touch of genius in his playing" - Classical Guitar Magazine

"No matter how complex or daring, Taylor's interpretations never short change the melodies; indeed, his remarkable fluid touch embues a seamless beauty. Martin Taylor is something to behold." - The Washington Post

"Taylor is the finest British guitarist of his generation" - The Times of London

QUOTES ON ALISON BURNS:

“She 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.” – Jazz Journal

“Burns confirms her pedigree with the lightest of touches – imperceptibly hurrying a word here, turning another into a soft hoot, stretching a sound into a whispered glissando.” – The Guardian

“Burns’s voice strikes the right balance between sensitivity and power”– HMV Choice

“Scotland’s foremost jazz singers” – Glasgow Herald

“triumphant…a voice full of confidence and authority” – China Sunday Morning Post