ABOUT THE SHOW
‘While My Guitar Gently Swings’ Tour
Martin Taylor & Robin Nolan
Two guitarists. Two extraordinary stories. One shared tradition.
Martin Taylor’s connection to the gypsy jazz lineage runs deep. For over a decade he performed and recorded with Stéphane Grappelli, the French violinist who had himself played with Django Reinhardt in the original Quintette du Hot Club de France. That partnership placed Martin in a direct line of succession to the music that effectively invented European jazz guitar. He has since become one of the most celebrated guitarists in the world, widely regarded as the finest solo jazz guitarist of his generation, awarded an MBE for services to music, and praised by Pat Metheny as one of the greatest guitarists alive.
Robin Nolan arrived at the same tradition from a different direction. Born in Vietnam to a family of musical entertainers, he was busking Django tunes on the streets of Amsterdam in 1994 when a CD sold to a passerby eventually reached Friar Park, George Harrison’s estate in the Thames Valley. The passerby turned out to be Harrison’s gardener. Harrison called Robin directly, and a lasting friendship followed — the Robin Nolan Trio became the house band for parties at Friar Park, Harrison named Robin his favourite guitarist, and their collaboration ultimately produced For the Love of George, recorded at Friar Park on Harrison’s own guitars and released through Dark Horse Records.
The music they bring together on this tour spans the full arc of that shared world: the swing of the Hot Club de France, the songs of the Beatles and George Harrison, and the guitar conversation that only these two musicians could have.
PHOTOS
VIDEOS