Martin Taylor wins Scottish Jazz Award
"I'm so sorry I can't be with you all tonight. I'm currently on a solo tour of America and had planned to take a few days off to fly home for the Scottish Jazz Awards. Unfortunately, my flight from San Francisco was cancelled due to severe storms in the New York area. It may comfort you to know we're having 'awfie dreich' weather in America too!
"I'm very honoured to receive this award. I've spent the past 39 years as a professional jazz musician and I thank everyone that continues to support me by coming to my concerts, and everyone that has voted for me for this award. Special thanks to my son James for managing my musical career so well for the past 15 years. I wish him and Alison continued health and happiness in their new life here in California.
"Thanks also to everyone at ArtistWorks and my online guitar students in 58 countries for giving me the opportunity to share my music with them and pass on some of the things I've learned over the years.
"I'd like to thank everyone at the Peerless Guitars factory in Korea for manufacturing my signature guitars and distributing them all over the globe. You've made me a very, very happy man!
"Thanks to my great friend Guy Barker for suggesting we write the Spirit of Django Orchestral Suite together. Performing it with the Britten Sinfonia next month in London's Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms is going to be an amazing highlight for me, particularly as this will be the first time in the Proms' 116 year history that Gypsy Jazz has been represented. Receiving this award around the same time as this amazing concert is the icing on the cake.
"And finally, and most importantly, I would like to thank my wife Liz for sharing the good times and bad times with me for the past 38 years. Have a great night."
- Dr Martin Taylor MBE
View a full list of award winners on the Scottish Jazz Federation website.