For the second year in a row I attended Martin Taylor Guitar Retreat this is an event held in the Catskill Mountains by world famous guitar player Martin Taylor who was played with a myriad of people and has a very storied and long career most notably playing with Stephane Grappelli sitting in Django Reinhart’s guitar chair! This is an intense three days of learning and playing with other guitar players. Jamming till all hours, giving and taking information, and is just a wonderful experience.
Like the title of this blog post says the learning never ends! I’ve been studying with Martin online both at Artist Works and now at Truefire for a good 5-6 years. Two years ago, 2024, I went to the guitar retreat and there was a lovely guitar player of the Gypsy jazz style, Robin Nolan who’s just wonderful and I’ve been studying with him for about a year and ½. Expanding on my gypsy jazz repertoire I’m not ready to go full manouche, wear a beret, suspenders and have a waxed mustache, but it really has help my playing and like I say you just never never stop learning.
Every night was a jam session and my wife comes along and so she sings and I do a solo piece sometimes but the special one was Adelle and I playing with Martin and Allison in voice guitar duo duo it was very nice.
Given the current state of the Canadian dollar I won’t be going this year and I do have a little bit of FOMO but hopefully we Canadians sort our stuff out and then we won’t be taking a 40% hit on our dollar!
Robert Burton
info@riverheightsmusic.com
204-487-3664
2025 Corydon Ave. #202
Winnipeg Manitoba
R3N 1P5