If you can imagine the ideal soundtrack to driving through the scented country roads of France on a hot lazy summer’s day then it would be the music of Martin Taylor’s Spirit of Django. To mark the 100th Anniversary of the birth of one of the founders of European jazz Django Reinhardt, Martin Taylor has reformed his award winning group Spirit of Django after a 15 year hiatus for the new album, ‘Last Train to Hauteville’.

Martin Taylor first came to prominence in the ’70s through his work with violinist Stephane Grappelli and as such is able to trace his musical lineage back to Django Reinhardt and the original Quintette du Hot Club de France.


In 1994 Martin formed Spirit of Django to re-explore his own Gypsy roots. Their first album reached No.1 in the UK Jazz Charts with their version of Robert Palmer’s ‘Johnny & Mary’ becoming familiar across Europe as the theme for the successful ‘Nicole-Papa’ TV adverts for Renault Clio. They were voted Best Small Group & were top of the US Gavin Jazz Charts before Martin retired the group to work on his collaborations with Bill Wyman, Bryn Terfel & Jamie Cullum as well as his solo recordings.

A recent concert at The Royal Albert Hall in London marked the return of his gypsy jazz group Spirit of Django in advance of their first album in over fifteen years. Click here to see a video of the making of the album. Martin Taylor’s Spirit of Django includes saxophonist Alan Barnes, fast rising jazz singer Alison Burns and maestro accordionist Jack Emblow. Touring will start in the USA & Canada in March, followed by Asia in April and Europe in early Summer.

Label: The Guitar Label
Catalogue No: P3MCD023
EAN/UPC: 827775001823