by Jim Smith
Like Joe Pass' Virtuoso series, Artistry is a vehicle for Taylor's amazing technical ability. His transcriptions, particularly &Georgia On My Mind,& are superb, but occasionally his playing feels cluttered, as he squeezes in too many details. Elsewhere he is terrific: &Teach Me Tonight& is subtle and swinging, and &The Dolphin& features an astonishing range of colors, from simultaneous chordal and single-note runs to harp imitations that are surprisingly true. It doesn't provide the pure pleasure of his work with Stephan Grapelli (where he is clearly most inspired), but Artistry is a great example of Taylor's incredibly refined, creative guitar work.