The angular, elegant arpeggios and structurally profound moving bass lines of Martin Taylor’s unsurpassed jazz guitar provide the perfect framework for the sultry, engagingly lyrical vocals of Alison Burns on this enchanting disc of torch songs and standards. Taylor, perhaps the greatest solo jazz guitarist since Joe Pass, does for jazz-guitar accompaniment what Frank Gehry has done for modern architecture: forming bold, soaring acoustic structures that both define and support the song’s function without intruding or overshadowing the singer’s emotional contributions. Over this impressive foundation soars the lovely contralto voice of Burns, who knows exactly where to tread on the fine line between style and substance in her delivery. Great tunes abound, such as “Sophisticated Lady” and “How Long Has This Been Going On,” but the hidden gems are the lesser-known tunes and surprise offerings like “True,” which the duo penned together, and the sublime interpretation of Stevie Wonder’s “If It’s Magic.” From start to finish, Taylor gives guitarists reason to pause and ponder, marveling at his unique gift. 1:AM is one of those projects proving that one guitar and one voice can be so much more than the sum of their parts. (P3 Music, p3music.com)