AZCENTRAL.COM - Taylor, King celebrate classic catalogs in Glendale
May 20, 2010
By Larry Rodgers
James Taylor and Carole King two icons of pop-folk songwriting and singing - rolled into Glendale and did not disappoint fans who remembered their impact on American music starting in the late '60s.
The pair of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, who helped each other hone their writing and create breakthrough albums, celebrated their friendship and artistry Wednesday, May 19, at Jobing.com Arena as part of their Troubadour Reunion Tour.
Taylor and King's obvious love for one another and their music spilled off the in-the-round stage and onto an enthusiastic audience dominated by baby boomers for whom tunes like "Fire and Rain" and "It's Too Late" served as anthems or milestones.
Both in their 60s, Taylor and King are still capable of delivering such hits as "Carolina In My Mind," "So Far Away," "You've Got a Friend" and "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" onstage with poignancy and power.
Backed by a tight band that included three players who performed with the pair when they first played in concert together in 1970 at the Troubadour nightclub in West Hollywood, Taylor and King shared the stage for nearly three hours and passed the spotlight back and forth.
The pair took the stage holding hands, gave some quick waves and quickly got down to the business of what might be called Pop-Folk Songwriting 101.
Taylor grabbed an acoustic guitar and launched things with the uplifting "Blossom" as King accompanied him on piano.
King, who got a head start on Taylor back in the day in New York's famed Brill Building, then matched that opener with "So Far Away," adding an extra dose of soul to the vocals of the hit from her 1971 "Tapestry" album.
From there, the pair were off to the races, with Taylor throwing down such classics as "Honey Don't Leave LA," "Country Road," "Mexico" and "Sweet Baby James" and King digging into "Smackwater Jack," "Jazzman," "Beautiful" and "I Feel the Earth Move."
Laying the foundation were one of Taylor's original collaborators, guitarist-producer Danny Kortchmar, drummer to the classic-rock stars Russ Kunkel and bassist Leland Sklar, whose gray ZZ Top beard was a far cry from the '60s mug shot shown on the video screens.
Joining those veterans of the 1970 Troubadour engagement were three backup singers and a second keyboardist.
Taylor, 62, showed off his effortless grasp of folk, pop and soul throughout the evening, breaking into low-key shuffles and dance steps and grinning at Kortchmar.
King got up from the piano several times to work the stage and deliver impressive takes on "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (a huge hit for Aretha Franklin) and the rollicking "Jazzman."
Taylor's deep, rich voice has weathered the decades slightly better, and King had a few brief struggles with high notes, especially on "I Feel the Earth Move."
But at 68, King impressed as she tackled and delivered challenging songs such as "Way Over Yonder."
When the two traded verses on "You've Got a Friend" and "Up On the Roof," with King resting her head on Taylor's shoulder and her friend kissing her forehead, it was easy to see why these two have been so good for each other for four decades.
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