James Taylor and his 'Band of Legends'

CONTINUING THEIR SUMMER TOUR

U.S. & Canada

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Coming in September:

JAMES TAYLOR COVERS

Photos: Stan Grossfeld, Rob Fortunato

BONUS VIDEO National Anthem 2008 NBA Finals - Game 1

Welcome to our June newsletter!

This month James reflects on the uniqueness of his 2008 "Band of Legends" Summer Tour--from extending the summer tour across Canada for the first time, to showcasing the musicians who make up this amazing band. James also explains why playing these large "sheds" or outdoor venues are so important to him.

Additionally, in a time when ticket prices have reached new highs, keeping live concerts affordable to his fans remains of primary importance to James; he explains how accessibility has become an important feature of his summer touring.

When was the last time you did a “sheds” tour with the full band?

The last sheds tour we did would have been in 2005. Touring really is my work. It’s what I do for a living and for my life, performing. We’ve played these sheds for years--for forty years now, since 1973 or ’74 pretty much solidly. Three years is a long time to wait but we’re glad to be back in 2008.

Lou Marini

What is so special about performing in these large outdoor venues and what was the inspiration for doing this kind of tour?

The only way I can really identify [with an audience] is by having played to them for years, and that’s my main connection with the people who support my music. I love playing outdoors, I love the large audiences and I love the families sitting on the lawns. I feel that in some cases, at this point in my life and career, I’m reconnecting with people who I haven’t seen in awhile but with whom I definitely feel a connection. It’s compelling and it’s gratifying. This is as real as show business gets: to be performing live and touring and putting on a show. You get the feedback from an audience in real time. Things like record sales and chart positions and television appearances--they are open to interpretation. You really don’t know what effect or what kind of connection you are making. It’s too anonymous. Playing outdoors in sheds is as real as it gets.

And Canada – do you go there often?

No, not often enough. This actually is the most extensive full band tour of Canada we’ve done. Much of the summer tour is across Canada, so that’s something new for us. I’m working with a guy named Sam Feldman whose office is in Vancouver. Sam knows a lot about Canada and was able to advise us about where to play and how to route the tour and how to promote it.

Larry Goldings, James, Mike Landau

On this “Band of Legends” Tour, we’re focusing on two things: the “covers” album to be released in September and on the individual members of the band. What I’ve been trying to build onstage is something that identifies the musicians, individually, and also something that celebrates them as a band. The experience of a James Taylor concert is that the material is primarily mine--and I’m the headliner--but the fact is, these great musicians are responsible for a good deal of what the evening is about.

Can you tell us something about the individual members?

The musicians are all well established in their own careers. Steve Gadd is truly a legend even outside the community of drummers and percussionists. Perhaps best known for his work with Simon and Garfunkel, Paul Simon, Steely Dan, and recently Eric Clapton, he has enjoyed a long and productive career. You most likely own several records that Steve has played on. The same holds true of Luis Conte who has a number of his own records out and who, like Steve, can travel the world doing clinics. He is a known and celebrated percussionist. Larry Goldings is a rising star in the field of jazz keyboard and composition and also has several of his own CDs out. Jimmy Johnson has played and recorded with a variety of artists; While touring Europe in April with the

Luis Conte

One Man Band, Larry and some of our crew caught Jimmy playing with jazz guitarist Allan Holdsworth. It was just great. At that same moment Michael Landau was touring Europe with his own band. Mike also has several albums out and has recorded with so many artists that you have all heard him before, with or without realizing it. Lou Marini may be best known for his work on Saturday Night Live and as a founding member of the Blues Brothers—a great multi-instrumentalist and woodwind talent. Walt Fowler is a sought after trumpet player and is also playing keyboards on our tour. He has a parallel career as an orchestrator and arranger on literally hundreds of major motion pictures. Of the singers, Andrea Zonn, Arnold McCuller, David Lasley and Kate Markowitz; each of them have released their own recordings, some have multiple releases. Tremendous vocal talent here and Andrea is an amazing violinist; they are all great songwriters and fine all-around bus-mates.

It's remarkable to me that I can get all of these great musicians on the road at the same time; what an honor to have their company. I want to reflect that as part of the stage set this time. I want to identify these band members as individual personalities if I can.

Most tour venues have advertised “special pricing for families.” Can you explain what that means?

When you are playing these large open spaces and there are 5,000 covered seats, typically there is a vast lawn beyond that is more or less full depending upon who is playing and what market it is. The lawn is a long way off, and we want to make those tickets available for a good and reasonable price. It has always amazed me when I see artists playing arenas and stadiums and charging hundreds of dollars for tickets. In most cases on my tours, we try to charge a really modest price for a seat and we do just fine. The thing that angers me about people gauging for ticket sales is that not only are you making people sacrifice to come and see your concert, you’re also making it impossible for them to possibly see more than one artist in concert all summer. At very high prices, maybe they can see one or two concerts. If the tickets were just reasonably priced for all concerts, then maybe everyone could go to two or three concerts a month.

Andrea Zonn

So you’ve pushed for that kind of pricing on the “Band of Legends” Tour?

I always have and it just seems right. I’m a touring act; I’ve been around and will keep on being around for a long time if I can. I really want families to be able to come and, ideally, would want everyone to be able to afford a ticket. People shouldn't have to forgo one of their children's college education to be able to see us in concert.

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