TBO.COM — Nostalgia, musicianship, charisma meld at James Taylor concert

By Kim MacCormack

First, apologies to my neighbors in section 201 of Amalie Arena – I hope I didn’t sing along with James Taylor too loudly.

But it was hard not to.

So many of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s songs are too familiar, too comfortable, like warm, fuzzy slippers you don’t want to take off.

On Friday night, Taylor kicked off the first of two sets for a crowd of 9,000 by getting in the way-back machine. “Something In The Way She Moves,” from Taylor’s 1968 inaugural album, set the tone for an evening of nostalgia sprinkled with new tunes such as “Today Today Today.”

With every song Taylor gave a bit of background or explanation.

Of the opener, he reminisced about singing it for Paul McCartney and George Harrison when he auditioned for Apple Records. He called 1968 a transformative year, though he said later in the show, “I wish I could remember more of it.”

From a simple set that changed with every song thanks to eight large pillars that at one moment looked like New York skyscrapers to leaves changing color in his home state of North Carolina, the troubadour continued through his cache of well-worn and well-loved hits.

From “Everyday,” his cover of a Buddy Holly tune, to “Millworker” from a failed Broadway musical to “tree-hugger” songs such as “Lo and Behold” and “Country Road,” his band of all stars and back-up singers were a cohesive support to a 66-year-old singer who sounded as clear and solid as he did on his first album.

The biggest ovations from the first set were for the beloved “Carolina in My Mind” that he said was born of homesickness as he watched the Beatles cut their “White Album,” and “Sweet Baby James,” alone worth the price of admission, a sweet cowboy lullaby for his nephew that brought the audience to its feet.

He joked about the scheduled intermission, saying that he just stood behind the curtain for 20 minutes looking at his watch, but in reality he stayed on stage, posing for photographs, signing autographs and talking with audience members.

After the intermission he briefly set aside his acoustic guitar for baby blue electric guitar and played a rousing bluesy “Steamroller.” That was followed by a run of the greatest hits, including “Only One,” “Up on the Roof” and “Mexico.”

When he struck the chords of “Fire and Rain,” the applause was spontaneous and many in the crowd sang along. And at the end everyone stood.

The two and a half hour show wrapped with an encore comprised of “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” and “You’ve Got a Friend” which became an arena sing along.

source: http://tbo.com/events-tampa-bay/nostalgia-musicianship-charisma-meld-at-james-taylor-concert-20141114/

POLLSTAR.COM — James Taylor @ Fenway

By Jay Smith

James Taylor goes big for his summer 2015 Boston gig. Along with Sweet Baby James playing Fenway Park in August, the evening will include special guest Bonnie Raitt. Presales and general onsales launch next week.

Presented by Live Nation and the Boston Red Sox, Taylor, his All-Star Band, and Raitt will perform at Beantown’s famed baseball stadium Aug. 6.

Taylor, who was born in Boston, is very excited about the Fenway gig. So much, in fact, that the most excellent singer/songwriter cut a short video announcing the show.

Presale tickets will be available beginning Nov. 17 at 10 a.m. General onsales start Nov. 21 at 10 a.m. All times EST. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Action for Boston Community Development. Visit JamesTaylor.com for more information.

BOSTONGLOBE.COM – Taylor excited about ballpark show

By: Mark Shanahan & Meredith Goldstein

James Taylor is already looking forward to August, when he’ll take the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston to perform at Fenway Park. Among career highlights — and there have been many for the 66-year-old “Country Road” singer — a gig at the ballpark ranks right up there. “There are things you never see coming, and this is one of them,” Taylor told us, talking about the Aug. 6 show with coheadliner Bonnie Raitt. (Tickets go on sale No. 21.)

As you would expect, Taylor plans to play his hits, but he’ll also be promoting a new album, his first of original material in over a decade. The troubadour took an extended hiatus from the road to write and record the album, which features a song called “Angels of Fenway,” about the 2004 World Series. “I’m pretty sure we’ll play that one,” he said. Taylor’s looking forward to hitting the road, even though it’s not as easy as it once was. “It’s sort of use or lose it. You need to do it to be able to do it,” he said. “I’ll do it as long as I can and as long as there’s audience that wants me to. The big wheel keeps rolling.”

JT has many admirers among contemporary singers, none bigger than megastar Taylor Swift, who was named for Sweet Baby James and invited him to perform “Fire and Rain” with her at Madison Square Garden. “She’s definitely got her head on straight,” he said. “That’s not my audience necessarily, but it’s still very nice to be shown that kind of respect.”

COURIER-JOURNAL.COM — James Taylor delivers living-room vibe at Yum!

By Jeffrey Lee Puckett.

James Taylor’s greatest gift as a songwriter is the way his songs draw you in and gently demand attention; they have an authority that doesn’t shout but is nonetheless commanding. His performances have a similar quality, with a vibe that’s more living room than arena.

Friday night at the KFC Yum! Center, Taylor came off like an old friend stopping by to chat with 12,000 close buddies. He told some familiar stories — the one about the lullaby-singing cowboy, for example — and showed off his usual self-deprecating humor.

“We’ve got some new songs,” he said. “They sound just like the old songs, but they’re technically new.”

But it was the old songs that everyone had come to hear, and Taylor didn’t disappoint. He delivered a steady stream of Top 40 hits and fan favorites such as “Carolina in My Mind,” “Lo and Behold,” “Country Road,” “Millworker” and “Sweet Baby James,” the 1970 ballad about the singing cowboy that helped launched Taylor’s career.

At 66, Taylor’s voice has lost little of its appeal and retains an inviting, effortless quality. But it has changed in at least one important respect: Taylor now seems a far happier man than he was throughout the first two decades of his career, and the inescapable sadness in his voice that helped defined much of his work is nearly gone, replaced by a carefree bounce.

That did effect some songs Friday night, but not greatly. The melancholy at the heart of “Country Road” and “Millworker” was diluted, and the subtle desperation in “Lo and Behold” was recast as slick gospel that finally turned cheesy. But when it really counted, Taylor got in touch with that sadness; “Fire and Rain,” perhaps his most perfectly realized song, was filled with much the same longing and desolation that it had in 1970.

Taylor’s All-Star Band was stocked with some of the industry’s top-tier session players, even though none are household names. Drummer Steve Gadd, whose resume is nearly endless, was joined in part by “Blue” Lou Marini, Jimmy Johnson, Mike Landau and vocalist Arnold McCuller, a Taylor mainstay whose work on “Shower the People” has become a consistent highlight.

Taylor’s show was much like last week’s Paul McCartney concert in that the songs were ultimately the stars. They’ve become part of the pop-culture landscape, enduring for a couple of very good reasons: They’re emotionally resonant and seamlessly constructed, built to last a lifetime.

source: http://www.courier-journal.com/story/entertainment/music/2014/11/08/james-taylor-review/18702997/

QCONLINE.COM — “Sweet Baby James” gives and gets love at iWireless

By Jonathan Turner

MOLINE — After 46 years of recording and touring, James Taylor showed no signs of slowing down during his delightful, deeply satisfying show Thursday night at the iWireless Center.

The wry, wiry 66-year-old North Carolina native bathed the appreciate crowd (with the arena’s upper bowl curtained off) in a warm glow of nostalgia and a relaxed, conversational look back at his amazing, acclaimed career — with three new solid songs thrown in for good measure.

As in previous tours, Mr. Taylor began with “Something in the Way She Moves,” from his self-titled 1968 debut record for the Beatles’ Apple label. The romantic, soothing song — which paved the way for so many more velvety tunes of comfort and joy from the gentle, good-natured soul — featured the first of many beautiful harmonies Thursday from Mr. Taylor’s three backup singers.

A huge Beatles fan, he explained how he recorded his first album in the same London studio where the Beatles were simultaneously making “The White Album.”

“It was amazing to be tapped by them,” Mr. Taylor told the Moline crowd. “At the same time, I was just a kid. I hadn’t been away from home.” And that inspired his longing for home and the wondrous ode, “Carolina In My Mind.” Like several of the 24 songs Thursday night, it cast a hypnotic spell.

He introduced another classic from the same period as “a cowboy lullaby.” I was abroad for two years (pause). That always sounds wrong (hearty laughter). I was overseas, and my brother Alex had a kid. How they let my brother Alex have a kid is beyond me.”

Once he came home and saw the baby named in his honor, he wrote the sincerely sweet waltz, “Sweet Baby James.” As with many of the live versions here, Mr. Taylor and his awesome “all-star” band seemed to add extra layers of sound, depth and feeling. “Baby James” was enveloped by the musicians like a soft, sonic blanket where we’re all safe and loved.

His affection for his Carolina home also shone in “Copperline,” his 1991 single that he called a “landscape.” It lyrically paints a portrait of his native land and upbringing.

Visually, the concert also was a treat with varied and spectacular lighting effects. Rows of lights hung high above the stage, and seven towers (three on one side and four on the other) were used both for different colored lights and patterns, as well as video displays — such as nature scenes for “Country Road” and road tripping on the new, irresistible “Stretch of the Highway.”

I especially liked the nighttime city skyline for “Up on the Roof,” in which the towers appeared as lit skyscrapers. Very cool. The song’s passion revealed Mr. Taylor still has a strong high vocal register, and his jumping up and down (to the roof?) showed his energy and dedication remain unflagging.

It also was nice to see him stay on the edge of the stage during the intermission to sign autographs and take pictures with audience members.

The concert was full of the requisite hits — “Handy Man,” (with macho, frisky men in a video) “Mexico,” “Shower The People,” “Steamroller,” “Your Smiling Face” and “Everyday.” But it also featured a few deeper album cuts, like “Raised Up Family” (the bitter opposite of the loving “Shower”), “Lo and Behold” (soulful with a driving beat) and “One More Go Round” which he seemed embarrassed by, saying it was “all about the groove” and not the “weak” lyrics, which he displayed on the back video screen.

The first of the three new songs he introduced without mentioning any new album in the works was a shuffling, country-flavored “Today, Today, Today.” Mr. Taylor said it sounds a lot like his old ones (which how bad can that be?) and that he’s written “just 15 songs, 10 times each.

“I keep coming back to the same themes over and over,” he said.

“You and I Again” — the last new one — is a touching song about love over a lifetime (perhaps more than one) idealistic and hopeful, and profoundly moving.

While justly beloved for his heartfelt, mellow ballads, Thursday’s concert showed he also can get people moving and dancing with the powerful, infectious pop of “Mexico,” “Your Smiling Face” and his first encore, a powerhouse “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You).”

He seemed genuinely to mean the last song, humbly grateful for the crowd’s response. With his dry, razor-sharp humor, keen intelligence and exceptional musicianship, Mr,. Taylor and his tight band know how to put on a quality concert. The Carole King classic “You’ve Got a Friend” and an old Scottish tune, “Wild Mountain Thyme,” closed out a terrifically entertaining night.

source: http://www.qconline.com/news/local/sweet-baby-james-gives-and-gets-love-at-iwireless/article_edb29ec4-b052-50f4-98a3-ebf857cee6c8.html

JSONLINE.COM — James Taylor offers a relaxed refuge at the BMO Harris Bradley Center

By Piet Levy

It was an interesting coincidence that James Taylor played the BMO Harris Bradley Center on election night Tuesday.

While the 66-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer is a card-carrying Democrat, his soothing, introspective songs in the ’70s provided escape from the tumultuous decade prior and the politically charged folk it inspired — and consequentially paved the path for a lifelong career.

And once again on Tuesday, following a final day of political bombardment, Taylor, backed by his 11-piece All-Star Band, offered relaxed refuge.

Make that very relaxed refuge. When Taylor tried to encourage fans to clap along for the lovefest “Shower the People,” the 5,000 to 8,000 in attendance at most mustered what could be described as slightly excitable, synchronized golf claps. Taylor’s “rock star” gestures for the first of two sets spanned from seated shoulder sways for a sepia-toned “Copperline” (Taylor was on a stool much of the night) to a pseudo-leap at the end of an intentionally bumping “Country Road.”

Yet as polite as the presentation was, at times, it felt excessive.

“Millworker” for instance — Taylor’s contribution to the musical “Working” based on Studs Terkel’s book — is a quietly heartbreaking tale of a woman who will spend the rest of her days as a living tool in a factory. But, live, Lou Marini’s pennywhistle and Stephen Gadd’s rolling snare turned the song into a sappy tear-jerker. “Fire and Rain” was thankfully restrained, the big band whittled down to a handful of members, but it might have been a stronger moment if Taylor had gone solo. (Unfortunately, he never opted for such intimacy across the 24 songs, played across two sets over two-and-a-half hours.)

And the video screens and glittering lights — while modest by most arena-show standards — clashed with the mood. The twinkling lights were far too flashy for “Lo and Behold,” which Taylor jokingly described as a “spiritual for agnostics.” “Handy Man” was accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek, out-of-place video montage of male beefcakes.

But between aw-shucks demeanor and thoughtful songs, Taylor brought a cozy, theater-like atmosphere that’s generally impossible to create in such a large room.

Speaking between nearly every song, he clearly emulated the personable stage presence of his idol Paul McCartney, the subject of a couple stories throughout the evening, including Taylor’s audition for the Beatles’ Apple Records in 1968, where he said he felt like a “chihuahua on amphetamines.” Taylor also shared the origins of songs like “Carolina in My Mind” and “Sweet Baby James” (the latter a “cowboy lullaby” written for Taylor’s infant nephew, who shared his first name), and in the evening’s funniest moment, expressed how he thought “One More Go Round” was “lyrically weak,” an opinion he said his wife has insisted he should keep to himself. The band played the song anyway — and the lyrics were projected on the stage for all to criticize, even though Taylor teasingly suggested that the audience not pay attention to the words.

And while mellow was generally the M.O., Taylor and the All-Star Band had a few high-energy moments. Taylor plugged into an electric guitar for “Steamroller” but thankfully let Marini, keyboardist Larry Goldings and electric guitarist Michael Landau seize the spotlight with back-to-back solos. And when the band brought a funky gospel vibe to Taylor’s signature cover of Marvin Gaye’s “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You),” the synchronized clap-along from the crowd actually popped.

Source: http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/musicandnightlife/james-taylor-at-the-bmo-harris-bradley-center-b99382754z1-281573841.html

STARTRIBUNE.COM — James Taylor is as comfy as an old flannel shirt

By Jon Bream

James Taylor gives you the warm fuzzies.

When you need a friend, a hug or any kind of uplift, put on a James Taylor record or go to one of his concerts.

If you were one of the 10,000-plus baby boomers at Xcel Energy Center Sunday night, you might have found Taylor’s two-set, 2 1/4-hour performance to be as comforting as an old flannel shirt — one with holes in the elbow but with an unmistakably homey feel.

The 66-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer dresses up that flannel shirt with clean bluejeans, a wrinkled sport jacket and eventually a newsboy cap. Or, to put it in showbiz terms, he offered some quick-on-his-feet humor, several back stories about old songs and a trio of new songs.

Let’s address the new songs since Taylor hasn’t released a studio album of original material since 2002’s “October Road.” The new numbers seemed disparate musically, with “Today, Today, Today” finding Taylor at his twangiest musically and his most sing-songy lyrically. “Stretch of Highway,” which opened the second set, was a sleepy minor key ode to traveling; the most interesting aspect was how the female vocal harmonies suggested Steely Dan.

“You and I Again,” easily the best of the new tunes, was a piano ballad about long love, with a sophistication that suggested an art-song rather than another singalong JT love ballad. Taylor didn’t say if and when he’d deliver a new album.

That’s OK because the quintessential ’70s singer-songwriter trades on nostalgia and that’s what the crowd came for in what was actually Taylor’s first solo headline concert in a Twin Cities arena since 2001. His last time through town in 2010, he shared the stage with Carole King, his old pal, in a show that was neither polished nor overly collaborative.

Working with seven musicians and three backup singers, Taylor elevated such favorites as “Something In the Way She Moves” and “Carolina on My Mind” by telling back stories about them. The former he played in front of Paul McCartney and George Harrison when he auditioned for his contract with Apple Records; the latter was written because he was homesick while living in Europe.

“Sweet Baby James” would have been as gorgeous as ever (it earned the night’s first standing ovation) even if JT hadn’t explained that it born nephew James, the first of the next generation in the Taylor family. Other special moments were “Fire and Rain,” his elegant expression of yearning and determination (that received another standing ovation); “Country Road” with some funky vocal riffing (and JT showing a lot of excitement, for him), and his reading of Marvin Gaye’s “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You),” which was more soulful and swinging than Taylor’s recorded version and featured a hot saxophone solo by Lou Marini of Blues Brothers fame.

Backup singers Arnold McCuller, Andrea Zonn and Kate Markowitz added elegant harmonies to “You’ve Got a Friend” and the finale, an old Scottish folk tune “Wild Mountain Thyme.”

Guitarist Mike Landau delivered some fiery licks during “Steamroller Blues,” a jaunty workout featuring humorously affected vocals by Taylor, who seemed to be channeling an old bluesman missing some teeth. That playfulness was part of JT’s appeal all night long.

He made self-deprecating mockery of his lyrics for “One More Go Round,” underscoring the point by projecting them on a big screen (he rhymes wine with 69) but saying he keeps playing the tune because he digs its groove.

He even made light of the acoustic guitar he was playing. It was made for him by James Olson, a Twin Cities guitarmaker. Taylor came to Minneapolis once to play a benefit concert and he found the guitar sitting on his hotel bed. “Welcome home, little fellow,” JT said to his guitar Sunday. “Don’t get used to it.”

No, that guitar needs to travel so Taylor can soothe baby boomers elsewhere with his warm, fuzzy songs.

Source: http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/281260381.html

BOSTONGLOBE.COM — Taylors make large donation to support work of MGH doctor

By Mark Shanahan and Meredith Goldstein

Singer James Taylor and his wife, Kim, were among the attendees at Saturday’s Storybook Ball, an annual fund-raiser for the MassGeneral Hospital for Children, and they came bearing a substantial gift.

The Taylors announced a $500,000 donation to help Mass. General’s chief of plastic and reconstructive surgery, Dr. William Gerald (Jay) Austen Jr., expand his efforts to provide surgery to needy children.

For two weeks each year, Austen — whose dad W. Gerald Austen was chief of surgical services at MGH for nearly three decades and a founding trustee of Partners HealthCare System — leads a group of surgeons to Cartagena, Colombia, to perform surgery on children with burns, and cleft lip and palate deformities. (In 2014, the Cartagena Surgical Mission team saw more than 200 young patients and completed 53 successful operations in a 10-day period.)

“Dr. Austen’s passion and dedication to helping children and giving them a new life — it just feels good when someone is doing work like that,” Kim Taylor told us before the event. “We also feel a longstanding connection to MGH through James’s father, a physician there for many years, and we’re grateful that so many of our friends and family have received such excellent care at MGH.” (That includes JT’s 93-year-old mother, who was admitted Thursday.)

As always, Saturday’s Storybook Ball was a fancy affair with a lengthy guest list that included Red Sox (and Boston Globe) owner John Henry and wife Linda; Bruins wives Rebecca Seidenberg, Brittany Lucic, Krissy Kelly, Katrina Marchand, and Stephanie Bergeron; BSO managing director Mark Volpe; comedian Lenny Clarke; author Ben Mezrich and wife Tonya; Parthenon Group’s Bill Achtmeyer and wife Alli; car king Herb Chambers; and party planner Bryan Rafanelli and partner Mark Walsh, deputy chief of protocol at the US State Department.

source: http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/names/2014/10/18/james-and-kim-taylor-make-significant-donation-support-work-mass-general-doctor/NKeOZZKJQIkS1wiNWj49CN/story.html#skip-target1

FINANCIAL TIMES – James Taylor, Royal Albert Hall, London

By David Cheal

The singer took his audience on a journey down the highways and byways of a life in music.

Sweet-voiced, gentle, avuncular and twinkly, James Taylor is not the kind of pop star to set pulses soaring; rather, his music is soothing balm for the soul, often shot through with a dash of wistful regret, and augmented these days by an aura of wisdom that’s accentuated by the eagleish contours of his head.

And so on this, the first of two nights in London at the end of a UK tour, he took a packed Albert Hall down the highways and byways of his life in music, pausing to chat affably and wittily about the stories behind some of his songs (one he introduced endearingly as “hippie tree-hugging bullshit”). At 66, his years of heroin abuse well behind him, he is lean and fit and his mellifluous voice is in great shape while his band picked, plucked and tickled their instruments with admirable delicacy and restraint.

His quick wit came to the fore early in the show, after a tender “Lo and Behold”. “I love you, James,” shouted one punter, “but the sound is terrible. Take the reverb off!” Taylor, without missing a beat, replied, “Well, I hear you loud and clear.” The punter had a point, but it wasn’t anything to do with Taylor’s sound crew; it was simply that the Albert Hall is a devilishly tricky venue for amplified music, and in fact by its usual standards the sound at this show was of a pretty high standard.

What did come across with utmost clarity was the quintessentially American quality of Taylor’s music. It’s there in his lyrics, of course, but also in the timbre of those country-ish guitars, the Hammond organ, the brushed drums, the harmonies: the roads, the mountains and beaches, the land itself. This was most notable in a pitch-perfect rendition of his 1968 song “Carolina In My Mind”, written, he told us, during a bout of homesickness for his home state while he was recording at Trident Studios in London, where The Beatles were next door recording The White Album (they are the song’s “holy host of others standing around me”). Achingly lovely.

The show omitted none of the old Taylor favourites – “Sweet Baby James”, “You’ve Got a Friend”, “Fire and Rain”, etc – and also included a couple of impressive new tunes.
By the end, with the band chugging away, the audience had risen to their feet and were . . . well, not quite dancing, but jiggling gently.

BOURNEMOUTHECHO.CO.UK: James Taylor, BIC: ‘nicest man in music’ delivers belter of a show

By Debbie Moore

IF there was an award for the nicest man in music, the name permanently engraved on the trophy would surely be James Taylor’s.

The genial, gentlemanly singer songwriter has been delighting fans with his melodic, memorable tunes and distinctive guitar picking since before some of his audience were even born, yet the smile never leaves his face as he performs songs he’s done a thousand times before.

This show was perfectly balanced between the adored old hits, covers and great new songs, like Stretch of the Highway. There were gentle moments – his cowboy lullaby Sweet Baby James is always a highlight – and energetic ones, with his electric guitar making its one and only appearance for a bluesy Steamroller.

He creates a cosy intimacy with his audience with chat and stories about every song, but can ramp up the energy in an instant – notably for a fantastic rocked-up Country Road where drummer Steve Gadd, part of the aptly named All Star band, got to show his considerable talent.

James’s songs, he says with that smile, can be easily categorised – highway songs, love songs, hippy tree-hugger songs – but every one of them is a winner evoking memories and emotion in his enchanted audience. Fire and Rain, Carolina in My Mind, You’ve Got a Friend and a soulful, heartfelt Shower the People are all there and rapturously received.

He never leaves the stage, even during the interval, which he spends signing endless autographs until long after the band are back on. He has the air of a man so grateful for his lot in life that he wants to give his audience even more than they already get from his songs. When he finally swaps the pen for his guitar he shakes out his lanky limbs and instantly picks up the groove.

Bournemouth got a belter of a show. The BIC date was near the end of a long UK tour and the hauntingly beautiful voice sounded just a little tired and fragile at times. Ever the gentleman, he thanked us profusely for having him back and wished us safe home. You’re welcome anytime, James – just take good care of that precious voice.

source: http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/leisure/reviews/11516753.James_Taylor__BIC___nicest_man_in_music__delivers_belter_of_a_show/