ROLLINGSTONE.COM – James Taylor Details New Album, Hits Road With Jackson Browne

By Daniel Kreps

James Taylor will take on the Great American Songbook on the singer’s upcoming album American Standard, due out February 28th. The LP is Taylor’s first since 2015’s Before This World and 19th overall.

“I’ve always had songs I grew up with that I remember really well, that were part of the family record collection — and I had a sense of how to approach, so it was a natural to put American Standard together,” Taylor said in a statement. “I know most of these songs from the original cast recordings of the famous Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, including My Fair Lady, Oklahoma, Carousel, Showboat and others.”

Taylor also unveiled the first single from American Standard, a take on the Gene De Paul-Sammy Chan jazz classic “Teach Me Tonight,” previously popularized by Dinah Washington and Frank Sinatra.

Taylor added, “In terms of how they were performed and recorded before, we paid attention to the chords and melody, but we were interested in doing something new, and in bringing something new to it, we’ve reinterpreted the songs, that’s what makes it worth doing.”

The album also features Taylor’s version of standards like “My Blue Heaven,” “Moon River” and “Pennies From Heaven,” as well as a trio of tracks penned by Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Taylor will also embark on a North American tour this summer alongside Jackson Browne, with the singer/songwriters performing in arenas and amphitheaters starting May 15th in New Orleans to July 10th in Camden, New Jersey. Along the way, Taylor will also play a one-off stadium gig at Boston’s Fenway Park with special guests Brandi Carlile and Shawn Colvin.

Source: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/james-taylor-american-standard-new-album-941697/

ROLLINGSTONE.COM: 70 Most Anticipated Albums of 2020

Album: Untitled standards collection
Release Date: Late February
Never one to rush out new work, Taylor has an unusually productive year ahead. He’ll release an audio-only memoir, Break Shot, via the Audible company, as well as a new studio album. Talking to RS in 2015 about his favorite music, Taylor mentioned Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Randy Newman, along with jazz icons Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan — “the stuff I’ve always loved.” Reflecting that passion, he’s finally recorded his own collection of pre-rock pop standards — acoustic, JT-style versions of classics like “Moon River,” “Pennies from Heaven,” and “God Bless the Child.”

source: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/2020-album-preview-drake-bieber-springsteen-adele-931360/james-taylor-17-934480/

BERKSHIREEAGLE.COM — James Taylor July 4 Tanglewood tickets go on sale Feb. 3

By Clarence Fanto

LENOX — Continuing an annual tradition, James Taylor and his All-Star Band will celebrate the Independence Day holiday with one show on July 4 as part of the Tanglewood Popular Artists series. It will be his 29th summer season appearance here.

Tickets for the 8 p.m. show in the Koussevitzky Music Shed go on sale Feb. 3 at 10 a.m. at tanglewood.org or 888-266-1200. Prices range from $30 for the lawn to $120 for prime Shed seating.

Proceeds will be donated by Kim and James Taylor to Tanglewood Building and Grounds projects.

The July 4 concert, which is expected to attract the usual capacity crowd of 18,000 listeners, ends with a fireworks display over Stockbridge Bowl.

Taylor’s only other announced New England show is at Fenway Park in Boston on June 21, where he has performed three times in recent years. His summer season U.S. tour will be announced soon.

New memoir, album

Taylor’s Tanglewood debut was in 1974 with Linda Ronstadt. He returned in 1975, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2003 and annually from 2005 through 2019, except for 2013.

Over the next few weeks, his Audible.com Original spoken word memoir, “Break Shot” will be released. Taylor’s new studio album, “American Standard,” a complement to the audio memoir, is coming out on Fantasy Records next month.

The Audible release is a 90-minute autobiographical survey of his first 21 years, recorded at The Barn, Taylor’s state-of-the-art recording studio near his home in the town of Washington.

The first chapter of his life story cover his early years in the Boston area followed by his family’s move to Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Instead of heading to college, Taylor chose to launch his musical career, with a major assist from the Beatles when he visited London with a demo of his first self-titled album, released on the British band’s Apple label in December 1968. It included the hit “Carolina in My Mind.”

Audible’s spoken word memoir is described by the company as a “one-of-a-kind music and storytelling experience.”

Taylor collaborated with music journalist Bill Flanagan to describe how his upbringing inspired some of his most beloved and enduring songs.

“I’ve known Bill Flanagan and admired his writing forever,” Taylor said. “I was happy and relieved that he had agreed to help me gather my thoughts and edit this autobiography of my beginnings, the on-ramp to the road I’ve traveled ever since.

“A pitcher needs a catcher, and a funny and intelligent collaborator can make you seem likewise,” Taylor continued. The musician compared Flanagan’s role as that of a film director.

source: https://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/james-taylor-july-4-tanglewood-tickets-go-on-sale-feb-3,594793?

ROLLINGSTONE.COM — ‘Handy Man’: 5 Practical Lessons We Learned From James Taylor’s Twitter

By ANGIE MARTOCCIO

James Taylor told us he was a “handy man” way back when, but his Twitter is the ultimate reminder. His “Handy Man” fix-it posts are rife with important lessons and tricks.

Although the singer-songwriter uses the account for professional purposes — like announcing upcoming performances and hinting at new music — his tweets can also be lighthearted and humorous. He excels at hashtags (see his photos of his adorable pug, festooned with #puglife) and hilarious photos that read “Caption this!”

Most important are his fix-it posts, because, after all, he’s not the kind that uses pencil or rule. Most of the videos are shot at TheBarn, Taylor’s home studio in Western Massachusetts — where he’s currently recording his upcoming audio memoir. From making buttons out of pennies to inventing tools for callouses, here are five practical lessons we learned from his Twitter.

1. He vastly improved the boot jack.
Taylor gives a modern update to the boot jack, a device that’s used to remove the shoe by the heel. He lines it with speaker cable for a better grip — and also to prevent tearing the boot.

2. He invented a callous tool.
Every guitar player needs to keep their callouses in shape. Taylor made the ultimate DIY tool by drilling old guitar strings against a piece of wood. It’s especially helpful for new guitarists, who build stronger callouses with time. “You keep it in your pocket,” Taylor advises. “Work on your thing!”

3. He’s partial to an extreme flashlight.
Taylor sheds more than a little light with a ginormous flashlight. He explains his co-manager Michael Gorfaine’s quest to find the flashlight with the largest amount of lumens, and sends Taylor one with a whopping 100,000. It even comes with its own cooling system. “What is it used for?” Taylor asks the camera, before testing the device on his driveway at night. “Aircraft carrier landings, football games, forcing trees to go into bloom…I think he’s outdone himself now!”

4. He makes buttons out of pennies.
Taylor made a button out of a copper penny, complete with four perfect holes in the center.

5. He crafts the perfect setlist — literally.
Taylor constructs his setlists with an industrial paper cutter. He arranges individual cards with his songs on them and puts them on a wall. Famous tracks like “Mexico,” “Steamroller” and “If I Keep My Heart Out of Sight” can be seen in the clip.

source: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/james-taylor-twitter-918752/

AMERICANSONGWRITER.COM — James Taylor’s Audible Original Memoir Announced

Audible Inc., the world’s largest producer and provider of spoken-word entertainment and audiobooks, today announced that legendary GRAMMY Award winning singer-songwriter James Taylor will create Break Shot, a deeply personal and authentic audio-only memoir, for Audible. This one-of-a-kind music and storytelling experience is the first-ever Audible Original performance by James Taylor. Break Shot will be released on Audible in early 2020.

Prompted by interviews conducted by music journalist Bill Flanagan, Taylor will take listeners through the triumphs and traumas of his childhood and difficult family life, emerging to become the first American artist to sign with the Beatles’ record label, and finally to the cusp of super-stardom. Woven throughout the audio memoir will be music, including songs from his beloved catalog.

James Taylor commented, “I’ve known Bill Flanagan and admired his writing forever. So I was happy and relieved that he had agreed to help me gather my thoughts and edit this autobiography of my beginnings, the on-ramp to the road I’ve traveled ever since. A pitcher needs a catcher and a funny and intelligent collaborator can make you seem likewise. To the best of my recollection, I never had much of a memory; but here’s how I remember it… Did I say that already?”

“As one of millions of lifelong fans of the inimitable James Taylor, I’m not alone in my eagerness to hear the genesis story and learn more about the intellectual and artistic inspiration—to say nothing of the backstory to personal challenges—of this legend of American music, directly from the one-and-only James Taylor himself,” said Audible founder and CEO Don Katz. “I’m thrilled to be able to bring this latest example of elite music storytelling and a remarkable listening experience from a gifted culture-maker to our Audible members around the world.”

Break Shot will illuminate how shattering Taylor’s family’s traditional expectations enabled the artist to create a new life; though unaware at the time that millions of other young people were navigating similar challenges, Taylor’s own experiences and the songs he wrote about them would come to speak for an entire generation. Taylor will also reflect on growing up in a musical family and falling in love with the exquisite melodies, impeccable phrasing and concise storytelling of the early era songwriting masters that would become essential to his work in popular music. This darkly funny, sometimes harrowing and always moving story of one young man’s journey away from the plans laid out for him and onto an unmarked path will be recorded at Taylor’s home studio, TheBarn, in Western Massachusetts.

Break Shot joins a robust slate of Audible Originals featuring exclusive audio entertainment created by celebrated storytellers from the worlds of entertainment, theater, journalism, comedy, literature and more. Audible Originals offer powerful performances created specifically for listeners by award-winning musicians, actors, writers and comedians, spanning every genre and length. Other critically acclaimed Audible Original performances include Tom Morello at the Minetta Lane, Patti Smith at the Minetta Lane and The Queen, all available for download at www.audible.com.

Taylor is currently working on his new album which will be released by Fantasy Records in early 2020.

source: https://americansongwriter.com/james-taylor-audio-memoir-when-does-it-come-out/american-songwriter/

USA TODAY: Exclusive: James Taylor announces audio memoir ‘Break Shot’ on Audible in early 2020

By Barbara VanDenburgh

James Taylor has been telling his story through song for decades. Now, the celebrated singer-songwriter is trying something a little bit different.

Audible has announced Taylor’s upcoming Audible Original project, “Break Shot.” A deeply personal audio-only memoir, “Break Shot” is a unique storytelling and musical experience, combining a spoken-word performance with musical interludes recorded at Taylor’s Western Massachusetts home studio.

The “Fire and Rain” and “Carolina in My Mind” singer worked with music journalist Bill Flanagan to share the story of his life up to age 21, covering his childhood, difficult family life and musical development, taking listeners to the cusp of his inevitable superstardom. The memoir promises to offer unique insight into how Taylor’s upbringing inspired some of his most beloved and enduring songs.

“I’ve known Bill Flanagan and admired his writing forever. So I was happy and relieved that he had agreed to help me gather my thoughts and edit this autobiography of my beginnings, the on-ramp to the road I’ve traveled ever since,” Taylor said in a press release. “A pitcher needs a catcher, and a funny and intelligent collaborator can make you seem likewise.”

“Break Shot” is scheduled to be released early next year, though no specific date has been announced. It will be available exclusively on Audible.

Taylor, 71, is a Grammy Award-winning Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and the recipient of both the Kennedy Center Honors and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He is currently working on a new album, which is slated to be released Fantasy Records in early 2020. “Break Shot” will be Taylor’s first spoken-word performance.

source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/books/2019/11/21/james-taylor-memoir-break-shot-audible-2020-exclusive/4243927002/

SOUNDANDVISION.COM — Music Disc Reviews – James Taylor: The Warner Bros. Albums -1970-1976

By Mike Mettler

And lo, there was a new breed of musician who had come to town, and they were duly christened singer/songwriters. In the wake of the burgeoning rock era’s focus on volume-dealing power trios and instrumentally propelled multi-member ensembles (whether schooled or otherwise), there soon emerged another genre compelled by a more sensitive, more lyric-driven, and more acoustified approach.

The undisputed king of this harmonious hill in the 1970s was James Taylor. The New England-bred Taylor had actually released his first, self-titled album in November 1968 on The Beatles’ custom Apple label, but his nascent drug problem essentially prevented him from doing much in the way of promotion or touring. Subsequently signing with the artist-friendly Warner Bros. label, Taylor ultimately emerged from his personal haze to go on a creatively sparked six-album run beautifully captured in this multidisc box set, The Warner Bros. Albums – 1970-1976.

As overseen by Taylor’s longtime friend, early manager, and original producer Peter Asher, the vinyl box version of 1970-1976, with all albums therein reproduced on 180-gram wax and mastered by the perpetually golden-eared Bernie Grundman, is the best way to fully appreciate the true depth of Taylor’s compositions, honey-dewed lead vocals, finely cultivated accompanying harmony partners, and top-flight coast-to-coast studio musician and band accompaniment. Completists may feel compelled to pick up the reasonably priced companion CD box set, but I defy anyone, regardless of age or fortitude of eyesight, to be able to read the song credits and lyrics as reproduced on the 4.9-inch-square back covers and/or sleeve inserts without deploying a magnifying glass and/or microscope.

At any rate, tracing Taylor’s muse chronologically is the correctly charted listening path here, imo, and that’s exactly how I tackled this box set’s collective 75 tracks on wax. The ever-endearing, not-so-innocent charm of February 1970’s Sweet Baby James never fails to ignite the very instant the needle drops on the opening title track. After some style-defining acoustic-guitar picking, Taylor calmly observes, “He sings out a song which is soft but it’s clear” less than a minute into it—and that may very well be the manifesto for how he’s approached his entire career. From that moment on, there are many wonders to behold (or should that be, “be-heard”?), including Bobby West’s keenly bowed bass on the starkly confessional “Fire and Rain” and the bluesy, electric-guitar interplay with Danny “Kootch” Kortchmar on “Steamroller” (the latter beautifully counterpointed with Jack Bielan’s swinging horn arrangement).

After that, the highlights are many, and rarely far-between. April 1971’s Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon absolutely sparkles with the intertwined vocal interplay between Taylor and Joni Mitchell on the back half of Carole King’s indelible “You’ve Got a Friend” (Taylor’s first and only No. 1 single), King’s own, often underrated piano playing enhancement of “Long Ago and Far Away” (again featuring Mitchell on backgrounds), and drummer Russ Kunkel’s seamless brushwork on “Machine Gun Kelly.” Meanwhile, November 1972’s One Man Dog opens with the suave confidence of the call-and-response breaks on “One Man Parade,” followed by Kunkel’s congas and Michael Brecker’s ever-so-smooth tenor sax solo on the lightly pleading “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight” and Linda Ronstadt’s soaring, sultry tone on the traditional come-hither directive of “One Morning in May.”

Next, June 1974’s somewhat overlooked Walking Man deserves a slight re-evaluation, as witnessed by the way Taylor sings with himself on the string-laden title track and the funky declaration of “Rock ‘N’ Roll Is Music Now” (listen especially for the lofty background-vocal blending with Paul and Linda McCartney and Taylor’s then-life partner Carly Simon), and the fan-favorite travelogue “Hello Old Friend.” May 1975’s Gorilla re-upped the ante with the below-the-border jangle of “Mexico,” featuring the unmistakable harmonies of David Crosby and Graham Nash, the instant singalong allure of “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)” with Simon again providing the vocal counter (“I want to stop and thank you baby,” indeed!), and the hidden gem of “Angry Blues,” with Little Feat’s Lowell George getting his patented gnarly, growly licks in via both vocal and electric guitar accompaniment. Finally, June 1976’s In the Pocket boasts a veritable cavalcade of high-profile guests. “Shower the People” kicks off the parade with well-placed orchestral bells and vibes from Victor Feldman and Simon again harmonizing on the choruses to a T (please also note that the “the” in the title line is always deliberately sung as “thee”), while Art Garfunkel lends his angelic high tenor to both “A Junkie’s Lament” and “Captain Jim’s Drunken Dream” and Stevie Wonder blows his signature harmonica on the track he co-wrote with Taylor, the uplifting “Don’t Be Sad Cause Your Sun Is Down.”

I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain, and I’ve rarely heard anything as sonically sweet as the recorded output of James Taylor. May the sunny days evoked by the finest sounds of his many magical tunes never end.

source: https://www.soundandvision.com/content/james-taylor-warner-bros-albums-1970-1976

ROLLINGSTONE.COM — Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, James Taylor Top Sting’s Rainforest Benefit Concert

By Angie Martoccio

Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor and John Mellencamp will perform with Sting at the 30th annual Rainforest Fund benefit concert. Hosted by Robert Downey Jr., the event is set to take place at New York’s Beacon Theatre on December 9th.

Named “We’ll Be Together” after a 1987 Sting single, the lineup also features Shaggy, Eurythmics, H.E.R., Ricky Martin, Bob Geldof and MJ Rodriguez. Benefit Level tickets start at $1,000; remaining tickets will be available on November 1st via Ticketmaster.

Founded in 1989 by Sting and his wife Trudie Styler, the Rainforest Fund aims to protect the world’s rainforests and defend the human rights of the indigenous peoples who live there. “With the Amazon blighted by fire this summer, and a real and growing awareness of climate change, there has never been a more important or more opportune moment to fight to protect our forests,” Styler said in a statement. “All life on earth depends on their survival.”

The evening is also a tribute to the Eighties, during which MTV-era acts like Mellencamp and Geldof united for social change and participated in massive benefits like Live Aid, Farm Aid, and Band Aid.

Sting and Styler have thrown 17 Rainforest Fund benefit concerts over the years since 1991. The last was in 2016 and featured Springsteen, James Taylor, Idina Menzel, Darlene Love and Ronnie Spector. This is the first year it will be held at Beacon Theatre — all have previously taken place at Carnegie Hall.

Tickets for the show will be available beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday, November 1st via Ticketmaster.com and Ticketmaster Charge by Phone. Tickets will also be available at the Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theatre box office on November 2nd.

source: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/sting-springsteen-james-taylor-rainforest-fund-benefit-lineup-2019-903087/

THEMUSICUNIVERSE.COM — JAMES TAYLOR WARNER BROS RECORDS ALBUMS COMPILED INTO BOX SETS

REMASTERED FOR CD AND LP BOX SETS
Between 1970 and 1976, James Taylor released six albums with Warner Bros. Records that became the foundation for his unparalleled career that includes five Grammy Awards, induction into the Songwriters and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame, and more than 100 million records sold worldwide.

Rhino pays tribute to Taylor with a new collection that introduces newly remastered versions of all his Warner Bros. albums. The Complete Warner Bros. Albums: 1970-1976 will be available on July 19th from Rhino as both 6 CD and 180-gram 6 LP sets as well as digitally. This collection brings several albums back into print on vinyl for the first time in many years. The newly remastered version of “Fire And Rain” is available now on all digital download and streaming services.

Rhino.com will also offer exclusive bundles that pair both the 6 CD and 6 LP versions of the set with a 12” x 12” lithograph of a classic Taylor photo from 1970. Additionally, the first 350 pre-orders of the LP version from Rhino.com with come with a signed version of the lithograph.

Each album in the set has been remastered, a process overseen by Peter Asher, who signed Taylor to the Beatles’ Apple Records label in 1968, worked as his manager for 25 years, and originally produced several of these albums.

In the collection’s liner notes Asher writes, “Revisiting these albums several decades later has been revelatory, nostalgic, and exciting. I have heard bits and pieces frequently over the years, of course, but listening with concentration and in detail to each of the original tapes without interruption has been a thrilling luxury.”

The Complete Warner Bros. Albums: 1970-1976 includes: Sweet Baby James (1970), Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon (1971), One Man Dog (1972), Walking Man (1974), Gorilla (1975), and In the Pocket (1976).

The collection is filled with some of Taylor’s most iconic and beloved songs like “Sweet Baby James,” “Fire And Rain,” “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight,” “Walking Man,” “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You),” “Mexico,” “Shower The People” and Carole King’s “You’ve Got A Friend,” the later which was Taylor’s first No. 1 hit and earned him his first Grammy Award (Best Male Pop Vocal) in 1971.

The collection also offers up some spectacular deep cuts like his acoustic lullaby “You Can Close Your Eyes” from Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon; the ten minute song cycle that closes One Dog Man; “Rock ’n’ Roll Music Is Now” from Walking Man, which features backing vocals by Paul and Linda McCartney; and “Don’t Be Sad ’Cause Your Sun Is Down” from In the Pocket, a song Taylor wrote and recorded with Stevie Wonder.

source: https://themusicuniverse.com/james-taylor-warner-bros-records-albums-compiled-box-sets

BESTCLASSICBANDS.COM: James Taylor Warner Bros. Albums Box Set Due

Between 1970 and 1976, James Taylor released six albums on Warner Bros. Records. Rhino will release a new collection on July 19 that introduces newly remastered versions of all of those albums. The Complete Warner Bros. Albums: 1970-1976 will be available as both 6-CD and 180-gram, 6-LP sets, as well as digitally. This collection brings several albums back into print on vinyl for the first time in many years.

Rhino.com will also offer exclusive bundles that pair both the CD and LP versions of the set with a 12” x 12” lithograph of a classic Taylor photo from 1970.

Each album in the set has been remastered, a process overseen by Peter Asher, who signed Taylor to the Beatles’ Apple Records label in 1968, worked as his manager for 25 years and originally produced several of these albums.

In the collection’s liner notes Asher writes: “Revisiting these albums several decades later has been revelatory, nostalgic and exciting. I have heard bits and pieces frequently over the years, of course, but listening with concentration and in detail to each of the original tapes without interruption has been a thrilling luxury.”|

The Complete Warner Bros. Albums: 1970-1976 includes Sweet Baby James (1970), Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon (1971), One Man Dog (1972), Walking Man (1974), Gorilla (1975) and In the Pocket (1976).

The collection is filled with some of Taylor’s best known songs, including “Sweet Baby James,” “Fire and Rain,” “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight,” “Walking Man,” “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You),” “Mexico,” “Shower the People” and Carole King’s “You’ve Got A Friend,” the latter which was Taylor’s first #1 hit and earned him his first Grammy Award (Best Male Pop Vocal) in 1971.

The collection also offers up some deep cuts like his acoustic lullaby “You Can Close Your Eyes” from Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon; the 10-minute song cycle that closes One Dog Man; “Rock ’n’ Roll Music Is Now” from Walking Man, which features backing vocals by Paul and Linda McCartney; and “Don’t Be Sad ’Cause Your Sun Is Down” from In the Pocket, a song Taylor wrote and recorded with Stevie Wonder.

source: https://bestclassicbands.com/james-taylor-warner-albums-5-21-19/