This week’s #JTAmericanStandardChallenge video is from Illinois-fan, Kevin Crowell, performing his arrangement of “The Nearness Of You”, written by Hoagy Carmichael and Ned Washington.
Don’t forget: If you’d like to be part of the #JTAmericanStandardChallenge, please send a link to your video here!
Brace yourself: Carole King’s album groundbreaking 1971 album, Tapestry, will turn 50 years old next month! To mark the occasion and to honor his 50+ year friendship with Carole, James is launching a new cover challenge: #JTYouveGotAFriendChallenge!
Just videotape yourself singing or playing Carole’s classic, “You’ve Got A Friend”. Invite a friend or friends to join you! Send your covers here. James and his team will pick some favorites and share future newsletters and on social media platforms.
Click to watch Part 2 of the never-before-seen video tour of James’s favorite guitars. Filmed in 2011 at TheBarn, James calls this series like a “photo album of my life”.
Click below to hear James discuss what makes a song a standard. This clip, from his on-stage conversation with Bill Flanagan at the Sheen Center in February 2020, was part of an evening celebrating his then newly-released album, American Standard and his Audible Original memoir, Break Shot.
Click below to watch Bunny Barnes’ instrumental take on “Never Never Land”, composed by Jule Styne, Betty Comden and Adolph Green for the 1954 musical Peter Pan. If you would like to enter the #JTAmericanStandardChallenge, please send us a link here!
Happy New Year!
James starts the New Year with content not previously released from the vault! Enjoy Part 1 of this interview filmed at James’s home studio, TheBarn, taking you on a private tour of his favorite guitars through the years. James calls this tour like a “photo album of my life”. The studio interview was shot by Dave Mirkin in 2011.
Click now to watch part one, and stay tuned for more!
Audible has announced that Break Shot, James’s Audible Original audio memoir, was their most listened original release of 2020!
Click here to see the rest of the list and visit Audible.com now to listen to Break Shot!
James and team have loved watching your #JTAmericanStandardChallenge submissions over the last few weeks. Click here for a few favorites for you to enjoy during your post-holiday clean-up.
Would you like to see your video featured in a future newsletter or JT social media platform? Just upload your performance of any of the songs James recorded on his new album, American Standard, or the EP: Over The Rainbow, send us the link here, and you may get your wish!
Before you settle into this afternoon’s debut of the newly restored, complete BBC 1970 “James Taylor In Concert” (starting at 3pm ET/12pm PT):
Click below to hear James reminisce on some 1970 subjects: traveling to London to play at the Palladium, driving cross-country with Joni Mitchell, bunking with Warren Oates, visiting the Hopi Indian reservation, and even dancing with snakes! Oh, yes, James also solves the BBC “In Concert” mystery: “who knitted that green sweater”?! Test your JT trivia chops and let us know how you did!
Don’t forget the 3pm airing of “James Taylor In Concert” which will be live for just 48 hours, so don’t miss it!
Starting this Sunday, December 20 at 3pm ET/12pm PT, the complete, newly remastered BBC 1970 ‘James Taylor In Concert’ will stream for just 48 hours on James’s official YouTube channel!
Click now to see a teaser for the show and be sure to tune in on Sunday to see the full concert!