James Taylor: One Man Band | Introduction | Great Performances

Concord Records

Nearly 40 years after the release of his first single, beloved singer-songwriter James Taylor continues to captivate legions of fans with his characteristic, folk-inspired sound. The recipient of five Grammy® awards, and both a Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame and a Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, Taylor has enjoyed an illustrious career and is widely acknowledged as both a premier musician and a premier storyteller. In July 2007, Taylor teamed up with veteran television producer Don Mischer and Oscar®-winning director Sydney Pollack (OUT OF AFRICA) to produce ONE MAN BAND, a concert performance of Taylor’s greatest hits, interspersed with personal anecdotes, often touching and sometimes witty reflections, and never-before-seen home movies and photographs from Taylor’s personal archives. Recorded at the magnificently restored Colonial Theatre in the heart of the Berkshires, the concert features classic James Taylor favorites such as “Carolina in My Mind,” “You’ve Got a Friend,” “Shower the People,” and “Fire and Rain.”

From Timothy White’s biography, JAMES TAYLOR LONG AGO AND FAR AWAY: HIS LIFE AND HIS MUSIC, Taylor reflects on his feelings about his music-making after the tremendous success of his albums SWEET BABY JAMES (1970) and MUD SLIDE SLIM AND THE BLUE HORIZON (1971).

“I’d been very sheltered by the fact my music had once been very rogue and maverick to make. It was an alienated thing to run off and make music! When suddenly that became, from my family’s point of view, so central and a point of pride, it achieved for me the very opposite of what I had gone into it for. I was threatened by the degree of success I’d gotten and was really confused about it. … Now it [music] was part of a band, a contract, a manager, a growing concern, and the alienated music soul you’d always been was now simultaneously the most responsible figure in this new realm!”

Watch Taylor perform “Something in the Way She Moves,” which was included on his 1968 self-titled debut album, and see which of his other popular tunes are featured in the concert in the song list. Vote for your favorite Taylor song in the poll.

Many local PBS stations may be offering the ONE MAN BAND CD/DVD set as a Pledge gift. To order this item, pledge now.

Visit the Web companion of the concert special honoring the singer’s musical legacy, A TRIBUTE TO JAMES TAYLOR.

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