James Taylor

American Standard

Fantasy

JT pays a visit to the Great American Songbook It’s uncanny the way some of the world’s greatest artists from the world of rock and pop feel compelled to release an album of show tunes at some point in their career. Some of these work majestically where others fail, of course, but we have to admit that James Taylor was the last person we would have expected to follow this particular course…

However, this is no Sinatra-esque dinnerjacketed croon-along complete with Nelson Riddle string arrangements; quite the opposite, in fact. These are some of the greatest songs from the Great American Songbook reimagined for acoustic guitar and JT’s regular backing band that includes Steve Gadd (drums), Jimmy Johnson (bass), Larry Goldings (keyboards) with the additional talents of Jerry Douglas (dobro) and Stuart Duncan (fiddle). It’s a clever turnabout, presenting classic material in a fresh, small acoustic band setting and, as such, songs such as Teach Me Tonight, The

Nearness Of You and Almost Like Being In Love have new life breathed into them.

American Standard follows James’s No 1 album from 2015, Before This World, and so this record represents what could be viewed as a brave move. But thinking about it, cover versions have always featured in JT’s career – let’s face it, his versions of songs such as Buddy Holly’s Everyday and Joni Mitchell’s River challenge the originals in many ways, and that’s not an easy trick to pull off. In the end, the success of this album is down to James’s abilities as an arranger and how he’s managed to fuse his own style with some of the best show tunes of the 20th century to sublime effect. Standout track: Teach Me Tonight For fans of: Joni Mitchell, Carole King