SWEET BABY JAMES
Singer-songwriter brings his classic sound to AT&T Park
Now batting … James Taylor.
And don’t be surprised if the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer hits a home run when he visits the home of the San Francisco Giants — AT&T Park — on July 29.
After all, this guy has been on a winning streak for, well, pretty close to a halfcentury now — and we don’t see it coming to an end anytime soon.
Of course, he’s best known for his work in the ’70s, softly crooning on such lovely offerings as “Shower the People,” “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight,” “Fire and Rain” and the chart-topping single “You’ve Got a Friend.”
Yet, he’s continued to find success in each decade that’s followed. Amazing as it might sound, Taylor’s scored his first-ever No. 1 album with 2015’s “Before This World.”
We recently spoke with the 69-year-old Taylor, who sounded like he was counting down the days until his concert in San Francisco. Bay Area favorite Bonnie Raitt is also on the bill.
Q Hey, James. Glad to talk to you in advance of your San Francisco date.
A It’s always been sort of a treat to make it to San Francisco, for me.
Q That’s good to hear. Why do you feel that way?
A I don’t know what it is. It feels like a smart population — into the arts, into music. So much of the popular culture that I sprang from was generated in San Francisco in the ‘60s and ’70s that I’ve always had affinity for it. Big Brother and the Holding Company. Jefferson Airplane. Country Joe and the Fish.
The list goes on and on. The Merry Pranksters. And the city has famously got a extremely strong gay community, which is precious. To me, it feels like a special place — still a unique American city. It has it’s own feeling. You get a sense of uniqueness, when the rest of the world is homogenizing more and more.
QYou’re playing AT&T Park out here, which makes me wonder if you ever imagined, back when you were making the rounds on the folk-music circuit, that you’d one day be playing a baseball stadium?
AIt surprises me, too. I always thought of my music as a generally intimate kind of experience, because a lot of it is so personally referred — in some cases, kind of relentlessly self-referred. But that’s where I write from.
What happened was I had this ongoing relationship with the Boston Red
Sox, which is my baseball team. Also, Boston is my hometown — so it’s one of my strong spots. Eventually, we decided to take the plunge and play Fenway Park. And that turned out so well — I played it with Bonnie Raitt, too, that year. That was three years ago. Last year, we added Wrigley Field. So, this year we’ve added the ballpark in San Francisco as well as the one in Washington, D.C. It’s great. I was surprised at how musical an experience you can have in such a big place.
QDo you have to take a different approach to playing a stadium than you would a smaller venue? I mean, will there be any big U2-style special effects or Motley Crue-worthy firework displays at the show?
AWell, we don’t have fireworks. But we do pay a lot of attention to how we stage the concert and how we light it. And the main thing, of course, is how it sounds. It’s a very musically focused thing (but) we work with a lot of imagery and pay a lot of attention to the visual component. And that’s something that’s developed as we’ve played larger places.
QPlus, you’ve got Bonnie Raitt on the bill, which is great. Should we expect some collaborations between the two of you during the show?
AYeah, you should. We’ve toured some in Europe together and we sing in each others’ sets. Bonnie — she’s just so deeply soulful and so musically hip. And she has the best sense of humor of anyone I know. She has roots in the Bay Area too and definitely has a strong following there.
QOh, hey, I forgot to congratulate you on the success of “Before This World.” After 50 years in the business, how does it feel to finally score your first No. 1 album?
AIt was a real treat. I look at it as something that could have happened with any of the previous seven albums, because of what they eventually sold. But the way I look at it is the record company did its job in this case — Concord Records, who I have released my last three or four projects with. They did a great job. They had their ducks in a row, and they released it right.
QYou certainly made fans wait a long time between releases, given that you’re last batch of new material came way back in 2002.
AIn the period of time between 2002, when we released “October Road,” and 2015, when we released “Before This World,” I actually released five other albums. There was a Christmas album, which I collaborated on with (pianistproducer) Dave Grusin. It was something I had resisted for years, but it actually turned out to be so much fun.
I also did an album with Carole King — a live album from the Troubadour in Los Angeles — as well as (a recording of) a scaled-down show, just piano and guitar, that I did with Larry Goldings, my piano player. That was called “One Man Band.”
We also released two covers albums of material that I had sort of grown up with. Those were the sources that educated me in my musical life.
QSo, you weren’t just sitting around playing video games, is what you’re telling me. You were busy.
AThat’s right. And all along, of course, about half the year is touring.
QSpeaking of your “Covers” project, I really like the overall selection — Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne,” Jimmy Webb’s “Wichita Lineman,” etc. But I was particularly happy to see you include John Anderson’s “Seminole Wind” in the mix. You don’t often see Anderson get the type of credit he’s really due.
AI agree. I think John is underestimated. And I love that tune. It’s such an emotional connection to the Everglades. It’s a very strong song. I love it.
QWait a second … I know what you’ve been busy doing since you released “October Road.” You’ve been busy picking up tons of awards and honors. Seriously, you have really added to the resume in recent years.
AI don’t know really what to make of it. It’s, of course, deeply gratifying. And the two that I was awarded by the president — Barack Obama — mean a huge amount to me. I think of him as really what a president should be. He had a huge amount of push-back and combativeness and obstruction — and he managed to accomplish so much in spite of it. It’s really because I think his character is — unimpeachable comes to mind. That medal of the arts and the medal of freedom were real surprises. (Note: Obama presented Taylor with a National Medal of the Arts in 2010 and a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015.)
And who could’ve guessed that the French government would want to make me a knight? I was amazed. Also, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Grammy Person of the Year.
QYeah, that’s a jaw-dropping resume.
ASometimes, I think they are trying to tell me to retire. But, really, all kidding aside, it’s definitely gratifying.
You know, like you said before, there are so many (underappreciated) artists like John Anderson — and like Bonnie Raitt, as far as I’m concerned. I think she’s underappreciated. I think she should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, without a doubt.
There are people who are undervalued. And there are people who are overvalued. And I may be in that last camp. Q What do you credit your longevity to? A A lot of it is just good luck. But, also, focusing on live music — playing live and touring. Being a member of a musical community that I work with. That, and the good fortune not to have died four or five times when I was really reckless. A lot of it is just the grace of God that I am still around.
QYou mentioned Obama earlier, so let’s get a little political. What are your thoughts on how things are going in the country today?
AI’m worried. I don’t understand what’s happened. It’s doesn’t come as news to anybody what my politics are, because I worked on both of Obama’s campaigns and I toured for Hillary (Clinton), too.
The point is that I think we have to find a way forward. You can’t go back. There is no back. Time only moves in one direction. You want to turn back time to the ’50s? Well, that’s not so great for a lot of people. When you hear the word “again” in a campaign slogan — watch out. Because they are talking about something that cannot be delivered.
There’s real work to be done, in terms dealing with real concerns we have about the future. To pretend we don’t need to do anything about global warming or the effects of human activity on the planet that we live on — the biosphere — it’s just irresponsible. And it sends the message that corporate profits are really the priority and not our children’s future.
I don’t know. I’m worried. And I’m baffled, too. I don’t understand how the same country that elected Barack Obama twice can then give us the result that we just had. It staggers me.