James Surprise Taylor

James Taylor was a 60s/70s Laural Canyon musical alumni which I mention having posted the poem below that was prompted by a TV programme about those fruitful singer/songwriter LA years. I have also been listening to a 'Live and Rarities' James Taylor collection this evening so will catch this moment to say something about him knowing I will return again to write much more.

It is the 'folk' singer/songwriter for which Taylor is best known and no doubt loved and I won't deny being a part of that. My first real interest in him was sparked by his 'Sweet Baby James' album and like I've said before about other greats I have collected everything of his before and since this, as well as seeing him live once when he played in Plymouth.

Two specific things I want to say here in this brief visit: firstly, his in one of the distinctive voices that has, without doubt, matured over the many years of his outstanding career whilst for so many others it can fade and deteriorate and in the saddest cases become an embarrassment; secondly, he can truly rock and that 'folk' tag is challenged by a gutsy, bluesy and even funky singing and guitar playing when he gets it going, an obvious number being 'Steamroller', but I'm going to tell you now as something of a surprise - even more so if anyone is actually reading this - that one of his more stonking numbers in this rocking vein is.............'Jingle Bells'! That's right, ol' JT delivers a funky and grooving 'JB' on his relatively recent Christmas album and I might just go and give myself a present by playing and listening now.