Tanglewood concert reviews

Friday, August 24, 2007 performance reviewed by Ronald K. Baker

The unseasonably cool weather lurking in the Berkshires for a week or so gave way to the warmth of a typical summer day as the overflow crowd gathered for Lenox’s favorite son, James Taylor and his keyboardist accompanist, Larry Goldings. As concert time neared many on the lawn and near the shed were seen covering themselves with insect repellent. Indeed there was a hatch of tiny flies with clear wings falling like rain out of the early evening sky. Their numbers seemed endless. They were more of a nuisance than a threat. They didn’t bite. Happily they seemed to go away as the music started.

Taylor received a warm welcome which tapered off rapidly as he took to the stage. He donned his familiar acoustic guitar from which every note emanated in sparkling clarity. “Something In the Way She Moves” was fairly close to the original version, both pensive and passionate, as the artist’s signature sound of fluid finger picking joined with seemingly effortless vocals. Taylor described the concert as “the rare blessing of a ‘home game.’”

Goldings joined in on the second selection, “Never Die Young,” and made quick use of the string bass synthe attached to the grand piano with an evocative pedal point sustenuto which swelled voluminously toward the end of the piece. Then he accompanied Taylor on a jazz composition, “I Was an Old Man,” wherein Goldings got to stretch out with a groovy solo played masterfully. The two proceeded to read each other’s mail for the rest of the concert. They were indeed as close as one could imagine to the concert’s “One Man Band” title belying the relative newness of this approach on both their parts.

With lengthy introductions in conversational manner, James Taylor showed his consummate ease and grace on stage. But he was put on notice early that Tanglewood, with its legions on the lawn, perhaps lacked some of the intimacy he’d presumed. Some in the crowd boisterously hollered that they couldn’t hear him. He seemed quite taken aback and vowed immediate action. He began to enunciate more clearly as sound technicians doubtless scrambled to ratchet up the system. As the first set came to a close it seemed curious that there had only been six musical selections. There were too many stories, anecdotes, and accompanying photos projected up on the big video screens. This had some patrons shifting nervously on blankets and in chairs as they waited anxiously for the next song.

Seeing and hearing Taylor’s much touted drum machine elicited a new sympathy for the Luddites of old. This infernal machine was almost eerie to behold with its mechanized arms hitting actual drums while huge wooden barrels rolled along in place. But that was not the technical coup de grace of the evening. After 16 members of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus appeared on screen singing background parts along with the live music, Taylor’s entire band joined in, courtesy of audio and video recording, for the immensely popular “Mexico” piece. The artist himself described this synergy as an elaborate “Karaoke” exercise. And they pulled it off flawlessly. No mean feat given the vicissitudes of live performance and the constraints of canned stuff.

As far as memorable moments, there were regrettably too few. Certainly one can understand his need to vary his presentation to some degree to keep it fresh. But shouldn’t the songs go pretty much the way we’ve come to love them? It’s unfortunate to hear the classic favorites sound more like someone doing a tribute to James Taylor than his own world class versions. In his effort at variation he comes perilously close to becoming a caricature of himself on over stylized occasions.

To quote lines from his song, “That’s Why I’m Here,” we “pay good money to hear Fire and Rain again and again and again.” Hey James, please don’t forget that’s why we’re here too. Dance with the gal that brung ya.

Somewhere in the process of six plus encores JT found a way to let it all hang out. Before all was said and done, gimmicks and all notwithstanding, we got what we came for. I may have missed Haight Ashbury ’68, and Woodstock, but I saw James Taylor at Tanglewood the summer of ’07. Sweet Baby James.

August 21, 2006 performance, reviewed by Dave Conlin Read
(Originally published on NewBerkshire.com)

This is the fifth time we’ve seen James Taylor in concert, all at Tanglewood since 2001, and we’re learning that besides delivering an entertaining and satisfying musical experience, he always offers a big slice of himself and there’s always some other memorable element.

Having been caught in the 2002 traffic jam that resulted in the JT rule, we made sure to be on the Tanglewood grounds way before seven, getting there with time enough to stroll around and amid his audience, as if anticipating the role they’d play in today’s show. Audience participation (and the concomitant Shed usher capitulation) may be the element that distinguishes this show.

As the Shed filled and fans settled in, the buzz of anticipation became more and more apparent until it reminded us of the sound heard near the base of a great waterfall. About quarter past seven, a roar of applause followed Taylor’s unannounced stroll up to the center stage mic: “That went we well,” he said before opening the show with a lovely solo rendition of “Something in the way she moves.”

And then a zany fan bolted from her seat just across the aisle from us, zipped right up to Taylor and thrust her program and a pen at him. He leaned over and wrote on it; an admonition and directions to the nearby Austen Riggs Center would have been in order, but we could see that he just signed his name as she gleefully waved it about strutting back to her seat, garnering nary a nod from any usher.

Taylor reclaimed the spotlight a moment later, describing the setting sun over “the beautiful audience” and announcing the next song “October Road,” as his band assembled, noting the irony of singing a song about going home, whilst there already. Next came a fresh rendition of “The Water is Wide,” his low intoned vocal accented to great effect by Andrea Zonn’s sweet, high fiddle licks.

Ms. Zonn and drummer Steve Gadd then threw down an awesome Celtic duet that just about blew the roof off the joint. Not only does Taylor exude talent, but he attracts it to. Other exemplary moments during the 21-song concert would include singer Arnold McCuller’s achingly-beautiful solo on “Shower the People,” and Michael Landau’s searing yet restrained guitar on “Handy Man.”

The musicianship is always of the highest order; Taylor appears to take good care of himself and he’s always in good voice, whether singing, chanting, humming, vamping, crooning, speaking from the heart, or just shooting the breeze. He’s more than a competent guitarist, too, and when in seated folk mode his playing can seem like a duet with his singing rather than merely accompaniment.

Halfway through the first set, Taylor told the audience to “forget all that crap,” referring to the various prohibitions promulgated on the Tanglewood ticket, going on to say that his band “complains bitterly” about not getting their picture taken. The way he introduces and shares the spotlight with them is nice, spreading individual introductions throughout the show.

Having – fittingly – made a friend at the show, we’d like now to turn the balance of this report over to her:
(via e-mail from Maureen Kelly of Watertown, MA) First of all and most important, James himself was as always, true and real and humorous throughout. I think the scars of life have helped shape his heart and that makes him a joy to listen to….so on that count -I love that in this part of his life, it is faith and God that drives who he is…and I am pleased that, true to himself, he shares that with the audience….he sings from the heart…and really the heart is the deepest place of grace and happiness in life…I love that about his music… that alone let’s me say that I enjoyed the evening.

I loved just sitting and watching him, whatever he was singing….his background vocalists..especially Kate and Arnold are simply spectacular…. although this version of ‘Shower the People’ didn’t allow the best of Arnold’s voice to come out clearly and powerfully as it has in the past… the pieces chosen were all JT classics… a bit overpopulating both sets…one or two new pieces…something called ‘October’ – were so loud I never got it.

On the technical side, I think the setup was really bad….maybe I was sitting in the wrong place….certainly close enough to see the front of the stage very well…but the acoustics were such that they were SOOOO loud I couldn’t hear much in the way of James’ small talk or the lyrics at times… unfortunately ‘loudness’ seems to be a staple at concerts like this – when a lower volume would be fine.

The lighting was irritating, annoying and such that I wanted to scream “kill that lighting dammnit!” I think it actually interfered with everything else going on…..rather than being a support……….it called attention to itself….bad design I guess… These are rare comments from me – but these things really jumped out at me that night.

At times I felt almost as if I were sitting there alone – I didn’t feel any excitement or passion in the audience….I mean it took almost mid-way into the 2nd set for some few folks to get up and boogie….that dancin’ in the aisles is a feature of JT concerts…but it didn’t happen Monday…I danced, and enjoyed myself!!! I did feel that the pieces we’ve all grown to love, overpopulated both sets… maybe that accounted for what seemed to me to be a rather listless audience…. I’ve been to 3 o4 other JT concerts and people were up and dancin’ in the aisles…after the first 15 minutes.

The Band:
Steve Gadd (drums)
Larry Goldings (piano)
Jimmy Johnson (bass)
Michael Landau (guitar)

Singers:
Kate Markowitz
Andrea Zonn (also on violin)
David Lasley
Arnold McCuller

Setlist:
Something in the Way She Moves
October Road
The Water is Wide
Andrea and Steve Irish jig duet
Sweet Baby James
Copperline
Family Man
Handyman
Fire and Rain
Mexico

Caroline I See You
Why Baby Why? (George Jones)
Oh, What a Beautiful Morning
Chili Dog
Up On the Roof
Smiling Face
Carolina in My Mind
Shower the People
How Sweet It Is

You’ve Got a Friend
Steamroller
Secret of Life

the JT rule: After the traffic-snarling record audience of 24,470 for Taylor’s appearance with the Boston Pops on July 17, 2002, the BSO agreed with local officials to cap future ticket sales at 18,000.

Reviews of James Taylor concerts at Tanglewood and the Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield:

• Review of James Taylor, Sheryl Crow, Yo Yo Ma, Boston Pops, John Williams Tanglewood Aug. 26-30, 2009
• James Taylor and his Band of Legends – July 4, 2008 – 60th birthday party
• Review of James Taylor’s One Man Band show at Tanglewood – August 24, 2007
• Review of James Taylor’s “One Man Band” at Pittsfield’s Colonial Theatre – July 19, 2007
• James Taylor and Band – Tanglewood – August 21, 2006
• James Taylor and Band – Tanglewood – July 4, 2005
• James Taylor and Band – Tanglewood – June 24, 2003
• James Taylor and the Boston Pops – Tanglewood – July 17, 2002
• James Taylor and special guest Yo Yo Ma – Tanglewood – July 4, 2001

Video clips of James Taylor and Yo Yo MA on Good Morning America’s live broadcast from the Red Lion Inn, Stockbridge, Sept. 15, 2008

• James Taylor says hello, Chris Cuomo chats with audience
• James Taylor and Yo Yo Ma play “Sweet Baby James”
• James Taylor sings “Shower the People”
• James Taylor sings “Wichita Lineman”
• James Taylor welcomes Diane Sawyer and Good Morning America crew to the Berkshires

July 4, 2005 performance, reviewed by Dave Conlin Read

(Originally published on NewBerkshire.com)

James Taylor made it all new again on the Fourth of July, casting a spell from the stage of the Koussevitsky Music Shed that carried the faithful legion back to where they’d first had love, or loss, or longing, or lonliness, made known to them alone in a room listening to a record.

James Taylor fans on Tanglewood lawn

While those emotions are at the core of Taylor’s catalogue of beloved songs, the whole point of crafting songs around them, and setting them to music, is to create another space where you can just get on with it.

And this Taylor did – big time – in a show that began with him casually walking onto the stage shortly after 7, unannounced, to sing the national anthem. A startlingly simple gesture that virtually cast a net over the capacity crowd that had been streaming onto the Tanglewood grounds throughout a perfectly splendid July afternoon.

In an instant, the picnics were put aside, frisbees fell on the lawn, the excited chatter stopped as everyone stood and sang along.

Then our host said, “Play Ball!” and the party was on, with the entrance of his teriffic band: Steve Gadd (drums), Jimmy Johnson (bass), Michael Landau (guitar), Luis Conte (percussion), Larry Goldings (keyboards), Walt Fowler and Lou Marini (horns), Andrea Zonn (fiddle & backing vocals), and Arnold McCuller and Kate Markowitz on backing vocals.

This is a cohort of happy campers, each of whom is an ace musician, and all of whom seem to be as happy to be at a James Taylor concert as anyone in the audience is.

Each was given a generous introduction at an appropriate segment in the 2½ hour show, usually timed to coincide with a song that showcased their playing.

In a show of highlights, one we especially enjoyed and which was a complete surprise, was a Celtic fiddle number by Zonn with bodhrain-sounding accompaniment by Gadd and Conte. It was so good that if you weren’t looking, you could’ve thought you were at a Chieftains concert.

To note the artful structure of the show – how the 2 dozen song setlist was arranged, the Celtic rave-up was preceded by poignant, harmonized, rendition of “The Water is Wide” and followed immediately by a funny anecdote about a friend of Taylor’s who saw Riverdance on a busted t.v. that showed only the upper torsos of the dancers.

Of course, you had to be there to get the joke, which was made when Taylor mimed the upper torso part of Celtic step-dancing. And that was just one of many bits of physical comedy; others were his bad-ass low-down guitar jams with Landau, pogo-stick bouncing, and during the knockout “Steamroller,” he went through such contortions that he looked like a mad Robin Williams imitation of himself!

Taylor likes to disparage himself by saying of his new material that it sounds the same as all the older stuff; does it? If it does it’s because he got a handle on something quite a while ago, something that worked, and he’s been working it – and working on it – ever since. And when he shares it with an audience, he’s got another attribute that sets him apart from his peers – a mastery of stagecraft that makes every performance a unique and especially memorable event.

He has been awarded all the prizes available to a popular artist: six Grammy Awards, more than 40 gold, platinum, and multi-platinum awards, an honorary doctorate of music at the Berklee College of Music, the 1998 Billboard Lifetime Achievement Award, and induction in 2000 into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame.

Now we’d like to propose that a new one be inaugurated in recognition of that element of a James Taylor concert that makes it nonpariel – his stagecraft. We’ve never seen a musician who is as entertaining between songs as Taylor is. (The only one who came close was the late Dave Van Ronk.)

June 24, 2003 performance, reviewed by Dave Conlin Read

(Originally published on NewBerkshire.com)

What a difference a year makes! At 9 PM during last year’s James Taylor Tanglewood performance with the Boston Pops, some of the musicians still hadn’t gotten seated, while by that time Tuesday (June 24, 2003), Taylor and his band were already into the second set of a perfectly delightful concert that thrilled the sold-out audience of 18,000. The 2002 crowd was a traffic-snarling record of 24,470 that may stand for all time as the BSO has agreed to cap ticket sales at 18,000.

James Taylor Tanglewood concert June 24, 2003

Even so, the concert didn’t get underway until some 20 minutes past the 7 o’clock scheduled time and then did so in duo-mode, with drummer Steve Gadd and percussionist Luis Conte jamming for several minutes. Good thing because they had the spotlight in the opening number, “First of May,” which Taylor started off with a couple of sharp nasty whistles, as if he were leading a Mardi Gras parade. By the 3rd song, “Copperline,” Taylor had shifted to his native Appalachian roots, with vocalist/violinist Carmella Ramsey enriching the melancholy with some fine fiddling.

With the concert fully underway and the audience settled in, including the young Taylor twins (across the aisle from us for the first 5 numbers, until bedtime, we suppose), we heard the star in his familiar role as everybody’s neighbor and friend.

To a front-row enthusiast: “Oh yeah, how ya been? Me too, pretty much…” To us all: “Nice to be back. Finally decided to be summertime, even if it only lasts 15 minutes or so. We’ve got some old songs and some new ones. This is the title song from our latest studio album, ‘October Road.'” (Later on he said the it was written “not far from this spot,on the Housatonic River, as it flows by October Mountain.”)

A little later, most of the group took to the wings and Taylor put down his guitar for an outstanding rendition of his “Mean Old Man” (from October Road) done in lounge-mode accompanied by guitar, piano, and drums. “Mean Old Man” is a beautiful, insightful lyric that allowsTaylor to display not only the full range of his vocal powers but also his condition: mindful, grateful, and playful.

During last year’s Pops gig, (when Taylor was accompanied also by the redoubtable guitarist/crooner John Pizzarelli), we got the notion that Taylor may be looking ahead to a new career as a lounge singer, and there were a few times tonight, besides “Mean Old Man,” when it looked that way again.

If that ever comes to pass, they’ll have to be pretty big lounges, because Taylor seems to love making music in the midst of a big group of great musicians. He also enjoys working his introductions of them into the show, one or two at a time, throughout the night.

Other highlights of the concert were a rafters-rattling “Steamroller” as well as the new “Bittersweet” and “Mexico,” and of course, “Fire and Rain” (with regards paid to the nearby Austin Riggs Center) and the grand finale, “Sweet Baby James.”

Ain’t we in the Berkshires blessed to have everybody’s neighbor and friend really be our neighbor, and what a pal he was to get our oh-so-long-awaited summer off to such a tremendous start.

Reviews of James Taylor concerts at Tanglewood and the Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield:

• Review of James Taylor, Sheryl Crow, Yo Yo Ma, Boston Pops, John Williams Tanglewood Aug. 26-30, 2009
• James Taylor and his Band of Legends – July 4, 2008 – 60th birthday party
• Review of James Taylor’s One Man Band show at Tanglewood – August 24, 2007
• Review of James Taylor’s “One Man Band” at Pittsfield’s Colonial Theatre – July 19, 2007
• James Taylor and Band – Tanglewood – August 21, 2006
• James Taylor and Band – Tanglewood – July 4, 2005
• James Taylor and Band – Tanglewood – June 24, 2003
• James Taylor and the Boston Pops – Tanglewood – July 17, 2002
• James Taylor and special guest Yo Yo Ma – Tanglewood – July 4, 2001

Video clips of James Taylor and Yo Yo MA on Good Morning America’s live broadcast from the Red Lion Inn, Stockbridge, Sept. 15, 2008

• James Taylor says hello, Chris Cuomo chats with audience
• James Taylor and Yo Yo Ma play “Sweet Baby James”
• James Taylor sings “Shower the People”
• James Taylor sings “Wichita Lineman”
• James Taylor welcomes Diane Sawyer and Good Morning America crew to the Berkshires

July 4, 2001 performance, reviewed by Dave Conlin Read

(Originally published on NewBerkshire.com)

James Taylor’s Fourth of July concert at Tanglewood was one of those events that remind us why the Berkshires is such a great place to live.

From the moment he loped – almost boogied – onstage, until the final note of the fourth encore dissolved, it was clear that JT was really charged up.

“It’s great to be home for Independence Day – there’s no place like Tanglewood. This is great.” In fact, Tanglewood is home for the current tour, which was rehearsed during May at Ozawa Hall.

That alone would be enough to make this gig stand out from the rest, but there was an additional dash of Berkshire spice; as Taylor himself put it, “our own” Yo Yo Ma.

The stellar cellist sat in on Another Day in the second set and then returned to accompany Taylor to close the show with a memorable rendition of Sweet Baby James. Now that’s a treat, pure and simple. (Cellist Owen Young played the previous night and earlier on this tour)

As delighted as the audience was, Mr. Ma looked even more so; seated on Taylor’s left, he peered up at him, with an ear-to-ear grin, slowly shaking his head as if to say, “I can’t believe how lucky I am.”

There was a visual aspect to the show that was a delightful complement to the aural fix: rough-hewn logs and latticework made it look like the band were playing in a great big mountain lodge, and there was a stunning assortment of images projected on a huge screen behind the set.

This concert was crafted deftly; covering Taylor’s 3 decade career and introducing a trio of songs from his upcoming album, the splendid ensemble of eleven musicians moved through a variety of styles, including bossa nova, rhythm ‘n blues and mariachi.

The timbre of Taylor’s voice has never been so clear and sonorous. He un-slung his guitar for a couple numbers, including Sun on the Moon, wherein he got into some funky aerobics while trading lyric licks with his quartet of vocalists.

It was a wonderful event, a pop/folk/rock ‘n roll gig served up in some kind of special sauce; the ingredients may be familiar, but the flavor of this show was unforgettable.

The band: Clifford Carter (keyboards), Jimmy Johnson (bass), Russ Kunkel (percussion), Luis Conte (percussion), Bob Mann (guitar), Walt Fowler (trumpet, flugel horn), and Lou Marini (saxophone, flute).
Singers: Arnold McCuller, David Lasley, Valerie Carter, and Kate Markowitz.

Reviews of James Taylor concerts at Tanglewood and the Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield:

• Review of James Taylor, Sheryl Crow, Yo Yo Ma, Boston Pops, John Williams Tanglewood Aug. 26-30, 2009
• James Taylor and his Band of Legends – July 4, 2008 – 60th birthday party
• Review of James Taylor’s One Man Band show at Tanglewood – August 24, 2007
• Review of James Taylor’s “One Man Band” at Pittsfield’s Colonial Theatre – July 19, 2007
• James Taylor and Band – Tanglewood – August 21, 2006
• James Taylor and Band – Tanglewood – July 4, 2005
• James Taylor and Band – Tanglewood – June 24, 2003
• James Taylor and the Boston Pops – Tanglewood – July 17, 2002
• James Taylor and special guest Yo Yo Ma – Tanglewood – July 4, 2001

Video clips of James Taylor and Yo Yo MA on Good Morning America’s live broadcast from the Red Lion Inn, Stockbridge, Sept. 15, 2008

• James Taylor says hello, Chris Cuomo chats with audience
• James Taylor and Yo Yo Ma play “Sweet Baby James”
• James Taylor sings “Shower the People”
• James Taylor sings “Wichita Lineman”
• James Taylor welcomes Diane Sawyer and Good Morning America crew to the Berkshires