James Taylor - One Man Band [CD + DVD]

James Taylor's "One Man Band," a new CD/DVD set of live recordings and the stories behind the songs. The set list is drawn from Taylor's recent concerts at the Colonial Theatre in the Berkshires and features new performances from some of the iconic singer/songwriter's most beloved recordings including "Something in the Way," "Carolina in my Mind," and "Fire and Rain," interspersed with Taylor's insightful and humorous anecdotes on the inspiration for the songs.

For the DVD portion of "One Man Band," Taylor called on veteran television events producer and director Don Mischer ("Kennedy Center Honors," and "Super Bowl XLI Halftime Show with Prince") and executive producer and acclaimed filmmaker Sydney Pollack ("Out of Africa," "Sketches of Frank Gehry") and their extensive talents to properly capture the feel of the live concerts. "One Man Band" tells the story of Taylor's songs through exclusive interviews and rare multi-media footage, including home movies and photographs from Taylor's personal archives. The result is an extraordinary, one-of-a-kind portrait of an artist, his renowned repertoire and the personal stories behind the songs.

Over the course of his career, James Taylor has sold over 40 million albums, and won over 40 gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards as well as five GRAMMY® Awards. Taylor's first "Greatest Hits" album earned him the RIAA's elite Diamond Award, given for sales in excess of 10 million units in the United States. In 2000, Taylor was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame. In February 2006, The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences named Taylor its MUSICARES Person of the Year.

More from James Taylor

James Taylor at Christmas	The Best of James Taylor	Sweet Baby James	Greatest Hits, Vol. 2	Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon
October Road	James Taylor (Live)	James Taylor	Never Die Young	One Man Dog

Product Description

I like some tracks better than their original recordings

I have most of JT's albums, and I love them. When I listened to this album, I was nearly moved to tears by this album's recordings of "Never Die Young", "My Traveling Star", "Copperline", and "You Can Close Your Eyes". These arrangements with only guitar and piano have a much more intimate feeling than the original recordings with a full band. Wish I would have seen this show live. November 13, 2008

One man band

A classic James Taylor you must own. If my wife doesn't get her James Taylor fix daily, she gets grumpy. November 12, 2008

My favorite James Taylor performance.

As "One Man Band" is a CD and DVD combo, the best member of the team is clearly the concert DVD. Without new songs to see, the DVD does reveal James Taylor's humorous side. It's very close to having James come over and play a few tunes in your living room. His only accompaniment is Larry Goldings on the piano. James' relaxed and comfortable nature is a joy to experience.

As for the production, the audio is outstanding and well balanced. The video must have been done by a guitarist fan. I have played many of these songs over the years and this DVD could be the holy grail of clues into James Taylor's wonderful techniques. There are numerous close-ups of both hands during each performance.

In short, if you like James Taylor at all, this DVD clearly shows how beautifully balanced and extraordinary his core talent really is. With only minimal help from Larry Goldings, James shares a very special evening with us.
October 30, 2008

LOVE this!

Two disclaimers to start: I LOVE James Taylor, and I generally HATE "live" recordings.

O-my-goodness. For any JT fan, this CD/DVD is a REQUIREMENT. I've been "with him" since 1970, so I know all the songs. This CD has a great representation of his music -- and the really cool thing about JT is that he ALWAYS performs a song as if it is the FIRST time he has done so. I have had the good fortune to see him in concert three times, the last time this past October. He sang "Fire and Rain" as if it were a brand new song. Breathtaking. I agree with another reviewer that the depth of his experience only adds to his interpretations.

This CD captures his essence, and the accompanying DVD is wonderful -- really relays his low-key, warm, and self-effacing personality in concert.

HIGHLY recommended! You must have this one.

October 22, 2008

I Only Did the Download and Regret It!

I could have owned the DVD too! This is a wonderful album and James Taylor is at his best in this performance. The songs are my favorite choices and they are performed in a beautiful way. I am so glad I picked this album, I just wish I had bought the DVD too! September 28, 2008

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