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James Taylor's got a new album

Listening to:	JT, Something
Reading:	finished Kite Runner
Weather:	60, overcast

I'm home sick with an extremely gross snotty cold. Even on drugs it's gross, and if I'm taking drugs you know it's bad. Dayquil had absolutely no effect, and Sudafed extreme cold at least let me sleep in 3 hour chunks. But enough whining. . .

Staying home gave the chance to watch morning TV, and thanks to my pal Willie I got to enjoy some James Taylor. He played live several times on fill-in-the-blank morning show. I had gotten up and left the TV on while I went in to check my email and whatnot. Email from Willie said he just checked out JT doing Slap Leather with some crazy Rube Goldberg kinda drum machine. Then I realized, I pay uber shitloads of money every month for this cable, and one reason is so I can hit the rewind button. And voila, I had unintentionally divo'd JT's performances, all it took was some rewinding. Freakin sweet!

JT is still playing those old chestnuts of his, and they still sound great. He reinvents them oh so slightly, but those crystal clean acoustic guitar riffs are still there just like you remember. And he played Something In the Way She Moves. No, not the George Harrison song, which is also absolutely excellent, but a completely different equally excellent song. That can't be an accident, I'm pretty sure JT stole that title on purpose. Each song is the respective guitarist's classic. For JT it's those add 6 chords, perfect smooth fingerpicking, thumb bass critical. For George, it's that almost liquid electric melodic style that makes the guitar cry. Both songs have absolutely stellar bridges, too, worthy of songwriter study, lyrically questioning the verses, and musically stepping out of tonic only to come back to it comfortably.

JT is such a mighty badass his MySpace page lists both Russ Kunkel and Steve Gadd as members of his band. Jeez, how about leaving a drummer or two for the rest of us.

But can I just say that interview with Ann Curry was just sorry. JT is not most articulate intellect at that hour of the morning, apparently, and Ann Curry just babbled and gushed and tripped over herself most pathetically. It was painful to watch, really, it sucked so bad.

I've probably told you this story, reader, hell I've probably actually blogged it right here, but here it comes again: I read or heard years ago that fabulous post-punk rocker Chrissie Hynde fired her band and hired these two dudes she met on tour once, because after the show she saw their truly vintage Pretenders buttons and agreed to go back to their apartment to jam. She was so impressed that they knew the parts to all her tunes note-perfect that they became her new backup band on the spot. It is this legend that inspired me to learn every JT backup to the note, fancying myself Rosemary Butler's fill-in when at some show James would hear me from way back in the cheap seats and immediately hire me for the rest of the tour. It's still possible, don't laugh.

Cough, sneeze.

permalink posted by cat 3:04 PM

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