James Taylor

Birmingham NIA

Review by Andy Richardson

At the tender age of 61, James Taylor is enjoying a resurgence in his career. While many of his vintage reflect on former glories through rose-tinted shades , JT is forging ahead.

In recent years, he’s thrilled capacity crowds at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall and Wolverhampton Civic Hall. On Sunday, however, he made the step up to the cavernous NIA, during a spell binding performance for local fans.

It’s no surprise that JT has defied age to enjoy a golden period in his career. Never one to rest on his laurels, he has continually sought to break new ground by reinventing himself and conjouring new sounds.

His recent one-man band tour was a case in point, as he returned to the pre-Grammy days of simply strumming his guitar. On Sunday, there was a new version of JT on display – this one being the reverant music fan keen to pay homage to his own heroes.

JT’s latest incarnation saw him as the enthusiastic music fan, playing cover versions of tunes by Buddy Holly, great country and western artists and Rodgers and Hammerstein, among others.

Naturally, however, the highlights were songs culled from his Sweet Baby James LP. That recorded changed JT’s life and on Sunday we were treatedto versions of Sweet Baby James, Steamroller Blues, Country Road and Fire And Rain.

The climax of the evening, however, came with a stunning rendition of Carolina In My Mind. The song, written about JT’s home state during the late sixties when he was living chaotically with different women and in different towns, was elegant and beautiful.

Time has not slowed the humble and ever-mellow JT. Nor has it diminished his ever-increasing popularity. Who knows, next time he visits the region, he might be booking a date at Birmingham’s LG Arena.