Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
JAmes Taylor, on a summer evening, plays the finger-picked intro to Fire and Rain, a song he’s been singing for years – and the crowd cheers as he recognizes the classics. But the 78-year-old is still to hear those old songs? He sings in a clear voice, but perhaps does not lift and comfort his heart as it does ours. Is the man on stage in front of Edinburgh Castle now just a relic on the heritage site?
There is evidence to the contrary. His live show has a level of professionalism that sometimes comes across as difficult. The 11-piece backing band, including four backing vocalists, is full of old-fashioned weapons whose virtues sound bloodless. As a result, the best music that is put on is often equipped with a replacement device. The millworker has a problem that matches his title, a hard working life. Taylor’s voice shines in its simplest settings – the violin and the battle beat.
If less is more when it comes to planning, we can say the same about preaching. A large screen at the back of the stage shows a series of videos of an AI so obnoxious that it interferes with the music they are supposed to be serving. Sweet Baby James deserves it.
Such images clash with a unique genre in Taylor’s music and presence: a fun atmosphere and avuncular grace. Carolina in My Mind feels like a song, sung in a tight choir. Carole King’s song Muli Ndi Bwenzi, which makes a person feel uncomfortable, is very pleasant. Such highs easily outpace evening lows.
As for Fire and Rain, it’s the best of all. And yes, Taylor is still feeling her pain – or so it seems, in the end, slightly changing the lyrics from the recorded lyrics to “I think I’ll see you one more time, Suzanne”. This direct speech of a friend who committed suicide inspired the song, showing that the song is still alive for him as it is for us, gathered in grief and privilege to hear it.
