From the Artist

I've done covers of other people's songs since the beginning. Looking over the various collections of my tunes a fair-sized portion of my "hits" have been covers: "You've Got a Friend", "How Sweet it Is", "Up On the Roof", "Handyman"...so this is not uncharted water for me. I've always thought that writing an original song and reinterpreting someone else's were similar processes; just as making music is a lot like listening to it.

What has been so memorable about this album were the sessions themselves: ten days in deep January in a converted barn in the woods of Western Massachusetts. It's remarkable and unusual today to put 12 musicians in the same place at the same time. It's a type of "live" recording sadly seldom seen in these days of the overdub. You get an immediate energy and it's a whole lot of fun. It sweeps you up and it carries you along and when it's done, it's done.

About the Artist

Over the course of his long career, James Taylor has earned 40 gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards and five GRAMMY Awards for a catalog running from 1970's "Sweet Baby James" to his GRAMMY Award-winning efforts "Hourglass" (1997) and "October Road" (2002). 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. For his accomplishments, James was honored with the 1998 Century Award, Billboard magazine's highest accolade, bestowed for distinguished creative achievement. The year 2000 saw his induction into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the prestigious Songwriter's Hall of Fame. In February 2006, The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences selected James its MUSICARES Person of the Year.

Raised in North Carolina, Taylor now lives in The Berkshires with his wife, Caroline, and their sons Henry and Rufus. He has sold some 40 million albums throughout his career, which began back in 1968 when he was signed by Paul McCartney to the Beatles' Apple Records. The album "James Taylor" was his first and only solo effort for Apple. It was only a matter of time before he would make his mark, and what a mark he would make.

• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
• Language : English
• Product Dimensions : 4.88 x 5.55 x 0.47 inches; 2.4 ounces
• Manufacturer : Hear Music
• Original Release Date : 2008
• SPARS Code : DDD
• Date First Available : July 25, 2008
• Label : Hear Music
• Country of Origin : USA
• Number of discs : 1