American Standard

by James Taylor

Overview

For pop artists of a certain generation, taking on the Great American Songbook has become somewhat of a rite of passage, occasionally bordering on cliche. Some, like Linda Ronstadt and Carly Simon, got to it early in their careers, while legacy boomers like Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney offered up their reinterpretations of jazz standards as late-career curiosities, or in the case of Rod Stewart -- five volumes and counting -- reinvented themselves with them. James Taylor is no stranger to cover songs; everything from early rock to Motown and cowboy songs have popped up in his catalog, not to mention a pair Christmas albums and an entire 2008 set called Covers. As one of the most revered American singer/songwriters of the mid- to late 20th century, it seems almost inevitable that he would eventually take his turn to honor the generation of pop tunesmiths that preceded him. On American Standard, Taylor applies his gentle magic to classics like "My Blue Heaven" and "The Nearness of You," refashioning their well-worn melodies into the friendly and inviting mode that is his signature. Wisely eschewing the orchestral big-band approach, he stays on familiar ground, recording on a smaller scale at his barn studio in Western Massachusetts and working with his regular stable of players. He also downplays the role of the piano, opting instead to base the material around the nimble intertwining of his own acoustic guitar and that of jazz guitar wiz John Pizzarelli. The result is a relaxed musical conversation that perfectly underscores Taylor's tender vocals, especially on his sweet rendition of "Moon River," a song so well-suited to him it seems like it should have already existed before now. This sense of pleasant familiarity more or less guides the entire album as he turns "Teach Me Tonight" and "It's Only a Paper Moon" into James Taylor songs written by other artists. Horns and lush backing vocals do appear here and there, as does a slightly misguided dip into a borderline cartoonish vocal baritone on the otherwise strong "Ol' Man River," but the best parts of American Standard occur in the intimate moments that constitute Taylor's wheelhouse and of which there are more than enough to satisfy. ~ Timothy Monger

Product Details

Release Date:	02/28/2020
Label:	Fantasy
UPC:	0888072145719

Tracks

1. My Blue Heaven
2. Moon River
3. Teach Me Tonight
4. As Easy as Rolling off a Log
5. Almost Like Being in Love
6. Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat
7. The Nearness of You
8. You've Got to Be Carefully Taught
9. God Bless the Child
10. Pennies From Heaven
11. My Heart Stood Still
12. Ol' Man River
13. It's Only a Paper Moon
14. The Surrey With the Fringe on Top

Album Credits

Performance Credits

James Taylor   Primary Artist,Guitar (Acoustic),Vocals (Background)
Arnold McCuller   Vocals
Dorian Holley   Vocals
Viktor Krauss   Bass (Upright)
Lou Marini   Trumpet,Clarinet,Flugelhorn
Kate Markowitz   Vocals
Jimmy Johnson   Bass
Andrea Zonn   Vocals
Steve Gadd   Drums
John Pizzarelli   Guitar
Luis Conte   Percussion

Technical Credits

Cynthia Calley   Executive Assistant
Arthur Johnston   Composer
Brandon Epps   Assistant Engineer
Rick Kwan   Assistant Engineer
Henry Mancini   Composer
Hoagy Carmichael   Composer
Oscar Hammerstein II   Composer
E.Y. "Yip" Harburg   Composer
Richard Rodgers   Composer
George A. Whiting   Composer
Chandler Harrod   Assistant Engineer
Sammy Cahn   Composer
Johnny Burke   Composer
Ellyn Kusmin   Back Cover
Jimmy Johnson   Assistant Engineer
Norman Seeff   Cover Photo
Carrie Smith   Design,Art Direction
Frederick Loewe   Composer
Frank Loesser   Composer
Ted Jensen   Mastering
Jerome Kern   Composer
Harold Arlen   Composer
Gene DePaul   Composer
Billie Holiday   Composer
Billy Rose   Composer
Arthur Herzog, Jr.   Composer
Jack Scholl   Composer
Alan Jay Lerner   Composer
Walter Donaldson   Composer
James Taylor   Producer,Assistant,Management
Lorenz Hart   Composer
M.K. Jerome   Composer
Dave O'Donnell   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
John Pizzarelli   Producer
Johnny Mercer   Composer
Rouble Kapoor   Assistant Engineer
Tyler Hartman   Assistant Engineer
Stanley Lim   Management
Ralph Perkins   Production Manager
Sean R. Badum   Assistant Engineer
Ned Washington   Composer
Justin Shturtz   Mastering