Renowned American music artist James Taylor is all set to treat the fans with his newest record –American Standard. Due in February, it is Taylor’s first album since Before This World in 2015. The upcoming album is largely a collection of covers. In Taylor’s own words, “I've always had songs I grew up with that I remember really well, that were part of the family record collection – and I had a sense of how to approach, so it was a natural to put American Standard together.” Taylor has announced a promotional tour for the new record and joining him on the road is Jackson Browne. If you wish to catch them live, secure James Taylor & Jackson Browne tickets now. 

Taylor’s Major Contributions & Achievements

The first commercially successful record of James Taylor was his second studio effort titled Sweet Baby James. Released back in 1970, it featured the hit single Fire and Rain which reached the third spot on the Billboard Hot 100. The record sold around 1.5 million copies within its first year. It went on to receive a Grammy nomination in the ‘Album of the Year’ category in 1971. Sweet Baby James

James Taylor’s 1971 record Mud Slide Slim And The Blue Horizon was an even bigger success than Sweet Baby James. The single You’ve Got a Friend was a massive hit and reached the top spot on the Billboard charts. Written by Carole King, the song was first recorded by King and featured on her record titled Tapestry. The ranked 104^th on the 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time list by the Rolling Stone magazine. James Taylor’s version of the track won Grammys for both Taylor and King in the categories of ‘Best Male Pop Vocal Performance’ and ‘Song of the Year’ respectively. Over the years numerous other artists have recorded covers of this song. Among them are notable acts such as Michael Jackson, Dusty Springfield, Donny Hathaway and Anne Murray.

Taylor’s eighth studio album JT was a triple platinum success; it sold over three million copies in America alone. The cover version of Jimmy Jones and Otis Blackwell’s Handy Man hit the top position on the Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart and fourth on the Billboard Hot 100. The track was a top hit on the Canadian music charts and also won Taylor an award for the ‘Best Male Pop Vocal Performance’ at the 1978 Grammys. Other popular songs on the collection include Terra Nova and Secret O’ Life. The album itself received a Grammy nomination in the ‘Album of the Year’ category. It was the singer’s highest charting record since Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon and is regarded as one of his best-selling studio efforts in the US, with sales of more than 3.5 million copies.

American Standard

James Taylor is all set to release his nineteenth studio album American Standard through Fantasy Records in February 2020. In this project, the legendary singer and songwriter infuses new sounds and meaning to timeless pieces of music art, making them fresh and appealing to the audience of the modern age. It features renditions of over a dozen classic standards including Almost Like Being in Love, My Heart Stood Still, It’s Only a Paper Moon and Pennies From Heaven.

While talking about the collection in a news release, the musician stated “In terms of how they were performed and recorded before, we paid attention to the chords and melody. But we were interested in doing something new, and, in bringing something new to it, we've reinterpreted the songs. That's what makes it worth doing."

American Standard follows up his album Before This World which released in the year 2015 and is the first number one album of his career.

Tour with Jackson Browne

After the release of American Standard, James Taylor will embark in an extensive joint tour with fellow troubadour Jackson Browne. Browne’s most recent album to hit the shelves is his 2014 record Standing in the Breach. It was his first album featuring new music material in six years. As with many of Browne’s records, it contains a mix of political and personal songs.

The two Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees will kick off the tour with a show in New Orleans on May 15. The 28-date tour includes stops in notable cities such as Atlanta, Boston and Chicago among others. If you wish to enjoy their music in a live atmosphere, don’t wait another moment to secure the best available deals on James Taylor & Jackson Browne tickets.