American Standard (CD)
James Taylor
Amoeba Review
James Taylor dips into the musical theater repertoire for his nineteenth studio album, American Standard. Tunes like “Moon River” and “Almost Like Being In Love” fit seamlessly into his classic folk ballad style, but elsewhere his arrangements shake things up a bit, incorporating light touches of blues, swing and ragtime. “As Easy As Rolling Off A Log” from “Over The Goal” (1937) is a sweet and sunny highlight. The album also includes some jazz and blues standards such as Billie Holiday's “God Bless The Child” with mellow slide guitar.