Legendary Troubadours James Taylor and Carole King Reunite for Tour
In a pairing that's been dubbed the Troubadour Reunion Tour, James Taylor and Carole King are hitting the road together. Portland hosts the first U.S. show on May 7.
The tour's moniker is a tip of the hat to their joint 1970 performance at the legendary Troubadour in Los Angeles. Many miles have been traveled in these past 40 years. On this tour, Taylor and King will play the Hollywood Bowl for three nights rather than the small West Hollywood club.
In 1970, Taylor's Sweet Baby James was on the verge of breaking him into the mainstream. It would eventually become a classic of the singer/songwriter genre. Along with the title track, “Country Road” and “Fire and Rain” set the songwriting bar for Taylor and all other artists to follow.
Although the 1970 appearance marked King's transition from behind-the-scenes songwriter to solo artist, it would be another year before her iconic Tapestry came to pass, establishing her among the greats in the genre, as well.
Having joined forces in 2007 for six shows to mark the Troubadour's 50th anniversary, Taylor and King got the wild idea to expand their reach and do a full tour together. This year, that vision comes to life with 25 shows in the U.S. which follow a swing through the Asia-Pacific region.
On the itinerary, Taylor and King have two nights Madison Square Garden. Western Massachusetts fans are so voracious, a third Troubadour Reunion show was added at Tanglewood.
The two have collaborated in other ways over the years, most notably when JT covered “You've Got a Friend” which was penned by King and appears on her Tapestry record. Taylor's rendition earned him a Grammy.
Making sure the heartland knows they've got a friend or two, Taylor and King have stops in Kansas City and Auburn Hills, among others.
The touring band for the Troubadour Reunion in-the-round style show is comprised of legends in their own rights: guitarist Danny “Kootch” Kortchmar, drummer Russ Kunkel and bassist Lee Sklar, known collectively as “The Section.” Other familiar faces on stage will be Rudy Guess, Robbie Kondor, Arnold McCuller, Kate Markowitz, and Andrea Zonn.
