NEWS 26 Apr 2010

Carole King and James Taylor Troubadour event on PBS in June

MONSTERS & CRITICS

Carole King and James Taylor Troubadour event on PBS, in June

Carole King and James Taylor will highlight the programming on PBS this June.

It's been 40 years since they first played together at the Troubadour on Santa Monica Boulevard, but two legends - Carole King and James Taylor - share the stage once again at the famed music club in "Carole King-James Taylor: Live At The Troubadour," a new special airing in June 2010 as part of special programming (check local listings) on PBS stations.

Background:

The time: November 1970

The place: The Troubadour in West Hollywood, California.

The circumstance: Taylor had just released his debut album for the Beatles' newly formed Apple Records, and King was finding her way as a first-time solo performer, even though by then she was a famous songwriter with a string of hits for other artists.

When they returned to the club for a two-week co-headlining run in 1971, their lives were somewhat different. That summer Taylor's "Fire and Rain" was topping the charts and King's landmarkTapestry was on its way to making her a music superstar.

Present day:

Thirty-six years later, in November 2007, James Taylor, Carole King and members of their renowned original band (featuring guitarist Danny Kortchmar, bassist Leland Sklar and drummer Russell Kunkel) returned to the Troubadour for a three-night, six-show run to celebrate the venue's 50th anniversary.

Those historic and unforgettable shows are documented in the PBS special featuring 12 songs, including stunning performances of the pair's most beloved hits: Carole King's "So Far Away," "It's Too Late" and "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" and James Taylor's "Carolina in My Mind," "Sweet Baby James" and "Fire and Rain," to name just a few.

The place: The Troubadour, once again - the fertile ground that served as the unofficial home to such era-defining musicians as the Eagles, Elton John, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt and Joni Mitchell - rekindled King and Taylor's love for making music together.

The experience of the recent performances at the Troubadour was deeply felt by everyone - the musicians onstage and the fans in attendance as well as the project's technical crew: audio producer Peter Asher (an instrumental figure throughout Taylor's career) and Emmy-winning video director Martyn Atkins. Live at the Troubadour is captured in sterling 5.1 audio and state-of-the-art high definition video.

A special 2-disc CD/DVD will also be available nationwide on May 4, 2010, from Hear Music/Concord Music Group.

In the album's liner notes, Taylor states, "The Troubadour in 1971 wasn't the beginning, but it was a big step into the light for both of us. When we reunited for the Troubadour's 50th Anniversary celebration in 2007, it felt like yesterday. It was, and still is, all about the music and the celebration of performing together." King adds, "What's even more remarkable is that James' and my musical connection and friendship continue to transcend time and place. Whenever we're together, there we are. I feel a tremendous gratitude to be able to share this experience with James, with this fine band and most of all, with the fans."

This memorable event was also the inspiration for the pair's current "Troubadour Reunion" world tour that kicked off in Melbourne, Australia, and will travel to New Zealand and Japan before coming to North America in May 2010.