NEWS 13 Aug 2007

James Taylor Strikes Up His “One Man Band” On Hear Music

New CD/DVD Set Features Live Recordings of Taylor's Greatest Hits

Executive Producer Sydney Pollack and Director Don Mischer Weave Together Live Performances, Rare Home Movies, Exclusive Interviews and Special Features for DVD

LOS ANGELES; AUGUST 13, 2007 – Hear Music announced today it will release James Taylor’s “One Man Band,” a new CD/DVD set of live recordings and the stories behind the songs. The set list is drawn from Taylor’s recent concerts at the Colonial Theatre in the Berkshires and features new performances from some of the iconic singer/songwriter’s most beloved recordings including “Something in the Way,” “Carolina in my Mind,” and “Fire and Rain,” interspersed with Taylor’s insightful and humorous anecdotes on the inspiration for the songs. “One Man Band” will be available at Starbucks Company-operated locations and traditional retailers around the world this holiday season.

“This set is an intimate retrospective of 40 years worth of songs and the people, places and events that inspired them,” said Taylor.  “I am very grateful to Don Mischer, Sydney Pollack, and Hear Music for taking great care with what are very personal songs for me and my fans.”

For the DVD portion of “One Man Band,” Taylor called on veteran television events producer and director Don Mischer (“Kennedy Center Honors,” and “Super Bowl XLI Halftime Show with Prince”) and executive producer and acclaimed filmmaker Sydney Pollack (“Out of Africa,” “Sketches of Frank Gehry”) and their extensive talents to properly capture the feel of the live concerts. “One Man Band” tells the story of Taylor’s songs through exclusive interviews and rare multi-media footage, including home movies and photographs from Taylor’s personal archives. The result is an extraordinary, one-of-a-kind portrait of an artist, his renowned repertoire and the personal stories behind the songs.

“James is one of the most respected and beloved artists in the history of popular music,” said Ken Lombard, president of Starbucks Entertainment who also oversees Hear Music. “This exceptional collection of songs, combined with Taylor’s unique, first-hand reflections, is a must-have for any music fan. We’re so pleased to have James on our label and to release an album of songs that have become the soundtrack to so many lives.”

Over the course of his career, James Taylor has sold over 40 million albums, and won over 40 gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards as well as five GRAMMY® Awards. Taylor’s first “Greatest Hits” album earned him the RIAA’s elite Diamond Award, given for sales in excess of 10 million units in the United States.  In 2000, Taylor was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame.  In February 2006, The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences named Taylor its MUSICARES Person of the Year. 

As the next artist to appear on the Hear Music label, Taylor joins fellow music legends Paul McCartney and Joni Mitchell, along with soon-to-be-announced emerging artists. Hear Music’s inaugural release, McCartney’s “Memory Almost Full,” debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top 200.