James Taylor will release new album American Standard on 28th February 2020 via Fantasy Records.
This week he’s released a new song from the forthcoming album, As Easy As Rolling Off A Log. The song was written by M.K. Jerome and Jack Scholl, and it’s the first-ever cover of a song featured in Katnip Kollege, a 1938 Merrie Melodies cartoon that Taylor first discovered as a kid.
Take a listen to the song below:
For American Standard, James has reimagined some of the most beloved songs of the 20th Century.
āThese are songs I have always known,ā JT writes in the liner notes to this album. āMost of them were part of my familyās record collection, the first music I heard as a kid growing up in North Carolina.ā
The album features 14 carefully chosen songs and sees him working with fellow co-producers, longtime collaborator Dave OāDonnell and guitarist John Pizzarelli.
James will embark on a major US tour with special guest Jackson Browne that kicks off on 15th May. The US tour follows his already announced coast to coast Canadian Tour with Bonnie Raitt. He will also be returning to Fenway Park in Boston with his All-Star Band on 21st June for a special show featuring Brandi Carlile and Shawn Colvin.
The track list for American Standard is:
1. My Blue Heaven (Walter Donaldson-George A. Whiting)
2. Moon River (Henry Mancini-Johnny Mercer)
3. Teach Me Tonight (Gene De Paul-Sammy Cahn)
4. As Easy As Rolling Off A Log (M.K. Jerome-Jack Scholl)
5. Almost Like Being In Love (Frederick Loewe-Alan Jay Lerner)
6. Sit Down, Youāre Rockinā The Boat (Frank Loesser)
7. The Nearness Of You (Hoagy Carmichael-Ned Washington)
8. Youāve Got To Be Carefully Taught (Richard Rodgers-Oscar Hammerstein II)
9. God Bless The Child (Billie Holiday-Arthur Herzog Jr.)
10. Pennies From Heaven (Arthur Johnston-Johnny Burke)
11. My Heart Stood Still (Richard Rodgers-Lorenz Hart)
12. Olā Man River (Jerome Kern-Oscar Hammerstein II)
13. Itās Only A Paper Moon (Harold Arlen-Yip Hardburg-Billy Rose)
14. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top (Richard Rodgers-Oscar Hammerstein II)