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Personnel: James Taylor (vocals, acoustic guitar); Linda Rondstadt, Carly Simon (vocals); Danny Kortchmar (guitar); Dan Dugmore (steel guitar); David Campbell (viola); David Sanborn (saxophone); Red Callender (tuba); Dr. Clarence McDonald (keyboards); Leland Sklar (bass); Russ Kunkel (drums, percussion); Peter Asher (percussion); Leah Kunkel (background vocals). Master Sound releases are 24-karat gold CDs remastered from first generation masters. This process utilizes 20-bit technology and Sony's "Super Bit Mapping" system. JT finds a young James Taylor using a wide variety of molds into which he pours his folksy, easy-going style. His considerable songwriting skills are in full bloom, beginning with the jubilant "Your Smiling Face." Some very different ground is explored, however, with the funky "Honey, Don't Leave L.A." and the authentic country of "Bartender's Blues," on which Taylor gets a little help from Linda Ronstadt. It's his relationship with Carly Simon, though, that provides the fuel for Taylor's trademark lighter-than-air styling on "There We Are," "Another Grey Morning" and "Terra Nova," where Simon herself contributes a fine vocal performance. Taylor's lovely "Secret O' Life" is worth the price of admission for any singer-songwriter enthusiast. Other points of interest include Taylor's cover of the Jimmy Jones hit "Handyman" and the jazzy "Traffic Jam." Besides his GREATEST HITS package, this is one of J.T.'s most definitive works.
