James Taylor & Carole King @ Hope Estate, Hunter Valley – 3 April 2010

There are certain concerts you know will be great before you even take your seats. The pairing of Carole King and James Taylor, two of the greatest singer-songwriters in musical history, could never deliver anything but sublime entertainment. My expectations were high, but these two very special musicians didn’t disappoint.

Lior warmed up the crowd with his mellow acoustic folk-pop. He was a great match for the largely middle-aged crowd. I educated the older folks in my party about this “young whippersnapper” as we sipped verdehlo and enjoyed his cruisy tunes. I was already a fan, and I have a feeling he may have found some new ones after his subdued set.

But Carole and James were the main attraction. We clapped rapturously as the pair walked out on stage, arm in arm. The chemistry between these two performers is obvious. Their shared history meant they could easily play on one another’s songs for the shows entirety. We were treated to alternate songs from their back catalogue, hit after hit after hit. After so many decades in the business it’s clear that some songs couldn’t make the set list, but I wasn’t left wanting for anything after almost three hours of music.

Both performers seem to get better with age. The years have not ravaged their voices, or dampened their love of their craft. James Taylor must have played songs like “Fire and “Rain,” “Sweet Baby James” and “Something in the Way,” countless times, but he seemed to relish sharing them with us.

Unfortunately at our seats off to the right side the pint-sized Carole was lost the moment she sat down at the piano. That was a bit disappointing, and perhaps the reason why I didn’t enjoy this show quite as much as The Living Room Tour. However, it’s all just the luck of the draw. Thankfully Carole did step away from the piano for several songs. It was thrilling to see her let loose on guitar for “Smackwater Jack,” help out on backing vocals during “Shower the People,” and groove to the closing tune “Locomotion.”

Seating gripes aside, it’s impossible to fault a musical experience like this. Carole and James are obviously the very best of friends, and watching their natural affection as they shared their gift with one another and the audience was simply beautiful. This was a very special night of music, and I feel so privileged to have witnessed it.

Image source: Lauren Katulka

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