American Standard

Standards albums are funny, problematic beasts. They appear to signal a number of things, such as commercial viability, especially in resuscitating flagging careers – as evidenced by Rod Stewart's "Great American Songbook" five album series between 2002-2010, and Cyndi Lauper's pleasant enough "At Last" (2003). They can also serve as revealing artistic detours, one respected artist paying homage to another whose influence might not have been so detectable – case in point: Bob Dylan's three (largely) Sinatra-inspired albums between 2015-2017. At other junctures, standards albums can function as a logical conclusion, of sorts – Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" and "Travelogue" arrived after a couple of decades of exploring experimental jazz to various extents.

Sometimes they boldly challenge both ours and the artist's conceptions of themselves – Pretenders front-woman Chrissie Hynde's "Valve Bone Woe" last year is curiously and delightfully unlike anything in her oeuvre. And some artists just do it because they can – the late George Michael's "Songs From the Last Century" (1999) was, and remains, an exquisitely tasteful collection he curated at the height of his commercial powers (outside of the US, anyway... but that's another, much longer story than space here will allow). More than anything, when such distinct artistic personalities wrap their pipes around chestnuts in the repertoire, it signals an attempt at serious, respectable artistry. And the most successful often marry such indelible and beloved melodies with just the right amount of the artist's own distinct style.

So then, how does James Taylor's new album "American Standard" stack up?

First, the song selections throughout are admirable, often deriving from musical theater, veering between the familiar ("My Blue Heaven" from "Ziegfeld Follies" and "Almost Like Being in Love" from "Brigadoon") and lesser-known ("As Easy as Rolling Off a Log" from the obscure 1937 film "Over the Goal" and "My Heart Stood Still" from the 1927 revue "One Dam Thing After Another"). Second, the album's fourteen songs are rendered in Taylor's folk/pop style. This was a particularly wise choice, as Taylor's characteristically gentle and warm vocals are tastefully accompanied by acoustic guitar, violin, subtle rhythm section flourishes, occasional keyboards. A more traditional approach with jazz trio, strings and horn charts a la Michael Bubl� might have lost Taylor's personality altogether.

As a result, Taylor's interpretations of classics such as Ella Fitzgerald's "Teach Me Tonight," Nat King Cole's "Almost Like Being in Love," Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong's "The Nearness of You," and Nat King Cole's (and Ella's too!) "It's Only a Paper Moon" don't swing – and decidedly so. Rather, they stroll at a charming pace and allow Taylor the space to put his own vocal stamp on them.

Album highlights include the oft-covered "Moon River" (from the classic Audrey Hepburn film "Breakfast at Tiffany's"). Here, the timbre of Taylor's voice is well-suited to the song's romantic yearning, a performance that recalls the poignancy of his own "That Lonesome Road" nearly forty years back. "As Easy as Rolling Off a Log" (from the 1937 film "Over the Goal") and "The Surrey With the Fringe on Top" (from "Oklahoma") provide moments of levity, where "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" (from "South Pacific") proves painfully relevant to this particular era of American history ("you've got to be taught to hate and fear... people whose eyes are oddly made, and people whose skin is a different shade...").

The only performances that don't quite work include "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat" (from the musical "Guys and Dolls") and "Ol' Man River" (from the musical "Show Boat," the defining performance by Paul Robeson). The former is a high energy showstopper in its original context; Taylor slows the tempo ever so slightly and the result is somewhat jaunty and awkward. The latter song, a statement of defiance in the face of oppression, veers too close to well-meaning gesture... especially coming only a few songs after "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught."

Otherwise, "American Standard" is a fine addition to Taylor's catalogue. The most revealing aspect of the album isn't just Taylor's good taste in song selections, but also the versatility and adaptability in being re-cast in arrangements that align with the artist's familiar aesthetic. Comfortable, but not complacent, these re-interpretations are respectful and affectionate.

James Taylor
"American Standard"
$11.98 (CD) and $24.98 (vinyl)
James Taylor official site