How sweet it was to be in the presence of James Taylor at Cork's Marquee

The almost stifling heat in the Marquee on Friday night was matched by the genuine warmth emanating from the audience as James Taylor walked onto the stage.

His All-Star backing band included a veritable musical ‘who’s who’, including ‘Blues Brother’ Lou Marini (saxophone), Michael Landau (guitar), Michito Sanchez (percussion), and a quartet of backing vocalists including, much to Taylor’s undisguised pride, his own son Henry.

Upon returning to the Marquee stage for the first time since his epic 2009 performance, Taylor took little time endearing himself to the seated rows of eager fans.

“What a fantastic, beautiful Cork audience,” he said to rapturous applause.

What followed was, to paraphrase the great Arthur Connolly, an evening of ‘sweet soul music’, Taylor in fine form interspersing songs including Rainy Day Man, Mexico, and the haunting Millworker with amiable interaction with audience members and witty banter about addiction, friends, music, and life in general.

Relaxed atmosphere

His voice has lost little of its lustre that has placed him firmly in the pantheon of musical legends, and such was the relaxed atmosphere, you felt that you could be sitting in your living room at home, with Taylor sitting on the end of the couch doing what he does best.

Before launching into Line ‘Em Up, a song inspired by the 1974 resignation of disgraced former US president Richard Nixon, Taylor took a not-so-subtle swipe at the current White House incumbent.

“I never thought I’d be saying that I miss Richard Nixon, but he’s starting to look like a paragon of virtue.

“At least he knew when he broke the law”.

The first part of the show finished with a blistering blues inspired Steamroller, before a 20-minute interval.

“I don’t know whey we do this, all we do is go back stage and look at our watches for 20-minures,” said Taylor, much to the amusement of the by now enthralled audience.

Deeply personal nod

Returning to the stage Taylor and the band launched into what could best be described as a mini-gig of its own, including a cover of Buddy Holly’s Everyday, and a deeply personal nod to his friend Carole King with covers of her tracks You’ve Got A friend and Up On The Roof’.

At this stage of proceedings Taylor had the audience well and truly in the palm of his hand, as people rose to their feet and sang along in time to Carolina On My Mind, Fire and Rain, Your Smiling Face, and the Marvin Gaye penned How Sweet it Is (To Be Loved By You), Taylor finishing a more than 20-song setlist sitting next to his son for a moving rendition of You Can Close Your Eyes.

While there have been many magnificent nights at the Marquee over the past two decades, last Friday was without doubt a night that will live long in the memory of those lucky enough to have been there.