Taylor Concert Aiding Haitians Opens Hearts and Wallets

Talk about the hottest ticket in town. When James Taylor announced last week he would give a concert at the Mahaiwe Theatre in Great Barrington to raise money for earthquake relief in Haiti, the show was sold out in 90 minutes, before most people, including me, even heard about it.

   So Taylor offered to do a second concert. Tickets sold fast and in minutes the balcony seats at $100 were all gone; the rest, at $200 and $1,000, were sold in short order. Whether it was the incredible popularity of a singing idol, or the overwhelming wish of people to help in a dire situation, or both, wallets and hearts opened easily.

   Feeling very lucky, my son Nick and I headed up to Great Barrington.

   A large flag of Haiti served as the backdrop for the stage. And Because WAMC in Albany had offered to simulcast the concert and raise additional funds, Alan Chartock, president and CEO, served as emcee and announced the call-in number for radio listeners. He introduced surprise guest Gov.Deval Patrick, who said that Massachusetts has one of the largest Haitian communities in America.

   And then Taylor loped onto the stage, lanky and lean as ever, his informal demeanor and friendly smile unchanged through the years. The event was billed as “An Intimate Evening with James Taylor,†and he made certain it was exactly that. “I thought we’d invite you and a few friends over for fun,†he joked. But he reminded everyone that tragedy was at the heart of the evening, and the first song, “The Water is Wide,†a British ballad of loss and regret, captured the mood — one island nation’s song dedicated to another. The first notes came from the cello, played by Owen Young of the Boston Symphony — “that fine band,†Taylor said. Mournful and rich, that set the right tone, and throughout the concert, Young’s sensitive playing provided a sonorous background to Taylor’s playful and crystalline acoustic guitar figures.

   With “The Secret O’ Life,†Taylor proved his voice retains all of the power and sweetness of his early years; it has a youthful quality and his high notes are fine. He can still thrill, and performing in a space as intimate as the Mahaiwe, he really can make you feel as if you’re in someone’s living room.

   His asides are funny and genuine. “I got my first record contract in 1903,†he said, recalling an audition for Apple Records. Aware he was entertaining both the audience in the hall and radio listeners at home, he provided lighthearted commentary as he took off his jacket and rolled up his shirtsleeves.

   Taylor brought his longtime singers onstage: Kate Markowitz, Arnold McCuller, and his wife, Kim Taylor. Their voices blended perfectly, providing a soft, subtle backup, and lending weight when needed. They also added to the visual effect.

With “You’ve Got a Friend,†Taylor said he’d been, “traveling the world on this song.â€

   A sincere anthem of friendship written by Carole King, it’s the song for which Taylor is most known. Despite his having sung it perhaps thousands of times over the years, he kept it fresh, solid and sweet as always, holding the hometown audience enthralled.

   Chartock returned to the stage, announcing the phonathon had already raised $25,000. Then author Tracy Kidder spoke movingly about Partners in Health, a Boston-based group providing medical care to poor nations. Already in Haiti, PIH was among the first responders to provide earthquake relief, and the Taylors chose it as the beneficiary of concert proceeds.

   Before the next song, Taylor began to repeat the WAMC number, but the audience recited it gleefully, adding to the laughter.

   Next, “Hard Times Come Again No More,†in its first performance by Taylor and his group.was the next selection. Written in 1854 by Stephen Foster, its message was clear: “Let us pause in life’s pleasures and count its many tears, while we all sup sorrow with the poor.†Taylor’s arrangement made it all his own.

   The audience was asked to join in for “shameless karaoke†while Taylor wailed on the harmonica above tracks from his “Covers†album, recorded in Massachusetts. Arnold McCuller noticed from the stage that Nick was not clapping along, and pointed at him to do so. You can bet he did.

   The first few notes of “Fire and Rain†brought immediate applause. “I wrote this just up the road in Stockbridge at the beloved Austen Riggs Center,†grinned Taylor. As the 1970 song unfolded, with the cello adding depth and emotional resonance, I looked around at the older members of the audience, rapt and content, and wondered what part of the past they were recalling.

   Taylor sang other hits from his own past, such as “Carolina in My Mind†and “Sweet Baby James.†“It’s hard not to sing this in the Berkshires,†Taylor said of the latter. “Shower the People†gave Mr. McCuller a chance to show his fine vocal range.

   My favorite was the hauntingly beautiful “That Lonesome Road,†flawlessly sung a cappella by the four singers. It’s already become a family favorite; by the time we got home, my husband, Donald Sosin, part of the radio audience, had written out vocal parts, and we spent the weekend singing it. Pretty special.

Taylor and company received a huge, heartfelt standing ovation. Thanking the audience and the Mahaiwe, he reminded people that they could give directly to Partners in Health at www.pih.org, or on his website, jamestaylor.com. With the two concert proceeds, the matching gift from the Taylors, and the $78,000 raised on WAMC, the final tally was over $500,000 for earthquake relief. Now that’s power, used magnificently. As his song goes, “The secret of love is in opening up your heart.â€

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