The Frost Amphitheater on the Stanford University campus is not a church, temple, mosque, synagogue, monastery, meditation center, or other sacred space. Nonetheless on May 16, an appearance by singer-songwriter and guitarist James Taylor alongside his All Star Band turned the outdoor venue into a house of worship.
Taylor’s 2025 summer tour has the multiple Grammy award-winner bringing his spectacular songwriting, infinitely flexible baritone voice, meticulous guitar playing, and terrific band to cities across the United States. Their well-paced program offers a setlist with notable variety. Taylor and his troupe wowed the crowd with beloved hits such as “Fire and Rain,” “Mexico,” and others; along with lesser–known songs like “(I’ve Got To) Stop Thinkin’ ‘Bout That” from his 1991 “New Moon Shine” album and two covers written by Carole King.
Taylor’s high-pedigree bandmembers are vocalists Kate Markowitz, Dorian Holley, Henry Taylor, and Andrea Zonn; drummer Chad Wackerman; percussionist Luis Conte; keyboardist Larry Goldings; Lou Marini and Max Darchéß on horns; guitarist Michael Landau; and on bass, Jimmy Johnson. The veteran bunch provided perfect backup for Taylor, who projected energy ranging from casual to sizzling to dreamy.
The singer took the stage just before 7:30pm, following warmup band Tiny Habits, a talented trio of young folk-pop musicians whose half dozen songs stretched from chipper to lovely and showcased the group’s lively rhythms and sweet harmonies.
When he finally strolled to center stage, Taylor bowed and doffed his gray driving cap in acknowledgment of the sold-out crowd’s warm, extended applause. He swung himself onto his customary stool, picked up a guitar, and launched into “Wandering.” It was the first of several tunes he dubbed “traveling road songs,” and a video montage of journeying on the land projected on the Jumbotron behind him. During his intra-song banter the live cam zoomed in on his face; amplifying the deep grooves of aging skin, but also Taylor’s wry half-smile and the twinkle in his soft blue eyes.
After “Walking Man” inspired someone in the audience to shout, “You’re sounding good, James!”, he replied, “Thank you. That sounding-good thing is important in my line of work. I mean, I know I look good, but that sound thing is key.”
Such an interaction could only come from mastery of the art of making immensely difficult things appear easy. To flow with an audience’s energy, to adroitly insert glowing band-member intros without overstatement—let alone performing like a wizard on a musical instrument and singing like an angel, roaring with the power of a V8 engine—are all signs of Taylor’s high standards.
In one such instance, when the feedback in his earphone wasn’t up to snuff and he stopped a song three lines in, Taylor shared a tender story when at age 18, he “crept into dark places” of addiction after his first band broke up. His father called, asked for his son’s address (84th Street and Columbus Avenue in New York City), and hung up the phone.
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“He showed up 12 hours later and pulled me out of New York. Probably saved my life,” Taylor said. Perhaps to de-escalating the poignancy of the moment, he jokingly added that mothers have to parent “until you’re all grown up and move out of the house, which some of you know means until your kid’s 30.” The impression of a good dad, he said, “can be created with just one or two anecdotes.”
The mellow atmosphere set the perfect precursor to “Mexico,” a high-velocity song that filled the stage with flaming lights and digital images of Mexican papel picado, boosting people out of their seats to dance and sing along. Marini on sax and Cuban “percussion king” Conte were spectacular in this moment.
Later, prior to “Carolina In My Mind,” Taylor spoke of crossing paths in 1968 with The Beatles. While recording for the same label at a London studio, his interactions with the band were “likely the high point of my career,” he said. But they were also lonely days filled with homesickness that caused him to write the song about his native state. The crowd fell silent as the lyrics cast their spell—it was a dramatic, worshipful moment.
If Taylor’s voice occasionally shows the patina of aging and thins in its highest register—it does—that reedy texture only adds to his range. He is adept at providing the band’s top tier vocalist or instrumentalists with the spotlight to best serve a song. “Shower the People” saw Holley take a big solo turn; “Shed a Little Light” gave Jame’s son Henry a moment to shine.
But there was no one who could have or would have wanted to mess with Taylor during “Steamroller.” The first of a three-song encore, Taylor was bluesy, gritty, growly, gloriously sexy, and dug deep, wailing grooves between exhilarating pinnacles of rhythm. He proved what no one doubted: the man still has his chops. The show’s closer, with just his son and a guitar, “You Can Close Your Eyes” was the perfect sendoff following an unforgettable evening.
Set List:
Wandering
(I’m a) Road Runner. (Jr. Walker & the All Stars cover)
Walking Man
Stretch of the Highway
Jump Up Behind Me
My Traveling Star
Mexico
Carolina in My Mind
Up on the Roof. (Carole King cover)
The Frozen Man
You’ve Got a Friend. (Carole King cover)
Sweet Baby James
Fire and Rain
(I’ve Got to) Stop Thinkin’ ‘Bout That
Shed a Little Light
Shower the People
Your Smiling Face
Encore:
Steamroller
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) (Marvin Gaye cover)
You Can Close Your Eyes. (Duet with Henry Taylor)
