Casino Connection Atlantic City

With a Little Help from His Friends

James Taylor will appear at Borgata’s Event Center at 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 14. Tickets are $95, $135 and $175.

by Marjorie Preston

Celebrated singer-songwriter-guitarist James Taylor has come a long way since Sweet Baby James. But over the course of 40 years he has never peaked, only grown in stature, musicianship, maturity and perhaps most important, musical curiosity. To his credit, Taylor never rests on his hard-earned laurels, and just keeps exploring.

On the heels of his One Man Band acoustic tour of Europe, Taylor comes to the Borgata June 14 in support of the upcoming Band of Legends CD. Though the Atlantic City show will feature obligatory classics—Taylor wouldn’t get out of town without singing “You’ve Got a Friend” or “Fire and Rain”—his full catalogue is so rich and tuneful that the hits are just the start.

Backed by more than a dozen industry greats including sax man “Blue Lou” Marini, drummer Steve Gadd and percussionist Luis Conte, Taylor will present his versions of Big Mama Thornton’s “Hound Dog,” Chuck Berry’s “Memphis,” Junior Walker’s “Road Runner,” and, hopefully, some homegrown stuff like “Carolina In My Mind” and “That’s Why I’m Here.”