Sweet Baby James

Last night Scott and I went to see our beloved James Taylor at the Ryman. JT has been our favorite ever since we first started dating. Scott made me a tape (yes, it was a LONG time before recording to CDs was available-- way back in the dark ages of 1992!) that had "How Sweet It Is to Be Loved By You" and "You've Got a Friend" on it. I was hooked-- on Scott and on JT!

We went to see him in concert soon afterwards and have continued to go hear him every time he comes to Nashville. Last night was our first time to hear him at the Ryman. It was REALLY great! That place is so intimate. It felt like we were sitting in his living room just listening to him play and talk about the amazing songs he has written over the years. It was just him, his guitar, and a piano player--- a very stripped down, unplugged, acoustic-type performance... very real and honest. He showed photos that corresponded to the songs and told great behind the scenes stories on a variety of things about his life and work. It was SO good!

So-- Last night, as I sat listening to him, I felt such gratitude toward him for unknowingly helping to write a soundtrack for my life. I even call Scott "James"-- a nickname that goes back to our first months of dating which I derived from his song "Sweet Baby James" that we both love.

This is the second time I have blogged about going to a JT concert. We went last summer to see him, and I wrote about it in an August 2005 posting :

Scott and I went to a James Taylor concert Sunday night. What a place to people watch! We had grass seats. As I looked around at the sea of young-- and old-- lovebirds, it struck me just how much time had gone by since Scott and I first went to see James Taylor in 1992. We had only been dating a month-- our relationship was so new! We were SO "in love"! We reveled in the summer night and had no clue what the years ahead had in store for us!

He has so many songs that have meant so much to me and Scott, and now, to our family-- I used several of his songs in the two DVDs I have made documenting Luke's first two years ("Whenever I See Your Smiling Face", "Getting to Know You"). I had actually thought about naming Luke "James", but a couple in our lifegroup already has a little boy with the name. Ironically though, I found out that JT's current wife is named Caroline! He even wrote a song for her on his October Road CD called Caroline, I See You. Crazy!

Anyway-- his voice is magic. I am so thankful that he was given a venue in this life to use his gifts and creativity. It has been special to us.