That band though! Leland Sklar on bass, jazz fusion master David Sanborn on sax, legend Steve Gadd on drums, Michael Landau on guitar! Some of the very best session musicians of the last 50 years!
Steve Gadd & Michael Landau tour with him currently. The band on this video was known as The Section. Danny Kortchmar, Lee Sklar, Russ Kunkel, Waddy Wachtel, and some others. In fact, some of them are still touring together now.
I also recognize Waddy Wachtell on guitar. Several of these guys played with Linda Ronstadt’s band. She always had top tier musicians backing her. Nice!🌺
Steamroller is a fave at every live concert of James Taylors. People who just are familiar with songs like Fire and Rain and Sweet Baby James are missing out the diversity of JT's work, and how talented he is in live performance.
I’ve seen JT in concert probably 6-8 times at least and he always performs this song this way. It came to be expected. P.S. I believe that’s David Sanborn on the sax, Russ Kunkle on drums, Lee Sklar on bass, and Waddy Wachtel and Danny Kortchmar on electric guitar. I can’t remember the piano player’s name - last name might be Grohl. The same lineup he performed with for many years.
From Jame's 1970 album Sweet Baby James. Such a great rocking tune, which shows off the raunchier side of his sweet vocals. The guitar work is so outstanding and the sax absolutely sends this tune with the piano into the heavenly blues side of perfection. Great reaction Harri. Thanks Harri and Blue Eyed Kansan. Cheers from Canada. 🇨🇦
Harri, you just made me laugh and smile! Trust me when I say many of us girls have lusted over that boy for over 50 years…steamroller, indeed. Bring it on, James.
Harri, you need to check out some of the videos of James Taylor and Carole King live at the Troubadour. They first played together there in 72 and did a reunion in 2007 or so. They had the same incredible band from 72 for the reunion show. The concert is fantastic and the entire band is made up of LA’s finest. The sound is just amazing.
You said 4 solos in one song never happens. LOL!! Welcome to the 70's and every concert we ever went to. All the musicians were phenomenal and I'm so happy for you that recordings exist for you to enjoy!
I have always loved him music..... but this is a departure from what I am used to hearing from him. That said.... he simply sounds fantastic. His band is spot on as well. Great song and a great reaction. Take care.
The legendary Leland Sklar on bass... I always get a kick out of seeing him with JT and then jumping over to see him on Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight".
Blue Eyed Kansan - This submission was a great choice. Well done indeed an A+, Best of, and downright raucous JT and band performance. I can also take it off my Top 10 potential submissions. Every aspect of this performance makes it a JT primo classic. I have played this video for quite some time. Now everyone here gets to enjoy it! Harri, your blown-away reactions on this one are worthy of Best Reviewer on RUclips status.
This video is from the 1979 Flag tour. I saw this show in California at the Berkeley outdoor theater. Needless to say, it was amazing! The entire concert was filmed at the Blossom Music Center in Ohio. I think it's all on youtube. I know you were shocked seeing James Taylor sing blues and rock out-- but he is much more versatile than people think. He wrote this song when he was a teenager and playing in a band called the Flying Machine (referenced in Fire and Rain) in NYC. He wrote it as kind of a joke, There were some bands of white guys in the Village who were playing the blues. Some of them came from upper middle class type backgrounds (like James did). I think James didn't think they really knew the blues. Something like that. I've seen James Taylor over 20 times over the yrs..H e still does this song and he's still jumps at the end. But, it's a bit toned down now and he doesn't cuss-haha
Randy Hall, you are correct! I always thought James wrote that tune, but was watching something here in YT a couple of weeks ago that said he didn't, stupidly I took their word for it instead of double checking. Thanks for letting me know.
Since the first I heard James Taylor was the album Sweet Baby James, this track was normal James Taylor for me. The track, "Suite for 20G" ends the album in a similar fashion, after a more typical lyrical start to the piece.
How I missed this all these years, you rarely have a song I've never heard but what great fun this was. Great musical arrangement with free solos and James was sanging.
Another JT classic awesomely performed...Ty Harri...I've seen James perform this one live before buy never this particular performance...this is a goodun for sure...
👍 I intro’s the song saying “all white teenagers from the suburbs were coming up with “blues songs” so he had to come up with one too, having a bit of fun about those guys. If you like JT with a little edge, check out “ I Was Only Telling A Lie”.
OK there is not a live performance to react to, but I’ve been telling you for quite some time now to react to James Taylor with Linda Ronstadt doing the old Ike and Tina Turner song “ I think it’s gonna work out fine” because you get to hear James and Linda rockin’ out!!!!!!
HEY HARRI, LOOK HOW EFFINNNNN HIGH HE IS MAN! LMAO 😊WHEN YOU GET TO CHECK OUT HIS BBC CONCERT HJE'S HIGHER THAN A KITE, WASTED ON HEAVY DRUGS BACK THEN HARRI, HEROIN, ACID, ETC! IT'S A GREAT GREAT SHOW THOUGH FOR SURE! 😊
Like diamonds, lot of these folk...like James, have many facets, not just one! Waddy Watchel on lead guitar (first solo) 🎸...played on more albums, for more artists than you can shake a stick at!
Hi Harri, even though I’m old, I am new to you tube as a subscriber. I have just finished binge watching your several reactions to The Little River Band. So glad that you love them and their lead singer Glenn Shorrock. I hope you might like to react to Glenn when he was even younger in a couple of other Aussie bands. 1966 with The Twlights “Needle In A Haystack” and 1970 with Axiom “A Little Ray Of Sunshine”. I am sure you will enjoy.
Harri- love this reaction. 4 solos? Common in jazz to let each player take a solo turn. Short but sweet -this is an all time favorite of mine: James Rushing “New Orleans”. Piano, trombone, trumpet and clarinet solos… I memorized this clarinet solo in my childhood 50 years ago, and still can play each note in my memory. A lifetime favorite. Give it a shot, man! ruclips.net/video/9tO1_ICcwcc/видео.html&feature=share
He has another live video where he talks about the inspiration for this song. He talked about how all these scrawny white teenagers would drive into NY to buy guitars and amps and then try to play these rough, tough blues songs by folks like Muddy Waters. This song was meant to spoof all of that because he thought it was hilarious.
the album version has the original guitar riff Taylor sort of invented and borrowed. This version was for the big show of an extensive live performance. the entire band played the riff here but it has been slightly altered to make the noise I guess. I felt the original recording was more true to the intimate James Taylor style that made him famous- it did have some horns and a guitar solo by Danny Koochmar on it. this seems so typically noisy here, too much like all those blues bands out there. Perhaps Taylor felt he should wow the crowd here. He can do this by himself and still wow the crowd. Sure it;s great, but listen to the original version and here the difference, neither is better than the other only by musical preference. one has more solos and faster notes....the other has more intimate folksy style to it. ruclips.net/video/fXHbyRgkkcE/видео.html
Hi Harri ... this version was "just ok", and I say that because he's done WAY better. You really need to hear the studio version (ruclips.net/video/IlXZFZJML0s/видео.html ), just to compare the two.
That band though! Leland Sklar on bass, jazz fusion master David Sanborn on sax, legend Steve Gadd on drums, Michael Landau on guitar! Some of the very best session musicians of the last 50 years!
Steve Gadd & Michael Landau tour with him currently. The band on this video was known as The Section. Danny Kortchmar, Lee Sklar, Russ Kunkel, Waddy Wachtel, and some others. In fact, some of them are still touring together now.
I also recognize Waddy Wachtell on guitar. Several of these guys played with Linda Ronstadt’s band. She always had top tier musicians backing her. Nice!🌺
@@debbiechang5781 All names I recognize from my Warren Zevon albums too.
I was going to say, that's a veritable all-star band backing James here.
in the 80's if there was a sax on a recording. It more than likely was David Sanborn.
One of the best lyrics ever written, "I'm a cement mixer baby, a churnin' urn of burnin' funk"
Have seen him perform this many times and it definitely injects a change of pace to the show! Sweet Baby James
Steamroller is a fave at every live concert of James Taylors. People who just are familiar with songs like Fire and Rain and Sweet Baby James are missing out the diversity of JT's work, and how talented he is in live performance.
I’ve seen JT in concert probably 6-8 times at least and he always performs this song this way. It came to be expected. P.S. I believe that’s David Sanborn on the sax, Russ Kunkle on drums, Lee Sklar on bass, and Waddy Wachtel and Danny Kortchmar on electric guitar. I can’t remember the piano player’s name - last name might be Grohl. The same lineup he performed with for many years.
That's the late great Don Grolnick on piano. He passed almost 30 yrs ago. RIP
@@lla788 Thank you. That is sad news, though.
He's every bit as good in live performances as he is in his recordings. Outstanding!
Sweet Baby James at his best !
One of my favorite James Taylor songs - especially live!
From Jame's 1970 album Sweet Baby James. Such a great rocking tune, which shows off the raunchier side of his sweet vocals. The guitar work is so outstanding and the sax absolutely sends this tune with the piano into the heavenly blues side of perfection. Great reaction Harri.
Thanks Harri and Blue Eyed Kansan. Cheers from Canada. 🇨🇦
I have seen him three times in concert and he sounds perfect live. He is fantastic.
I love to see James Taylor let loose!
Let's not forget the fantastic Waddy Wachtel on guitar right there.
Harri, you just made me laugh and smile! Trust me when I say many of us girls have lusted over that boy for over 50 years…steamroller, indeed. Bring it on, James.
Oh, and btw: have seen James in concerts many times. Always excellent. May I suggest you give “Only A Dream In Rio” a listen.
I love all of James Taylor’s music but his live old songs from him are the best
Jesus H. Christmas!!!! Sweet baby James!!!
The great Leland Sklar on Bass and Waddy Wachtel on Electric Guitar (first solo)
What a great version of Steamroller blues....thanks Harri.
Oh yeah, I saw him perform back in the day. He wore a white suit and just OMG!
As you may know, Elvis sang this song in his Aloha show. Great cover!
Loved this. When he played the Crossroads festival he did this song with Joe Walsh playing lead. It was wild.
That performance is so good
This is a great track!
Harri, you need to check out some of the videos of James Taylor and Carole King live at the Troubadour. They first played together there in 72 and did a reunion in 2007 or so. They had the same incredible band from 72 for the reunion show. The concert is fantastic and the entire band is made up of LA’s finest. The sound is just amazing.
You said 4 solos in one song never happens. LOL!! Welcome to the 70's and every concert we ever went to. All the musicians were phenomenal and I'm so happy for you that recordings exist for you to enjoy!
James Taylor/Traffic Jam
I saw James in concert a little less than a year ago in Charlotte, NC. He is still great as ever!!
A true hidden gem!
I was always happy whenever I saw Waddy Wachtel and Lee Sklar… David Sanborn on sax… can’t go wrong
Favorite James Taylor song live.
I have always loved him music..... but this is a departure from what I am used to hearing from him. That said.... he simply sounds fantastic. His band is spot on as well. Great song and a great reaction. Take care.
I've seen JT live 5 times. First in 1978
Great choice Harris. Great.
One of my JT favorites, and OMG David Sanborn!
Such a fantastic song by James. He has so many. Thanks for sharing Blue Eyed Kansan and great reaction Harri.
I was a little whoah when I first heard this in 1976!
I remember singing that as a marching cadence in the Army 🪖
Best ever!!!!!!
The legendary Leland Sklar on bass... I always get a kick out of seeing him with JT and then jumping over to see him on Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight".
The guy played on everything lol. Even on Billy Cobham - Spectrum.
World's comfiest looking sweater
Amazing live performance!
Blue Eyed Kansan - This submission was a great choice. Well done indeed an A+, Best of, and downright raucous JT and band performance. I can also take it off my Top 10 potential submissions. Every aspect of this performance makes it a JT primo classic. I have played this video for quite some time. Now everyone here gets to enjoy it!
Harri, your blown-away reactions on this one are worthy of Best Reviewer on RUclips status.
Harri was definitely "gob smacked" Dave. So great to watch his enjoyment from this fantastic rockin tune. 👍✌️🎶😊🇨🇦
I love JT and I love how he does this song! His southern roots are showing!
Harri, you looked like you're mind was blown! I remember mine was too when I first heard him do this back in the seventies. Great song and reaction!
Great reaction Harri!!!
This video is from the 1979 Flag tour. I saw this show in California at the Berkeley outdoor theater. Needless to say, it was amazing! The entire concert was filmed at the Blossom Music Center in Ohio. I think it's all on youtube. I know you were shocked seeing James Taylor sing blues and rock out-- but he is much more versatile than people think. He wrote this song when he was a teenager and playing in a band called the Flying Machine (referenced in Fire and Rain) in NYC. He wrote it as kind of a joke, There were some bands of white guys in the Village who were playing the blues. Some of them came from upper middle class type backgrounds (like James did). I think James didn't think they really knew the blues. Something like that. I've seen James Taylor over 20 times over the yrs..H e still does this song and he's still jumps at the end. But, it's a bit toned down now and he doesn't cuss-haha
But he ends concerts with Sweet Baby James as the encore and that is my dad's friend on Bass - the great Lee Sklar !!
One of my favorites that James sings, and even though it's done originally by a different musician, he does it so well. Thanks Harri
There may be other versions, but James wrote this.
Randy Hall, you are correct! I always thought James wrote that tune, but was watching something here in YT a couple of weeks ago that said he didn't, stupidly I took their word for it instead of double checking. Thanks for letting me know.
Since the first I heard James Taylor was the album Sweet Baby James, this track was normal James Taylor for me.
The track, "Suite for 20G" ends the album in a similar fashion, after a more typical lyrical start to the piece.
Just great ❤️💃❤️
Outstanding! I’d never seen this performance! WHOOHOOOOO!
Indeed good enough for a standing ovation!
I hadn't seen this one before. thanks that was awesome!
How I missed this all these years, you rarely have a song I've never heard but what great fun this was. Great musical arrangement with free solos and James was sanging.
Another JT classic awesomely performed...Ty Harri...I've seen James perform this one live before buy never this particular performance...this is a goodun for sure...
Just for fun, Harri, cue up James Taylor and Carly Simon singing Mockingbird at the NoNukes concert, from back in the 80s.
Oh my gosh, that's David Sanborn on sax! 😯
YES HARRIS, HIS EPIC ALBUM ( SWEET BABY JAMES ) 😊 THE LAST TRACK IS ( STEAMROLLER BLUES )😊
👍
I intro’s the song saying “all white teenagers from the suburbs were coming up with “blues songs” so he had to come up with one too, having a bit of fun about those guys.
If you like JT with a little edge,
check out “ I Was Only Telling A Lie”.
Yeah, he had shoulder length hair when he first came out. He was married to Carly Simon who is also a singer, check out her song, Your so Vain.
It’s always fun when the band kicks in…
Damn
OK there is not a live performance to react to, but I’ve been telling you for quite some time now to react to James Taylor with Linda Ronstadt doing the old Ike and Tina Turner song “ I think it’s gonna work out fine” because you get to hear James and Linda rockin’ out!!!!!!
HEY HARRI, LOOK HOW EFFINNNNN HIGH HE IS MAN! LMAO 😊WHEN YOU GET TO CHECK OUT HIS BBC CONCERT HJE'S HIGHER THAN A KITE, WASTED ON HEAVY DRUGS BACK THEN HARRI, HEROIN, ACID, ETC! IT'S A GREAT GREAT SHOW THOUGH FOR SURE! 😊
It was awesome live
I've always liked this too. Elvis covered it!!
Good song you might like live at the Beacon theater and handyman and up on a roof
You should've seen my mother's face when I first introduced her to the chicken chokin', muther f*ckin', blues.
Cover by Elvis. I haven't seen this video in years 🎶🎶🎶🎶
Like diamonds, lot of these folk...like James, have many facets, not just one! Waddy Watchel on lead guitar (first solo) 🎸...played on more albums, for more artists than you can shake a stick at!
Hi Harri, even though I’m old, I am new to you tube as a subscriber. I have just finished binge watching your several reactions to The Little River Band. So glad that you love them and their lead singer Glenn Shorrock. I hope you might like to react to Glenn when he was even younger in a couple of other Aussie bands. 1966 with The Twlights “Needle In A Haystack” and 1970 with Axiom “A Little Ray Of Sunshine”. I am sure you will enjoy.
This and the short Traffic Jam.
Waddy Wachtel. Oooo.
J Taylor got the joke of this song . E Presley never did. and thought it was some sort of a serious male anthem.
JT was the Real Deal for sure, LOL! 😃
"IS" ;)
@@SweetBabyJamesOfficial Yes, IS!
Harri- love this reaction. 4 solos? Common in jazz to let each player take a solo turn. Short but sweet -this is an all time favorite of mine: James Rushing “New Orleans”. Piano, trombone, trumpet and clarinet solos… I memorized this clarinet solo in my childhood 50 years ago, and still can play each note in my memory. A lifetime favorite. Give it a shot, man!
ruclips.net/video/9tO1_ICcwcc/видео.html&feature=share
That's Don Grolnick on piano. RIP - he died way too early.
I see Waddie Watchel on the right.
He has another live video where he talks about the inspiration for this song. He talked about how all these scrawny white teenagers would drive into NY to buy guitars and amps and then try to play these rough, tough blues songs by folks like Muddy Waters. This song was meant to spoof all of that because he thought it was hilarious.
the album version has the original guitar riff Taylor sort of invented and borrowed. This version was for the big show of an extensive live performance. the entire band played the riff here but it has been slightly altered to make the noise I guess. I felt the original recording was more true to the intimate James Taylor style that made him famous- it did have some horns and a guitar solo by Danny Koochmar on it. this seems so typically noisy here, too much like all those blues bands out there. Perhaps Taylor felt he should wow the crowd here. He can do this by himself and still wow the crowd. Sure it;s great, but listen to the original version and here the difference, neither is better than the other only by musical preference. one has more solos and faster notes....the other has more intimate folksy style to it. ruclips.net/video/fXHbyRgkkcE/видео.html
Waddle wachel!!!
Waddy was EVERY WHERE IN THE SUPER 70S!!
Hi Harri ... this version was "just ok", and I say that because he's done WAY better. You really need to hear the studio version (ruclips.net/video/IlXZFZJML0s/видео.html ), just to compare the two.
I don't think of him as a steamroller, I think he's giving musicians a platform
The song is meant as a joke-to parody white kids in the 60's trying to do Blues....and Not doing the Blues...
Yuck