James Taylor, Carole King Revisit 1970 in L.A.

The beginning of the '70s was a milestone time for both Carole King and James Taylor. With King's 'Tapestry' collection and Taylor's 'Sweet Baby James,' both created their inroads into mainstream success and subsequently long-running careers. To that end, and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of L.A.'s venerable Troubadour, the two friends are revisiting their early days as solo artists with a series of very intimate performances at the venue.

The three-night, six-show (with an early and late show every night) kicked off Wednesday night with a magnificent late performance before a crowd that included fellow Troub alum Jackson Browne. With Taylor on guitar and King seated at the piano, the duo started with a one-two combo of Taylor's 'Blossom' and King's 'So Far Away.' To maintain the authenticity of the recreation, Taylor said the two were trying to keep it to songs from 'Sweet Baby James' and 'Tapestry,' and earlier. In fact, they were so steadfast in maintaining the feeling of the early '70s. "It's almost deja vu," Taylor quipped, "except I can't remember it that well."

Age came up again when Taylor introduced King's gorgeous rendition of 'Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,' a hit for the Shirelles. When he commented, "This is a song you wrote in 1960," it prompted a couple of ooh's from the audience. King proudly responded, "This is what 65 looks like," and stood up from the bench to the delight of the audience.

Meanwhile, Taylor's stunning 'Fire and Rain' drew tears from a few in the audience, while King's 'It's Too Late' prompted an elated sing-along. Among the numerous other highlights were Taylor's rollicking 'Steamroller,' which featured him cranking up the electric guitar, King's equally upbeat 'I Feel the Earth Move,' the lilting 'Cowboy Lullaby' and and the pair's moving 'Up on the Roof,' where they alternated versions, with King singing her parts in the soft, piano style and Taylor doing his in the upbeat original version.