‘Beautiful Road’

Singer-songwriter Kate Taylor — sister of James and Livingston Taylor — comes to John & Peter’s.

By: Matt Smith
   Yes, Kate Taylor is one those Taylors. You know, the family of performing singer-songwriters from New England and North Carolina headed by her brother James, but which also includes another brother, Livingston, as well as Ms. Taylor’s niece, Sally, and nephew, Ben — James Taylor’s children with another famous singer-songwriter, Carly Simon.
   "There’s just too many of us, and we keep making more," says Ms. Taylor, who has another brother, Hugh, and a late brother, Alex, who died in 1995.
   If that wasn’t confusing enough, the Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., resident is sometimes accompanied on stage by daughters Elizabeth and Aretha Witham, and stepdaughter Aquinnah Witham. Her latest CD, Kate Taylor Live at the Cutting Room, recorded last December at the popular New York City club, features Elizabeth and Aquinnah, niece Sally and ex-sister-in-law Simon, alongside band members Taylor Brown and Tony Garnier.
   The 11-track effort features tunes from her most recent studio CD, 2002’s Beautiful Road, the song "Harriet Tubman" from her self-titled 1978 Columbia Records album, and a handful of traditional gospel songs. The independently released CD is available on her Web site (www.katetaylor.com) and at shows, including a two-performance stand at John & Peter’s in New Hope, Pa., Dec. 16.
   The visit to the legendary Bucks County club is her second this year, following a pair of sold-out shows in June. "We had a great time," Ms. Taylor says of her previous visit. "What a nice bunch of folks. We had good crowds and it’s a really nice place to be. I’m looking forward to this coming gig."
   The 56-year-old Ms. Taylor recorded a trio of CDs in the 1970s but semi-retired from music for two decades, relaunching her career in earnest about five years ago. "I started a family," says Ms. Taylor, "and with kids, it’s pretty much impossible to tour on a regular basis with them. I was at home and I worked as much as I could. I developed a body of material and a group of players but didn’t do a lot of touring."
   Beautiful Road, that 2002 CD, got a jumpstart when her bass player and the album’s co-producer, Mr. Garnier, got an extended break from his regular gig with Bob Dylan’s band when the latter took ill with a heart infection in 1997. Eventually, Mr. Garnier went back to touring with Dylan and Ms. Taylor’s husband, manager and co-writer, Charlie Witham, took over the producing reigns. Sadly, Mr. Witham got sick with liver disease and died Sept. 12, 2001.
   "It was a real labor of love," Ms. Taylor says, "and it was Charlie’s mission to finish it, which for all intents and purposes he did. Tony and I finished up the project and put it out independently, and I’ve just been working ever since."
   Beautiful Road was rediscovered earlier this year by Rolling Stone, which called the CD "an overlooked gem" in a three-star review that says, "Taylor projects spiritual resilience on ultimately uplifting songs."
   Ms. Taylor signed her first recording contract with Atlantic/Cotillion Records by 19 and also recorded a pair of albums for Columbia Records, and part of her misses the days of being on a label. "It’s challenging and exciting at the same time," she says, "doing these things independently, reaching an audience through things like the Internet. It’s a whole new ballgame.
   "It’s been sort of a gradual process," Ms. Taylor adds, "getting back in tune with the scene and where I can go. A lot of the places I played before, they don’t exist anymore. It’s just a process of getting out there and finding my audience and letting them know that I’m singing and that I’d love to see them."
Kate Taylor will play John & Peter’s, 96 S. Main St., New Hope, Pa., Dec. 16, 7:30 and 10 p.m. Tickets cost $20. For information, call (215) 862-5981. On the Web: www.johnandpeters.com. Kate Taylor on the Web: www.katetaylor.com