James Taylor’s Musicians on Naps, Rudiments and eBay

Between 4 and 11 May 2014, James Taylor’s official site published six individual musician questionnaires. They should not be mistaken for a report from one shared dressing room. The announced summer band that year named Steve Gadd on drums, not interview subject Chad Wackerman. These are separate accounts from musicians whose time with Taylor overlapped in different ways.

Pianist Larry Goldings prepared by reducing strain. “I make sure I can get a power nap in,” he said, followed by stretches and arm and hand exercises that helped him manage low-grade tendinitis. Wackerman moved in the other direction after dinner: “I usually warm up a little, playing rudiments on a practice pad.” Repetition loosened his hands and arms for the stage.

Andrea Zonn gave herself roughly an hour. Sharing a dressing room with Kate Markowitz, she listened to music, hummed, worked through vocal warm-ups or sat quietly to become centred. “We usually listen to some music and hum along,” Zonn explained. Solemnity was never compulsory; laughter was part of the hour too.

Walt Fowler went out front before a show and watched people arrive at the venue. Bassist Jimmy Johnson had no such plan. “Aside from pacing around a bit, I have no specific routine,” he said. Fowler’s habit brought the audience into focus before he played for it; Johnson needed little more than a moving body.

Michael Landau’s list resisted every flattering myth about the final hour before a concert. “I usually buy guitars on eBay, check my email, sell guitars on eBay, have a bite to eat…” He went on to mention watching Walt Fowler and percussionist Luis Conte smoke cigars, then bothering the road manager about guest-list tickets. The ordinary day had not ended simply because a stage was waiting.

Together, the answers describe work rather than a single backstage culture: protecting hands, waking up a stick response, warming a voice, seeing the room or finishing mundane business. The accompanying “Shower the People” is an earlier James Taylor recording, not evidence of these six musicians performing in one line-up. The record supplies a destination, not documentary proof of the routes that led there.