James Taylor - Piece Hall Halifax - 16th July 2026

The legendary singer-songwriter delivered a sold-out evening of timeless music

Story by James Crickmore

19/07/2026

There aren't many figures in the folk world better at their trade than James Taylor. Halifax's sun-soaked Piece Hall was reminded this was still true, even 50 years on from his chart-topping days.

With his All-Star Band, consisting of eleven very talented musicians, Taylor provided the audience with largely laid-back classics, occasionally striking up the band to their loudest at the perfect moments. To kick things off, the 78-year-old opened with one of his more modern tunes, the upbeat 'Whenever You're Ready'. This showcased all angles of the band to the crowd from the off, with all hands-on deck to replicate the layered sound from the record. Taylor took time in between his next few serene songs, such as 'Rainy Day Man' and 'Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight' to praise Halifax Piece Hall; a venue he hadn't played before but made sure it was understood how grateful he was to finally be able to. The band were next fully in action for Taylor's 1975 single, 'Mexico'. The cheerful track echoed the fantastic vibe around the Piece Hall, as fans couldn't have asked for better weather to watch their favourite folk singer in. The six-time Grammy award winner finished his first set by laying down his acoustic guitar, replacing it with an electric. What followed was a superb rendition of 'Steamroller Blues'. The performance featured a remarkable guitar solo from Micheal Landau which left everyone in the crowd wishing there didn't have to be an interval. The second half featured a couple of Carole King songs, most notably 'You've Got a Friend', which Taylor had a number one hit with in 1971. Up to this point, the spectators hadn't been particularly vocal, instead choosing to take in the music rather than sing along. Yet, when this classic track began, the entire venue sang along in heartwarming fashion. Taylor's voice was still in fine condition, and he was singing almost exactly as he had been doing in the 70's. This was reinforced by the latter end of his set where he began to sign off which instantly recognisable tracks 'Sweet Baby James', 'Carolina in My Mind' and 'Fire and Rain. The set ended as it had begun, in buoyant fashion as the band performed 'Your Smiling Face'. Taylor looked to be having a great time, jumping around the stage and jamming with saxophonist Lou Marini, formerly of the Blues Brothers. After deserved rapturous applause and cries for "more", the band returned to the stage to play 'Shed a Little Light' and Marvin Gaye's 'How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)'. Yet, the real treat of the encore was Taylor's final tune. He sat down with son, Henry Taylor- who'd been providing backing vocals throughout the night- and delivered the beautiful 'You Can Close Your Eyes' to perfectly round off what was a feel-good night, taking in the finest folk and country music from one of the genres most iconic figures.