James Taylor performs Moon River for CBS Sunday Morning project
James Taylor sang “Moon River” for CBS Sunday Morning’s new Essential American Songbook project, part of America at 250 coverage with a 250-song playlist and interactive site.
James Taylor brought “Moon River” to CBS News Sunday Morning on June 28. The performance was part of the Essential American Songbook project, a broadcast built around America at 250 coverage and an argument over which songs belong in the country’s shared memory. The special edition was anchored by Jane Pauley and paired Taylor with selections from Sara Bareilles and Jon Batiste, while CBS launched an interactive website and an accompanying 250-song Spotify playlist.
Taylor’s performance was backed by Kevin Hays on keyboards, Jon Suters on bass and Nick Halley on percussion. Henry Taylor was on guitar, with Kim Taylor and Kate Markowitz among the vocalists supporting him on the broadcast. The arrangement gave “Moon River,” one of the most familiar standards in American popular music, a contemporary frame without changing its bones.
Written in 1961 by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer, “Moon River” first appeared in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, where Audrey Hepburn performed it. The song went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song, and later took home Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Andy Williams turned it into a signature tune and sang it at the 1962 Academy Awards.
Born March 12, 1948, Taylor won his first Grammy in 1971 for “You’ve Got a Friend,” and that same year he appeared on the cover of Time magazine.
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