THIS was a wonderfully intimate concert from a man truly cherished by his fans.

James Taylor may not have a canon of songs as broad and popular as late 60s luminaries like Paul Simon or Bob Dylan, but that simply means his fans feel like part of a very special club.

And that was just the vibe of this show. We were treated to intimate pictures of his wife and parents, a short video of the nephew who inspired one of his most affecting songs, Sweet Baby James, and then we get his wife's friends from the choir singing the chorus to Shower The People.

It was that kind of mutually appreciative gig - the special bond he has with his fans was recognised by him giving us a genuine insight into his personal life.

His humorous, informative and intelligent banter between songs often lasted longer than the performances themselves but, again, this is why we turned out in our thousands to see him live on stage (and, for an opportune few, to shake his hand).

As for the performances, he was a consummate professional. Even in the autumn of his career, he still hits all the notes.

His fingers effortlessly danced over the frets as all the intricacy of his playing filled the hall - right up to the end of the third encore.

We even had the comedy interlude of a drum machine', which was, in fact, a full-size kit thumped by various levers and pulleys (made by James with help from a carpenter friend).

Thankfully we were not just presented with hit after hit - I discovered new songs. But the melodies and sentiments of songs like Carolina In My Mind, You've Got A Friend, Something In The Way She Moves and Fire and Rain will forever hold a special place in my record collection.