Our first album announcement of 2026 is an exciting new step for both Acid Jazz and one of our foundational artists. A beautiful album of classical piano pieces by James Taylor of The James Taylor Quartet, ‘Shadows and Dreams’, is out 27 February. It is James' first album of classical works and the first classical release on our label.

Revered for his Hammond organ work, soul-jazz grooves, soundtrack-inspired sound, and his three-decade career leading the JTQ, unknown to many is James’ deep love of classical music.

Perhaps due to a wariness of the taboos around someone of his background recording classical music, it’s a project he has delayed for some time. Until now. Having worked with James since the formation of the label, we’re hugely proud to go on this journey with him.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for ages because solo classical piano is a big part of my musical life but not its not represented in any way by me publicly… It’s this aspect of my music that informs all the other musical genres that I’m involved in and its central to that, be it orchestrating, performing or composing.” - James Taylor

Recorded solo on a Steinway grand piano, James performs some of his favourite pieces from the classical cannon, with familiar tunes alongside lesser-known works on this beautiful, atmospheric recording. 'Shadows and Dreams' explores Taylor’s love of classical piano across nine tracks, including his interpretations of pieces by JS and CPE Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Scarlatti.

Feeling music must evolve and move forward – much as it did when in the late 1980s the James Taylor Quartet released a jazzy Herbie Hancock cover to indie kids – Taylor feels strongly that these classical sonatas must also be fresh, modern and relevant and shouldn’t just be in the hands of a certain few but shared with the many as their composers intended.