In an introductory anecdote so long his band begins to get restless, James Taylor explains the origins of the song The Frozen Man. He had seen an article in National Geographic with pictures of a recently excavated body, chilled into perfect preservation for hundreds of years. "He looked great," says Taylor, "like he'd only been dead for maybe 20 or 30 years. I can relate to that."

For the first half of this show, the 54-year-old singer/ songwriter is himself a little frozen up there on stage. An awkward and shy performer, he remains largely rooted to the spot, raising only an eyebrow or, briefly, one leg on the faster numbers, and trying (endlessly, unsuccessfully) to make eye contact with band members instead of looking at the crowd. At the end of the first set's highlight, Fire and Rain, fans rush to the stage, hands outstretched. Taylor shrinks back, embarrassed, shoving his hands in his pockets.

In the second set, things quickly fall into place, and there is less of a gulf between recent material from his well-received current album, October Road, and the extraordinary songs from the early days, on which his voice swoops and soars through lyrics about love, nature, cherished places and heavy weather. The band feel oddly disengaged early on; in the second half, though, they provide the right kind of gently lush, dreamy backing to You've Got a Friend and Carolina in My Mind, and new songs such as On the Fourth of July, an observation about the small steps by which love grows.

Ultimately, though, this is a showcase for Taylor's talent, both as a writer - he still writes love songs as delicate as filigree - and as a vocalist. With his beige slacks, starched shirt and even stiffer body language, he looks like a maths teacher forced to sing in front of the school, and the show doesn't exactly throb with vitality (the bass player bending his knee in time with the beat is about all there is to look at). But when Taylor sings, his voice makes you forget all that. It remains a voice of youthful promise and optimism, a voice kissed by sunlight and moonshine. After his final encore, Sweet Baby James, the crowd rush forward once more. Hands out of his pockets this time, Taylor indulges them with a round of sensible, sturdy handshakes.

· At the SECC, Glasgow SECC tomorrow (0870 040 4000) and Manchester Arena (0161-930 8000) on September 18.