Songs of the '60s and '70s to Be Rekindled February 26 in Great American Songbook Laurel Canyon Tribute

The music of James Taylor '95H, the Doors, the Mamas and the Papas, Carole King ‘13H, Joni Mitchell, Frank Zappa, and more comes to life in this concert hosted and narrated by revered music photographer Henry Diltz, whose work will be showcased at the event.

February 17, 2017

The Signature Series at Berklee continues on Sunday, February 26 at 7:30 p.m. at the Berklee Performance Center (BPC) with the Great American Songbook: Tribute to Laurel Canyon, featuring the music of James Taylor '95H, the Doors; the Mamas and the Papas; the Eagles; Carole King ‘13H; Joni Mitchell; Frank Zappa; Jimi Hendrix; Jackson Browne (who visited Berklee last year); Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young; and more. The event will showcase the work of legendary photographer Henry Diltz, who will host and narrate the concert.

The concert will be presented by more than 50 students, including an orchestra, vocalists, and arrangers, performing music from the Laurel Canyon scene of the late 1960s and early ‘70s—iconic songs that defined a generation. Among the highlights: a Mamas and the Papas retrospective, the Doors' "Riders on the Storm" and "Light My Fire" complete with orchestral arrangement, and Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" performed by acclaimed singer-songwriter and associate professor Melissa Ferrick.

Henry Diltz is one of American popular music's most noted photographers. With a concentration on the Laurel Canyon scene from the mid-1960s on, Diltz's vast catalog of photographs is essential to comprehending the significance of one of rock music’s most creative and colorful eras. With access to Laurel Canyon’s top musicians, knowledge of the area’s counterculture, and a photographic style best described as innocent, intimate, and intuitive, Diltz’s images artfully document a high water mark in rock history.

The BPC is located at 136 Massachusetts Avenue in Boston. Tickets to the Great American Songbook: Tribute to Laurel Canyon are $8 in advance or $12 on the day of the show. Tickets are available here, or by calling 617-747-2261, or via the BPC box office. The venue is wheelchair accessible. The concert is produced by Rob Rose, vice president for special programs, with musical direction by Ken Zambello, professor of ensembles.