Troubadours: The Rise of the Singer-Songwriter

Earlier this week American television channel PBS aired Troubadours: a first-hand account of the Seventies West Coast music scene, centred on Carole King and James Taylor's historic collaboration and the nightclub that nurtured a community of gifted young artists. It is available to view online at http://www.pbs.org.



In the wake of the turbulent 1960s, a new style of song and songwriter came to the fore - a style marked by vulnerable introspection and raw, naked emotion. Backed by little more than a lone acoustic guitar or simple piano, these exciting voices descended upon Los Angeles, the emerging epicenter of the American music scene, and the famed West Hollywood club, the Troubadour.

Troubadours is the intriguing story of the club and features contributions from Jackson Browne, David Crosby, Joni Mitchell, Kris Kristofferson, Bonnie Raitt, the Eagles, Elton John, Henry Diltz and many others.

Henry Diltz's incredible photographs of that era and the recollections of even more musicians and songwriters are beautifully presented in the recent signed limited edition book, CALIFORNIA DREAMING, with over 500 photographs and a 96,000-word text from 48 legendary contributors.



Left: Photographer Henry Diltz who captured the entire West Coast scene through his lens.