The Birchmere will be graced with Livingston Taylor, an artist who is sadly not very well-known for anything other than that one time he hit number 30 on the charts with “I Will Be in Love with You,” this coming Thursday. Some people will look at him and just see the great James Taylor’s brother, and, while they share the same North Carolina twang and stand with a similar stature, Livingston’s talent is not one to be overlooked.
Taylor shares the old folk tradition of sitting in front of an audience on a stool with a guitar and just telling a story. At times, his music screams folk and yet his music holds facets of jazz and pop, as well as gospel. While all these genres are prevalent in his music, the charm of folk rings the most true. His music is honest and yearns to send a message that is at certain times astute and other times just plain amusing. He doesn’t care if people like it or if people even stop to listen.
But hopefully they do because to Livingston Taylor, performing and playing music seems to be a conversation. Everything blends together from one song to the next like a swift change of topic that no one notices happened. On stage, he’ll strum a few chords and just talk to people. He will point out people in the audience and have a conversation with them, all the while he never stops strumming. His personality and his charisma are as much a part of his performance as his music and the audience means everything to him.
Each song is like an exchange of ideas — it shows the music he’s heard that has influenced him, and his performance is his way of sharing what he finds great in music with other people. His songs are full of anecdotes and insights into both his life and life in general.
Taylor currently teaches at Berklee College of Music and, judging by the way he performs, one can only imagine he would be a brilliant teacher. The way he communicates ideas and explains concepts in his music is both eloquent and clear, and his passion is inspiring. He loves people, evident in any recording of him and even more so in person.
Livingston Taylor wants to tell people what’s on his mind and he wants to do it through song. He believes in the power of music. His show is not one to miss for anyone who loves the idea of a casual folk experience or is interested in a musical conversation.
thescene@theeagleonline.com
