Troubadours

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, now emerging as the center of the American music scene. Their epicenter for self-expression became an old beatnik folk club and a fitting name: The Troubadour.

TROUBADOURS traces Carole King, James Taylor and the singer/songwriter scene during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The film also interweaves the intriguing story of the 'world famous' Troubadour club that cemented their musical legacy.

“The Troub” became the place for these songwriters to inspire (and be inspired), to strut, compete, carouse, and to love. Run by a mercurial impresario named Doug Weston, the Troubadour was, for a time, the hub of the LA music scene. Between 1968 and 1973, The Troubadour launched the performing careers of some of the best songwriters of their generation – and perhaps any generation: Carole King and James Taylor, as well as Jackson Browne, David Crosby, Joni Mitchell, Kris Kristofferson, Bonnie Raitt, Eagles and many others.

The inspiration for making a feature documentary grew out of a series of landmark reunion concerts Carole King & James Taylor played at the Troubadour in 2007, to mark the club’s 50th anniversary. And it's that enduring spirit of camaraderie and creativity that pervades TROUBADOURS, which chronicles the development of King and Taylor’s unique voices, while tracing the strong connective tissue between them, and the remarkable group of musicians and performers who played before, after, and alongside them. TROUBADOURS tells the story of when rock n' roll grew up.

“Watching the warmly nostalgic "Troubadours" is like going to a reunion of old friends.” (Kenneth Turan, L.A. Times)