“I interpret a lot of Paul Simon’s songs on piano but I play a good amount of acoustic guitar in this show,” said Cavanaugh, who began playing guitar around age 11. “Paul’s songwriting is incredible, including his songs with Art Garfunkel, but we’re also honing in on Neil Diamond, an artist that has always meant a lot to me, and James Taylor. I’m known as a piano man but it’s nice to stretch out and spread my wings a little bit.”
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Saturday’s concert is a reflection of Cavanaugh’s journey through the decades playing nightclubs and piano bars in Cleveland, Orlando and Las Vegas among others.
“I’ve always performed the music of all three of them,” he said. “I’ve always been a fan of all of them and it’s a lot of fun playing these songs with a symphony, especially ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water,’ ‘Sweet Caroline,’ ‘Fire and Rain’ and ‘You Can Call Me Al.’ It’s a big range of songs.”
In addition to the variety the setlist provides, there is an underlying thread among the trio that connects their roots.
“When you think about how Paul Simon, James Taylor and Neil Diamond started, it was with a folky, acoustic (sensibility), a guy with a guitar in his hand,” Cavanaugh said. “As their careers went forward, a lot of variety happened. For example, Paul Simon’s ‘Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard’ is a fun, happy songs whereas ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ or ‘The Sound of Silence’ will make people cry. Similarly, James Taylor’s ‘Fire and Rain’ will make people cry whereas ‘How Sweet It Is’ is fun. Most of the Neil Diamond songs we do are fun like ‘Forever and Blue Jeans’ and ‘I’m A Believer.’ And if you can’t get the crowd going with ‘Sweet Caroline’ it’s going to be a long night.”
Acknowledging nostalgia is key, Cavanaugh, a child of the ‘80s, hopes audiences are eager to spend a spring evening reflecting on an era when great songwriting was king.
“It’s the storytelling,” he said. “There are great artists in every era. I love Chris Stapleton, who is considered country today but I think if he came out in the ‘70s he’d be considered a classic rock guy. In my opinion, the ‘70s were the Golden Age of songwriting. When I think of the songs that really resonant with me, lyrically, most of them are from the ‘70s.”
HOW TO GO
What: Michael Cavanaugh: The Music of Paul Simon, James Taylor and Neil Diamond
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Schuster Center, 1 W. Second St., Dayton
Cost: $14.50-$121.50
More info: Call 937-228-3630 or visit daytonperformingarts.org/production/michael-cavanaugh/
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