Live from Laurel Canyon features the music of James Taylor and Joni Mitchell in Beaver Creek performance

The idea for “Live from Laurel Canyon” emerged in 2012, as singer and songwriter Brian Chartrand worked on covers for his gigs on cruise ships. As he researched more deeply, he uncovered the connections, stories and vast songs of legendary musicians who lived in Laurel Canyon from 1965 to 1976, including The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Carole King, James Taylor, the Mamas & the Papas, Joni Mitchell, Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Eagles, Jim Morrison, Neil Young, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Brown and more. Saturday, he and his band present the music and stories of Taylor and Mitchell at the Vilar Performing Arts Center.

As a fan of shows like VH1’s “Behind the Music” and “Storytellers,” Chartrand read books and watched documentaries, interviews and video clips related to the history of the renowned Southern California locale and realized “there’s a show here,” he said.

“I was blown away that there seemed to be this very clear thread between the artists and socially what was going on in the U.S. and globally,” he said.

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He pulled in his local band and debuted “Live from Laurel Canyon” in 2013. Placing the emphasis on folk rock — a genre he loves — he put together a multimedia show, complete with stories that provide greater insight into the artists.

“The thing that sets this show apart is that we don’t dress up in period costumes, and we don’t try to play the songs exactly like the recordings,” he said. “It’s a celebration of this music, giving the audience a new take, potentially, on it and sharing the stories and the context with the multimedia. The music, stories and multimedia play together really well to create an immersive experience. It’s like an immersive documentary.”

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Old photos and video footage of the legendary musicians add context to the songs.

“It helps to put a picture literally in people’s minds. Seeing visuals from that era can send people back,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun. People really have ownership — they come up to me after the show and say, ‘This is my music,’ and I say, ‘This is my music, too.’ It’s very personal, (and) it’s a community event.”

During the Taylor/Mitchell show, the audience will hear stories about how each became songwriters, their early inspirations, how their brief romantic relationship led to songwriting and what they were doing when they wrote the songs. For instance, Mitchell was in Europe when she wrote “Blue,” after her relationship ended with Graham Nash.

“It’s filled with anecdotes — some are more factual than others,” Chartrand said, adding, “the band really gives these songs new life. Some sound true to the recorded versions, and others, we reinterpret some.”

As a huge fan of Taylor’s, he kept digging deeper into his catalogue.

“As a young kid who was literally finding his voice, James Taylor was a voice I could sing. I listened to Freddie Mercury and Prince, but I couldn’t sing like them. (Taylor’s music) encouraged me to sing in that register and in that tone,” he said, adding that he saw his first Taylor concert in 1986. “He’s just always been my guy.”

The show begins with the first song Taylor performed in front of Paul McCartney and George Harrison in order to become the first American to be signed to The Beatles’ record label, Apple Records. It also highlights Mitchell’s first record, which David Crosby produced.

“After researching Joni, I was intrigued by her incredible songwriting. Her chord-voicing is more jazz (influenced), while James is a classic, folk-based singer-songwriter. Joni comes at it from a little more complexity, musically, with her time signatures and melodies that are just a little more challenging,” he said.

He said fans of their music will thoroughly enjoy the show.

“The band is incredible, the songs are diverse and you get to hear the context and the ‘why’ (for the songs),” he said. “It makes you listen in a new way.”