By Danielle Davey
“Sweet Caroline (Bah! Bah! Bah!), good times never seemed so good (So good! So good! So good!)” The mood-boosting hit always gets people of all ages on their feet, turning a party into a singalong. But while Neil Diamond’s velvety baritone voice is easy to recognise, emulating it convincingly is a challenge. Langwarrin resident Jason Taylor has nailed it, prompting listeners to do a double-take.
Jason and his 10-piece band are taking audiences on a journey through 60 years of timeless classics with The Neil Diamond Story: Song Sung Blue Tour, including a show at the Frankston Arts Centre in mid-April. He doesn’t pretend to assume the appearance of Diamond but, with his swagger and uncannily similar voice, it’s a point soon overlooked.
In 1970s Australia, the album Hot August Night could be found in one in four households. Jason’s was one of them. His father, a trombone player with an extensive vinyl collection, cultivated in his family a love of all styles of music. Jason remembers his brother and him defiantly disregarding their dad’s warnings not to touch his records; it’s where he heard the voices that would influence his career as a singer.
Around the local pub circuit in the 1990s, Jason fronted a cover band called Spin, who were regulars at Frankston’s Pink Pelican Bar on weekends. At one point the group were performing five nights a week, their gigs extending to the CBD and including stints at Crown Casino.
After a hiatus from performing – working in the car industry while raising his two daughters with his wife – Jason returned to the touring circuit last year. Sellout performances at RSLs, golf clubs and Mount Eliza’s Ranelagh Club encouraged the idea of a larger-scale Neil Diamond tour.
After months of rehearsal with the Hot August Night band and back-up singers including the Diamond Sisters – Sweet Caroline Hawke, Tracy Tuhakaraina, and Donna McConville, who worked on John Farnham’s A Touch of Paradise – Jason is playing to packed venues across the state until the end of August.
In support of Parkinson’s Awareness Month in April, Jason’s tour is partnering with the Shake It Up Foundation, donating $5 a ticket to Parkinson’s research. It’s a poignant cause: Diamond was diagnosed with the world’s fastest-growing neurological disease in 2018.
Combining music and storytelling, Jason’s show is a visually striking production with a changing backdrop of emotive video imagery complementing each song. Don’t miss the opportunity to sing along to a catalogue of classics, including Crunchy Granola Suite, Solitary Man, Cracklin’ Rosie and Cherry, Cherry.
For coming performances, check the Facebook page @Jason Taylor’s The Neil Diamond Story or visit diamondproductions.com.au
