#120 JEFF BUCKLEY - Knitting Factory, New York 1997 (Flac)

Knitting Factory, New York, NY.
Tuesday 4 February, 1997

The most recent official Jeff Buckley release "You And I" appeared in early 2016. It comprised of session recordings discovered by Sony as they sought to compile material for a 20th anniversary re-release of Grace in 2014. They were recorded at Steve Addabbo's West 21st Street, New York studio, over two solo eight-hour sessions in early February 1993. Further recordings with back up musicians followed at the Knitting Factory in May, and these were stored together with the test session tape in Columbia's archives.

I had considered the 'Grace' sessions for this post but I could see difficulties with take down notices emerging if I had posted it and I don't wish to upload butchered bootlegs. (ie. those stripped of 1, 2 or 3 official tracks etc.) 

Therefore I have gone for this live performance, we move on to Tuesday 4 February 1997. It would be Jeff's last solo performance in New York, part of the 10th Anniversary celebrations at the Knitting Factory, the downtown club where he had performed early in his career. Struggling with sound problems affecting his guitar and telling the audience that his voice was "shot" he nevertheless turned in a fascinating and important performance over a short seven-song set. There is a sparse raw feeling to the music, playing mostly new tracks; Jeff was also accompanied by his former band mate Gary Lucas on a live version of 'Grace'.

A week later Jeff and his band would fly to Memphis to continue the ill-fated Easley sessions with Tom Verlaine. These newer songs would appear in a more finished version on the official release '(Sketches For) My Sweetheart The Drunk'. This bootleg has five songs that would appear in a more complete style on that posthumous release. The sparse sound here focuses the spotlight on Jeff's incredible voice. 

Whenever I play Everybody Here Wants You to friends or relatives, who are not familiar with Jeff's music, the reaction is always the same "What a great voice" or "What a great song"

Jeff drowned while swimming in the Mississippi river on 29 May, 1997. His second album provisionally titled 'My Sweetheart The Drunk' was unfinished. 

Listen to this and acquire '(Sketches For) My Sweetheart The Drunk' for a more complete view of his post 'Grace' work.

01. Lover You Should've Come Over (8:07)
02. Jewel Box (5:41)
03. Morning Theft (4:29)
04. Grace (feat. Gary Lucas)* (6:43)
05. The Sky is A Landfill (7:11)
06. Everybody Here Wants You (5:27)
07. Yard Of Blonde Girls (4:57)

Total running time: 42:35

SOURCE
Soundboard recording
Lineage: Flac > CDr > EAC (sec. mode) > Wav > Flac
Uploaded to Dime in 2005


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