Lately, multi-disc box sets became if not the norm then the offering that doesn’t raise brows, yet the 19CD collection of Sandy Denny‘s works made a lot of her fans gasp back in 2010 – only what was supposed to be the late great songstress’ complete anthology turned out not be as definitive. Over subsequent years, a few other archival tapes saw the light of day, and the latest of those appeared rather recently, which is quite surprising given how long the material released now as “Live & Solo: Ebbets Field, Denver, April 29th, 1973” circulated on bootlegs.
It’s a document of one of those performances which showed that Denny didn’t need musician friends to share the stage with in order to captivate the audience and that her songs and delivery were enough to turn an evening into enchanting night. On April 27th, 28th and 29th, 1973, her spell at the famous Colorado venue following the issue of the “Sandy” album, she accompanied herself on an acoustic 12-string guitar and piano – except on the a cappella take on “The Quiet Joys of Brotherhood” – and presented no less than four fresh pieces alongside three off her solo debut, “The North Star Grassman And The Ravens” from 1971. She also introduced an unrecorded number planned for her next endeavor – although it would be more than a year before “At The End Of The Day” landed on “Like An Old Fashioned Waltz” to leave the lady’s repertoire afterwards. The eight numbers made for a rather short experience, and here’s the reason why the new CD is augmented with five cuts from a FAIRPORT CONVENTION 1974 concert at the same place, when the band’s set included a smattering of material from their frontwoman’s own platters. A precious addition to any collection.
Live & Solo:
Ebbets Field, Denver,
April 29th, 1973
1. Late November
2. The Music Weaver
3. It Suits Me Well
4. Bushes And Briars
5. The Quiet Joys Of Brotherhood
6. The Sea Captain
7. At The End Of The Day
8. John The Gun
with FAIRPORT CONVENTION:
9. Matty Groves
10. Solo
11. It’ll Take A Long Time
12. Like An Old Fashioned Waltz
13. Down In The Flood
