A piano prodigy with a gloriously clear soprano voice, Judy Collins was among the few traditional folk singers of the early 1960s that would successfully transcend that era. Collins was a gifted interpreter with a keen ear for musicianship and songwriting. On her 1966 album, In My Life, she began expanding her traditional folk repertoire to include material by the likes of Leonard Cohen and Randy Newman. The following year she scored her first crossover hit with her cover of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now," a year prior to Mitchell releasing her own first album. Collins’ ability to…entire summary

Judy Collins - lead vocals, acoustic guitar, piano
Richard Bell - piano
Marc Horowitz - pedal steel, guitar
Gene Taylor - bass
Donnie Brooks - harmonica
Bo Siegel - drums, percussion
Steve Mandell - guitar

A piano prodigy with a gloriously clear soprano voice, Judy Collins was among the few traditional folk singers of the early 1960s that would successfully transcend that era. Collins was a gifted interpreter with a keen ear for musicianship and songwriting. On her 1966 album, In My Life, she began expanding her traditional folk repertoire to include material by the likes of Leonard Cohen and Randy Newman. The following year she scored her first crossover hit with her cover of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now," a year prior to Mitchell releasing her own first album. Collins’ ability to recognize timeless material and songwriters before their time was again confirmed in 1968, when she covered Sandy Denny's "Who Knows Where The Time Goes" and made it the title track of another hit album. Collins also began introducing her own original material, and although not a prolific songwriter, her compositions had depth and thought provoking power, much like the songwriters she admired.

This partial recording of Judy Collins performing before an entranced outdoor audience at the Music Inn during the summer of 1973 captures a truly remarkable sequence of her performance that evening. Featuring four of the finest songs she ever covered and two of her most beloved originals, this will not only be a delight to fans, but a perfect touchstone for the burgeoning listener.

The recording begins with the lovely "Song For Judith," one of Collins’ own compositions, followed by the sad and haunting Ian Tyson classic "Four Strong Winds." Countless musicians have covered this timeless song about a lover about to move on and Collins' version is deservedly considered one of the greatest. "Chelsea Morning" follows, another fine example of Collins covering Joni Mitchell.

These first three songs were also recorded for Collins 1971 live album, Living, but the remaining three songs were not and will be of particular interest to fans. The next two songs both derive from her 1968 Who Knows Where The Time Goes album. The languid ballad, "My Father," the sole original on that album, is where Collins began displaying her songwriting abilities. An early champion of Leonard Cohen, Collins’ interpretation of "Bird On A Wire" proves her to be one of his best interpreters. Only Cohen himself is as masterful at bringing the mystical content of the lyrics to life as well as Collins does here. The recording closes with Collins extraordinary reading of Jacques Brel's magical "Sons Of," displaying just how broad her range of material had become.

 collapse