Bob Dylan - The Minneapolis Hotel Tape & The Gaslight Café (2012)

"Further to BDA's previous collections (Carnegie Hall & The Minnesota Party Tape) comes the third album in the 1961 series of rare and previously unreleased Dylan material, this time showcasing an early stint at the infamous Gaslight Cafe in NYC's Greenwich Village, and the December recordings made at his friend Bonnie Beecher's apartment back in Minnesota - the same venue that witnessed the 'Party Tape' in May of the same year. Dylan played the Gaslight a number of times but this particular performance is one of only two for which any recordings exist - it is believed to be the set he played there on 6th September '61. Bonnie Beecher's apartment (aka the Minneapolis Hotel) was a regular stopping off point for Bob on his way home to visit his parents in Hibbing, and while there he would often play in front of old college friends. This recording was made a few days before Christmas - on 22nd December 1961- en route to spending the festivities with his folks. The recording here features all the known songs that were recorded, except those the 5 that have previously been released by Sony on various of the Official Bootleg Series or on the Highway 61 cd-rom. Both recordings here feature the very best sound recordings known to exist making this CD both a hugely important historical document and a delightful collection of Bob Dylan's earliest work."