#48 "Dink's Song" by Jeff Buckley

Though there have been scores of musicians who have died sadly young, the greatest of those losses might have been Jeff Buckley. He was an immensely talented artist whose two albums barely scratched the surface of what it seemed he was capable of. His first release, "Grace," is considered by many to be a masterpiece and "Sketches for my Sweetheart the Drunk," his left-unfinished follow-up, hinted at the many other directions this unique performer could have taken had he lived longer. His music showed Jeff's interests in everything from rock to blues to jazz to metal and even hindu. Listening to Jeff Buckley's music is a rewarding yet frustrating experience. As amazingly good as it often gets, there just isn't going to be any more of it.

Jeff Buckley honed his chops in little clubs around NYC. His favorite was a little Irish cafe in the East Village called Sin-e. It was there that Buckley said he learned how to be a performer, playing mostly cover songs before small crowds. As you can hear from "Dink's Song," the energy of these shows was incredible and before he knew it, record executives were showing up to sign him to a major label. Jeff's two formal releases show off some polished studio production, but the recorded shows from Sin-e really show his versatility as a singer, guitar-player, and interpreter of other peoples' work. The two disc Legacy Edition, released by Sony in 2003, is a feast for the ears.

"Dink's Song" is a traditional ballad first recorded by folk musicologist Alan Lomax in the early 1900's. Dink was a black lady in a negro camp off the shores of the Brazos River in Texas who was well-known for her singing prowess. Lomax coaxed this tune out of her one day, and recorded the lament of a woman whose man is no where to be found. The song was passed down through the years and even recorded by a young Bob Dylan for his debut album. I'd gather that Buckley, who was a big Dylan fan, first heard "Dink's Song" on the famed "Minnesota Hotel Tapes," a bootleg of early Dylan recordings.

Buckley's version of "Dink's Song" clocks in at just over eleven minutes. It starts out slowly and builds to an awesome and intense climax. Jeff's voice and playing keep getting louder and louder. Around the four minute mark you can hear things speeding up. When you're about eight minutes into it, when he sings "When a woman gets in trouble..." it's at an exhilarating pace. The song ends with Buckley screaming "Fare thee well" and wailing over the rhythm of the guitar. It's literally exhausting and you can hardly turn away from the performance. It must have been thrilling to see.

"Dink's Song" is from the album "Live at Sin-e: The Legacy Edition." To hear the song, click on the icon in the widget jukebox along the side of the blog.