Peter Isaacson – Sings The Songs Of… Dylan-Donovan-Lightfoot-Hardin And Others – Vinyl LP

One voice, one guitar, one tranquilized trip

Isaacson’s voice is rich and warm, with hints of weary and optimism. His delivery, reminiscent of Gordon Lightfoot or Cat Stevens, holds steady against the backdrop of his textured and restrained guitar playing. An interpreter of sound, his takes on these familiar originals are introspective, well thought variations that he truly makes his own. Fresh from the attic of the acid archives, this first ever reissue of this ‘71 gem features unissued selections from the original ‘60s session!

The story of Peter Isaacson and how this album came to be starts back in 1960s Wichita, Kansas, the place where Isaacson learned to play music and began himself a career as a folk musician and singer. By 1967, lured by the folkie scene that dominated New York City’s Greenwich Village, Peter made the move from the small town to the big city and soon found himself working as the house performer at Gerde’s Folk City, an establishment well known on the folk circuit as the place where “little Bobby Dylan worked making sandwiches” while starting his own career. It was here that Isaacson was provided the opportunity to play with the likes of Phil Ochs, The Blues Project, and Ian & Sylvia.

In 1968 Peter Isaacson made a return to Wichita and was invited to record the very songs he played on a nightly basis during his residency at Gerde’s, not only the songs of Bob Dylan, Donovan, Gordon Lightfoot, and Tim Hardin, but the songs of other popular folk artists of the 1960s, including Joni Mithcell and Leonard Cohen, as well as folk scene influencers like Willie Dixon and Blind Willie Johnson. This expanded edition of Isaacson’s debut album finally sees reissue over 50 years after its original release!