Melissa Manchester Melissa Manchester Live '77 (2-CD)

(Real Gone) 21 tracks

1977 was a tumultuous year for Melissa Manchester. The singer-songwriter toured the arenas and amphitheaters of North America with Leo Sayer during the summer before launching a solo tour in the fall that caught the attention of none other than Bob Dylan, who was performing in Minneapolis. Melissa played Carnegie Hall, appeared on television specials, filmed a memorable commercial with Ella Fitzgerald and released her sixth album, Singin.

But even that wasn't all. On October 30, 1977 in Gainesville, Florida's Great Southern Music Hall, Melissa recorded her first live album. The electrifying result, in the form of a double album, features her accompanied by a seven-piece band of rock, R&B and jazz veterans in front of an enthusiastic college audience.

The band includes saxophonist Tom Saviano, bassist Bill Bodine and drummer Art Rodriguez (Rickie Lee Jones, Manhattan Transfer). But Arista Records then shockingly shelved the album, where it went unheard.... - until now!