In a surprise move ahead of the holidays, KEXP DJ Marco Collins unearthed a nearly 30-minute live set on Thursday (December 23) by acclaimed singer Jeff Buckley—recorded more than 27 years ago.
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The set landed on YouTube not long after Collins dropped the music on his show’s set on the KEXP 90.3 FM broadcast in Seattle, Washington.
Prior to his radio show set, Collins posted on Facebook to preview the unveiling, saying, “TODAY at 5:30 pm on KEXP! About 26 years ago (Grace era) I engineered a 3 song acoustic set with Jeff Buckley from a studio here in Seattle before he played a legendary show at the King Kat Theater!
“Those tapes remained in storage for 20+ years and finally I got my shit together (-ish), got them out of storage, had them professionally mastered, and today on KEXP, I’m going to play them for the first time in two decades. The WHOLE SESSION. Soundcheck & Jeff goofing around in between songs, etc! No interview. Just pure brilliance.”
Collins, who American Songwriter talked with recently HERE, is one of two Seattle DJs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He rose to prominence in the ‘90s with the Emerald City radio station, The END 107.7. He is famed for breaking bands like Beck, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam.
Collins, who has been working for KEXP for a number of years now, was filling in for host Kevin Cole on the “Drive Time” show. (And while the YouTube link lists the unearthed Buckley set as live from KEXP, it was not recorded at KEXP.)
The Memphis-born Buckley sadly died in 1997 after drowning during a spontaneous evening swim, fully clothed. He was and is still known for being one of the best rock singers ever.
His cover of “Hallelujah” is considered one of the most beautiful popular music recordings of the 20th century. And his 1994 album, Grace, is a fan favorite.
Courtesy Jeff Buckley
