Jeff Buckley’s earliest New York performances will return in a newly expanded edition of Live At Sin-é in February 2026. The reissue revisits the intimate East Village shows that first introduced Buckley to a wider audience. Recorded in a cramped Lower East Side cafe, the performances captured an artist still defining his voice, his approach, and his relationship with an audience.
When Buckley arrived in New York in 1991, he gravitated towards Sin-é, a small cafe known for late night sets and open minded crowds. With only an electric guitar, Buckley delivered emotionally direct performances that blended originals with adventurous covers. Those nights became legendary, not because of scale, but because of intensity and risk.
The original Live At Sin-é EP was released in 1993 and marked Buckley’s debut for Columbia Records. It was his first commercial release, issued before his studio album Grace. The EP introduced his ability to shift from whispered vulnerability to soaring vocal peaks within a single song. It also revealed his eclectic taste and improvisational instincts.
The 2026 reissue expands that original four track release into a deluxe 2CD set. The package comes in standard CD packaging and includes an eight page full colour booklet. The booklet features photos and liner notes that place the performances in their historical setting. The expanded edition documents a developing artist in real time.
These recordings preserve Buckley’s early interpretations of songs that later became central to his legacy. Live versions of Grace and Last Goodbye appear alongside his now famous reading of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. Each performance reflects Buckley’s willingness to stretch songs beyond their original structures.
Sin-é was a meeting place for writers and musicians drawn to experimentation. Buckley’s extended monologues between songs reveal his humour, his influences, and his restless curiosity. These spoken moments remain an essential part of the listening experience, offering context rather than interruption.
Several songs on Live At Sin-é later appeared on Grace, released in 1994. Hearing them in this raw form shows how Buckley shaped material on stage before committing it to tape. Tracks such as Mojo Pin and Eternal Life demonstrate how his live arrangements could be more confrontational than their studio counterparts.
The expanded edition presents more than two hours of music across two discs, sequenced to reflect the flow of Buckley’s original sets.
Buckley’s death in 1997 cut short a career that had only begun to register its impact. Releases like Live At Sin-é have since become essential listening for understanding his artistry. This reissue does not attempt to polish the performances. Instead, it preserves their fragility and spontaneity.
The Complete Live At Sin-é Tracklisting
CD1
Be Your Husband
Lover, You Should’ve Come Over
Mojo Pin
Monologue – Duane Eddy, Songs for Lovers
Grace
Monologue Reverb, The Doors
Strange Fruit
Night Flight
If You Knew
Monologue – Fabulous Time for a Guinness
Unforgiven (Last Goodbye)
The Twelfth of Never
Monologue – Cafe Days
Monologue – Eternal Life
Eternal Life
Just Like a Woman
Monologue – False Start, Apology, Miles Davis
Calling You
CD2
Monologue – Nusrat, He’s My Elvis
Yeh Jo Halka Saroor Hae
Monologue – I’m a Ridiculous Person
If You See Her, Say Hello
Monologue – Matt Dillon, Hollies, Classic Rock Radio
Dink’s Song
Monologue – Musical Chairs
Drown In My Own Tears
Monologue – The Suckiest Water
The Way Young Lovers Do
Monologue – Walk Through Walls
Je N’en Connais Pas La Fin
I Shall Be Released
Sweet Thing
Monologue – Good Night Bill
Hallelujah
Jeff Buckley The Complete Live At Sin-é will be released on 14 February 2026.
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