Barbra Streisand Live At The Bon Soir CD

In 1960, Barbra entered a weekly talent contest at The Lion, a Greenwich Village nightclub. Barbra won the contest (1st prize - $50 + dinner).  Barbra had never had a singing lesson and thought of herself as an actress who could sing, not as a singer.

After a few more performances, The Lion’s manager suggested Barbra audition at a “swanky” club around the corner called the Bon Soir. Barbra’s initial run was meant to be for two weeks, but she was such a hit that her run was extended to eleven weeks and then continued into 1962.  The New York Times described Barbra as “a startlingly young, stylish, new vibrant-voiced gamin.”

Barbra’s performances at the Bon Soir led to her contract at Columbia Records, signed on October 1, 1962. In November 1962, Columbia Records recorded three nights of shows at the Bon Soir, intending to release the live recordings as Barbra’s first album.  However, the mix didn’t seem to capture the electricity that had ignited the club performances.  Instead, Barbra went into the studio and recorded the tracks that would become her debut album The Barbra Streisand Album - which earned Barbra three Grammys including Album of the Year!

The live LP Columbia had envisioned as Barbra’s label debut was shelved — for 60 years.

The album has now been remixed to capture the essence of the nightclub shows.  Absolutely nothing about Barbra’s sterling vocals has been altered - but today’s modern state-of-the-art mixing equipment now gives listeners “the best seat in the house.”