The Madison Tapes unearth Bob Dylan performances on two open-reel audio tapes recorded at the apartment of folk and blues musician Danny Kalb in Madison, Wisconsin, circa winter 1960–1961.
Dylan was making his way from Minnesota to Greenwich Village. Approximately 90 minutes long, the first tape captures the 19-year-old Dylan performing more than 20 songs, including six Woody Guthrie tunes and classics by Jimmie Rodgers, the Stanley Brothers, Little Walter, Pete Seeger and Big Bill Broonzy.
The proceedings were recorded by musician Jeff Chase.
Revealed on a second reel is the Madison Party Tape, a home recording of Dylan and friends performing folk songs at a social gathering, also recorded circa winter 1960–1961. The recordings on both tapes clarify a critical gap in Dylan’s history, shedding important light on his development as an artist.
