Dream Letter (Double CD)
It's been said that Tim Buckley was the most powerful singer of his generation.  Even if that appraisal forgets Bob Dylan, this two-disc set makes a hell of a defense.  At the very least his voice could do things few could:  it soared beyond any familiar register and held notes long past the breaking point.  He had learned from jazz vocalists like Sarah Vaughn, but he put technical prowess into the service of a strange, trancelike state.  On this evening, before a hushed, receptive audience, he seemed to be composing visionary poetry with every vocal surge.  His band created anAstral Weeks-like sound, and included Lee Underwood on guitar, David Friedman on vibes, and Danny Thompson on bass.  They follow his every subtle and explosive turn with effortless energy.--Ray Francis Kasten