Nothing's sacred anymore

Chicago Tribune: February 9, 1994

By Greg Kot

 Guitarist Jeff Buckley offers up his secrets in a dynamic debut

  Trudging out of a blizzard, heads fogged in by the weather, listeners found sanctuary, hot coffee and a lot more at a Wrigleyville hole in the wall called Uncommon Ground Monday.

  It was at this unlikely location, in front of a pastry counter and accompanied by the whir of a cappuccino machine, that Californian Jeff Buckley made his Chicago musical debut, and it was a stunner.

  The singer, 27 going on 17 judging from his boyish appearance, paused only to regale a hardy band of listeners with a rambling tale of his first night in a tough part of town a couple of years ago.

  It was the one moment when Buckley came up for air. Otherwise, he was a study in rapture, riding a spectacular multi-octive voice and an electric guitar from one musical peak to the next.

  The son of the gifted folk-soul singer Tim Buckley, who died of a drug overdose in 1975, Jeff Buckley shares with his father an almost shameless willingness to share his most intimate longings and secrets. His voice breaks into androgynous squeals and erotic moans as though as though possessed, and he's got lyrics to match.

  But even though the music seemed utterly spontaneous, as though it were being made up in the moment, Buckley also brought an unerring pitch and dynamic control to his performance. Clearly, he's no newcomer.

  Indeed, after moving to New York from California in 1991, Buckkley has been a fixture in the East Village coffee club scene, where he was recently signed by Columbia Records (his debut album will be released in the spring).

  Over two hours, the singer's catholic taste became readily apparent. In an original like "Eternal Life" he pushed an ancient blues riff hard, wailing in torment. Even better was "Forget Her," in which the singer rushed from whispers to falsetto pleadings over the girl who "was heartache from the moment you met her."

  In two songs associated with Edith Piaf, "Je n'en connais pas la fin" and "Hymn to Love," Buckley's tender voice was caressed by the harp-like gentleness of his guitar playing. And on Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," not just the singer but the entire room seemed lost in reverie.

  Buckley can be heard again Wednesday at Schubas, opening for Joe Henry.