Eric spent most of the year working on a new album (what would eventually be released as Pilgrim) and the techno / electronic album Retail Therapy. He embarked on a short, adventurous jazz tour with “Legends” that featured Marcus Miller, Steve Gadd, Joe Sample and David Sanborn. The 11 date tour took in the major European jazz festivals. At the end of the year, Eric travelled to Japan to try out some new material in the live arena.
A bootleg collection for 1997 should include at least one representative show from Eric’s Jazz tour. These discs are the best recordings for 1997:
Gods Meeting: Legends (Blues Note Records / SB6)
Legends: Monotheistic Stages (Zig Zag / quality)
These recordings are of the opening night of the jazz tour. The music is a bit rough around the edges, but the sound quality of the recording is top notch. Monotheistic Stages also includes the band’s performance at the Gasteiz Jazz Festival in Vittoria, Spain on 17 July.
Crossing Over Festival (EC Is Here / SB6)
Recorded at the stop in Vienna, Austria on 8 July. A solid performance from one of the first dates by Legends.
Legends At The North Sea Jazz Festival (label unknown / 5)
Recorded on 11 July 1997, this good audience recording is a complete Legends show. This was perhaps the best show of the tour and includes a fantastic jam with Robert Cray. There are great solos on “Peeper”. A sonically superior recording of this show is available as Snakes - The Legends (EC Is Here - DJ Copy). The only drawback? It’s missing the jam with Robert Cray.
Armani Compilation (label / quality)
Of note as one can hear the musical experimentation taking place in the recording studio. This project lead to Eric’s anonymous effort (TDF / Retail Therapy), which served as “research and development” for Pilgrim (1998).
1027-97 ECB Live At The Budokan Hall (EC is Here / SB6)
Change The World Tour / White’o Room’o (No Smoker / SB6)
Recorded on 27 October 1997 from the Japanese Direct TV broadcast, these are truly excellent recordings. The concert featured the only performance of “White Room” during the tour. Note that “Pilgrim” and “Broken Hearted” are missing, as they did not air. The set list consisted of then-unreleased Pilgrim material, blues, and hits. A complete audience recording of this night can be found on discs nine and ten of the box set On Guitar & Vocals, Me (Jungle Tiger / 6). See the “box sets” section for complete details.
Japan Tour ‘97 / Last Night (Mobile Reality Sound Lab / 5)
This is an incredible audience recording from the final night of the Far East Tour (31 October 1997). It is the complete show. Unusually, Eric is quite talkative. This tour featured several Pilgrim tracks prior to their release and it is interesting to hear their early live arrangements. Believe it or not, a slightly better recording of this show can be found on discs 15 and 16 of the box set On Guitar & Vocals, Me (Jungle Tiger / 6). See the “box sets” section for complete details.
Where’s ERIC! does not encourage or condone the manufacture of bootleg recordings. They are illegal and artists do not receive royalties from their sale. However, Where’s ERIC! realizes that there are fans who collect these recordings. In that spirit, information about them is provided for fans’ research and guidance purposes. Where’s ERIC! does not sell, trade or provide free copies of bootleg recordings nor can we tell you how to obtain them.
