Simon & Garfunkel Issue ‘Live At Carnegie Hall 1969’ Digital EP

Out now is the digital EP, Simon & Garfunkel – Live At Carnegie Hall 1969. The just-released tracks have been issued in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the duo's final album, the chart-topping Bridge Over Troubled Water, which dropped on January 26th 1970.

According to the press release, “Recorded in November 1969 during a sold-out two-night run at New York's Carnegie Hall, this new four-song EP captures Simon & Garfunkel's live magic at the height of the folk-rock duo's massive popular success. (The collection) includes previously-unreleased early live versions of 'Bridge Over Troubled Water,' 'So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright,' 'The Boxer' and 'Song For The Asking.' The recordings from Carnegie Hall capture early performances of songs that Simon & Garfunkel were introducing in concert to their fans.”

Coincidentally, the Carnegie Hall tracks — which were recorded on November 27th and 28th, 1969 — were taped on the very same nights the Rolling Stones were performing at Madison Square Garden and taping their legendary Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out live collection.

Paul Simon has always been candid about how slow going his muse has been over the decades and how methodically he cared for his musical gifts: “The success of Simon & Garfunkel, which — I think that was early-1966. . . was 'The Sound Of Silence' was a hit. And that, really was a straight span of hits until we stopped in 1970 with Bridge Over Troubled Water. So, during that period of time, my songwriting developed. I began to study guitar with teachers and harmony, to start to pick up my craft in a more traditional way.”

Art Garfunkel performs on February 7th, 8th, and 9th at Vienna, Virginia's Wolf Trap.