Bonnie Bramlett - vocals; Ricky Hirsch - guitar; Allen Kaatz - guitar; Robert Wilson - bass; Rick Allen Sutherland - piano, organ; Big John Thomassie - drums; Patty Smith, Carolyn Brandt - backing vocals
This, the second of two shows recorded at New York's famed Bottom Line club on Bonnie Bramlett's 1978 comeback tour, lacks the fire and intensity of the early show (also available at Wolfgang's) but is definitely a worthwhile listen, nonetheless.
The band sounds tighter on this set, but Bramlett's vocals aren't nearly as strong as on the early show, nor is she as talkative with the audience. There are more songs performed on the later show, however, and not all the tunes are the same in both shows. Among the highlights on this recording is her take on "Two Steps From The Blues," originally written by James Brown for the Bobby Blue Bland.
Oddly enough, the last time Bonnie Bramlett made headlines would come one year after this show was recorded, when, while on tour with Stephen Stills, she got into an argument with newcomer Elvis Costello in a hotel bar. When Costello insulted Ray Charles in front of Bramlett (reportedly calling him "an ignorant nigger"), she punched Costello in the jaw and knocked him down.
Luckily, some of that fire is captured in certain moments on this recording - listen in for a feel.