With a new album out and a New York-based band in place, Billy Joel was starting to heat up in 1976. His show at the Bottom Line in Manhattan on June 10th of that year is the proof.

The album, Turnstiles, had just come out a few weeks prior. And the orchestra, as Billy was now calling the band, had been on the road for just over two months. 

The performance was simulcast on seven radio stations, leaving listeners today with a crystal-clear document of the night. Billy and the band, now featuring Russell Javors and Howie Emerson on guitar, Doug Stegmeyer on bass, Richie Cannata on saxophone and organ, and Liberty DeVitto on drums, was a tight, well-oiled unit. 

The night featured a handful of songs from the then-new record as well as concert staples from Piano Man and Streetlife Serenade. Sonically, the band straddled the New York grit of Turnstiles with the west coast feel of the previous two records. 

These performances laid the groundwork for The Stranger in 1977, but a listen to this night reveals an energetic, fully-realized sound from a band hungry for success. 

Join us as we dig deep into Live at The Bottom Line 1976. 

Live remastered audio courtesy of Jamie Tate.

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Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing

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