On November 28th, BFF.fm hosted a slightly different kind of listening party. It was held in honor of one of the most posthumously beloved figures in San Francisco history: Sylvester.

Known for 1978’s disco dance floor anthem “(You Make Me Feel) Mighty Real,” he was a longtime fixture on the local scene as well, brushing shoulders and working with a whole host of other musical legends: the Pointer Sisters, Patti LaBelle, and more.

But before he was the toast of the disco world, he was a young adult with a love of jazz standards trying to live his best, fullest life in a city renowned for holding that promise. One day in August 1970, a 22-year-old Sylvester joined his friend Peter Mintun at a piano in Mintun’s house in Menlo Park and laid down some casual renditions of American classics. This past September, local keepers of lost recordings Dark Entries Records released those recordings in an album titled Private Recordings, August 1970.

In contrast to his flashy public persona, Private Recordings paints a picture of Sylvester as a wistful dreamer, practically a kid still, full of hope and possibly still unaware of just how talented he is. Listening to it – especially as a group, “seance style,” as Brontez Purnell described it – is a reverent, almost religious, experience. The tone is so personal – after all, he likely had no idea these recordings would ever be heard – it almost feels like something we, the audience, shouldn’t be listening to. But it adds an essential dimension to a towering figure whose legacy has started to morph from biography to myth. Jeanie Tracy, Sylvester’s former backup singer, agrees – “I’m trying to fight back tears and keep from crying because I can hear my friend again,” she said during the break between sides of the album.

Sylvester died in 1988. To help revive these recordings, and explain their significance as best they could in Sylvester’s absence, at BFF.fm’s listening party were local musician, writer, and all-around arts icon Brontez Purnell, Sylvester’s former backup singer Jeannie Tracy, and Dark Entries founder Josh Cheon.

During the listening portions of the night, there were lots of tapping feet and soft swaying in the audience as people communed with the album. Some standout songs from the record were:

“Stormy Weather”: “Stormy Weather” is probably the most recognizable tune on the album – that and “Happy Days Are Here Again” – and Sylvester more than does it justice. Purnell described Sylvester’s work as feeling “elemental” – to queer culture, to disco, to the Bay Area – and so it seems fitting he would go back to basics with such an American standard but, of course, find a way to make it his own.

“A Foggy Day”: Sylvester and Mintun work together on this one, and you can hear the closeness between the two as Mintun passes the song over to Sylvester after the first verses. A Gershwin classic that was a favorite of folks like Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland is turned into a sweet, serene duet between two friends.

“Happy Days Are Here Again”: Through all of Private Recordings, one thing that stands out is Sylvester’s ability to wring a bittersweetness out of what are thought of these days as breezy, carefree tunes. Sylvester’s slowed-down and slightly resigned delivery brings out the sadness of a song with such a title – it sounds like he doesn’t quite believe what he’s singing.

“Carioca”: This one is kind of obscure, but such a smart addition. During one of the panel discussions, Tracy mentioned the “purity of his voice” – but the infectiously jaunty “Carioca” also showcases the versatility of it. It's a clear example of how deftly he could interpret both mournful Billie Holiday ballads and exuberant expressions of love, joy, and power.