The lack of space on the stage at New York’s City Vineyard gave Eric Andersen little reason for pause Monday night. He just lined up his guest musicians in the audience at the record release concert at for his Sony Legacy/Real Gone compilation The Essential Eric Andersen, which covers music he recorded for Columbia, Arista, Warner Bros., Smithsonian Folkways and others between 1964 and 2010. Joining Anderson, who spent more than two hours covering his history from 1965’s “Dusty Box Car Wall” up to a new song he recently recorded, were, from left, guitarist Lenny Kaye, saxophonist Robert Aaron, Jayhawks member and Legacy exec John Jackson and guitarist Steve Addabbo. The well-traveled folk musician, who told tales about Rick Danko, Lord Byron and Lou Reed between affecting performances of “Blue River,” “Violets of Dawn” and “You Can’t Relive the Past,” is heading out on a 17-city tour that stops at McCabe’s in Santa Monica on 5/5.