Uncovering Dylan Volume 4 (2024) CD Review

Bob Dylan has written an incredible amount of excellent songs over the years, and so it comes as no surprise that he’s been covered by a wide range of artists, from Bad Religion to The Band, from the Grateful Dead to Green Day, from Jimi Hendrix to Robyn Hitchcock, from Nina Simone to Emma Swift. In 2006, Paradiddle Records released a collection titled Bob Dylan Uncovered, which featured different artists performing some of their favorite Bob Dylan numbers, and a decade later released Bob Dylan Uncovered Vol. 2. In 2022, the third volume was released. That one was a bit different, as it featured some of the same musicians playing on multiple tracks. Now we are getting the fourth volume in the series, though the title has changed a bit for this new release. Rather than Bob Dylan Uncovered, this one is called Uncovering Dylan. This release goes back to the format of the first two volumes, in that there are different artists performing on each of the tracks, including groups like The Belle Curves and The Lucky Ones.

This disc opens with Mike Nugent & The Blue Moon Band covering “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere,” and putting their own spin on it, with that good rhythm which starts their rendition. This is a song that was first recorded by The Byrds, with Roger McGuinn famously mixing up a couple of words. Bob Dylan then referred to that mistake in his own version, and it’s that version that inspired this cover by Mike Nugent & The Blue Moon Band. They do a wonderful job with it. I particularly like the work on mandolin in the second half. Plus, it features both male and female vocalists, each taking different verses and delivering the chorus together. Toward the end they join forces for an extended section, delivering a verse together and then riffing on the chorus, and everything sounds great. This is a song that Michael Kessler also covers on his new album, Gravel Road. Things then get bluesy with Kerry Kearney & The Kings Of Psychedelta’s rendition of “Meet Me In The Morning,” a song from what is arguably Bob Dylan’s best album, Blood On The Tracks. This rendition is electric and features some strong work on guitar and some really nice stuff on organ, the band getting to jam a bit. I like how the guitar gets a chance to cut loose, particularly toward the end.

The Other Shoe covers “Sweetheart Like You,” a song from Dylan’s Infidels, an album that I still don’t own. It was also released as a single. Its main line is “What’s a sweetheart like you doing in a dump like this?” It has a rather sweet vibe, but there is a lot going on here lyrically, leading to several different interpretations as to the song’s meaning over the years. This rendition features a passionate vocal performance and some good work on keys. There is also good stuff on electric guitar, particularly as the song approaches its conclusion. Then Ray Lambiase delivers a thoughtful, slow, pretty rendition of “It Ain’t Me, Babe.” Kate Corrigan joins him on vocals, making it a duet. The pace and the way this song is presented really invite us to pay attention to the lyrics, to take a fresh look at them. Some of the lines are more striking in this rendition, such as these: “Go lightly on the ground/I’m not the one you want, babe/I’ll only let you down.” I love this rendition.

“Nobody ‘Cept You” is a song that I first heard when I got The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961-1991 set.  Tom Moran delivers an excellent rendition, delivered mainly on acoustic guitar, along with bass and keys. He plays all the instruments on this track. But it’s his heartfelt vocal delivery that makes this rendition so good. That’s followed by “One Of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later),” which comes from another of Dylan’s most beloved albums, Blonde On Blonde. This version by The Belle Curves begins in a sweet and pretty place, and builds from there until it suddenly bursts up to a different level, a wonderful moment. Singer Delaney Hafener gives a good and varied vocal performance here, making this track another of the disc’s highlights. Then from Nashville Skyline, Revolver chooses “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You,” the record’s closing number. These guys do a nice job with it. I especially like Eric Hammond’s work on piano.

“Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues” is a song from Highway 61 Revisited, one of the first Dylan albums I ever bought. It’s a song that I saw the Grateful Dead perform a few times, always a treat for those folks in the Phil Zone. The Lucky Ones deliver a wonderful rendition, featuring strong work on accordion and a great raw edge to the vocal performance. I like how they bring it down a bit for these lines: “Well, I started out on burgundy, but soon hit the harder stuff/Everybody said they’d stand behind me when the game got rough/The joke was on me, there was no one there to call my bluff.” This track also features some nice work on pedal steel. That’s followed by “Maggie’s Farm,” another song that the Grateful Dead used to cover. This song comes from Bringing It All Back Home, another of my early Dylan album purchases. Ken “The Rocket” Karb puts his own spin on this one. There is a rawness to this vocal performance too, and an interesting combination of instruments and sounds backing him. There are some bluegrass elements, such as fiddle and banjo and mandolin, and also a heavier edge in the guitar and bass work. The combination is very cool, and the track also features some really nice stuff on harmonica. On Bringing It All Back Home, Maggie’s Ma is “sixty-eight, but she says she’s fifty-four.” In this version, she says she’s twenty-four. Not sure she can pull that one off, but maybe. Dylan has delivered the twenty-four number in concert. This is another of the disc’s highlights.

The Locksmiths deliver a seriously enjoyable rendition of “Positively 4th Street” that includes horns, along with some good work on keys. This is a song that was released as a single by Bob Dylan, and included on Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits. The Locksmiths jam a bit at the end. Then we get a second song from Nashville Skyline, “Tell Me That It Isn’t True,” here done by The Lone Pine Radio boys. This track features a good vocal performance. When Frank SanPietro sings, “What I’d like you to do is tell me that it isn’t true,” I believe him. There is an honesty to this performance, and there is both hope and ache in his delivery, as he seems to be living the song. That’s followed by a second song from Highway 61 Revisited, “Ballad Of A Thin Man.” The version here has something of a different sound, with Dee Harris accompanying his own vocals on acoustic and electric guitars, a solo effort. There is a delicious raw power to this rendition which works perfectly. The album concludes with the most recent Bob Dylan song chosen for this release, “Things Have Changed,” which was featured in the movie Wonder Boys. A great song from a great movie. Ray Lambiase’s rendition might not have the same attitude as the original, but it’s still really good and features some strong work on guitar. This song is not included in the online version, only on the CD.  “People are crazy, times are strange/I’m locked in tight, I’m out of range/I used to care, but things have changed.”

CD Track List

1. You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere – Mike Nugent & The Blue Moon Band
2. Meet Me In The Morning – Kerry Kearney & The Kings Of Psychedelta
3. Sweetheart Like You – The Other Shoe
4. It Ain’t Me, Babe – Ray Lambiase
5. Nobody ‘Cept You – Tom Moran
6. One Of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later) – The Belle Curves
7. Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You – Revolver
8. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues – The Lucky Ones
9. Maggie’s Farm – Ken “The Rocket” Korb
10. Positively 4th Street – The Locksmiths
11. Tell Me That It Isn’t True – The Lone Pine Radio Boys
12. Ballad Of A Thin Man – Dee Harris
13. Things Have Changed – Ray Lambiase

Uncovering Dylan Volume 4 is scheduled to be released on May 24, 2024 on Paradiddle Records.

Myriam Phiro: “Becoming Marlene Dietrich” (2023) CD Review

Jazz vocalist Myriam Phiro honors the incredible talent of Marlene Dietrich on her latest release, Becoming Marlene Dietrich. When I think of Marlene Dietrich, I generally think of her film work, such as The Blue Angel, The Scarlet Empress, Destry Rides Again and Stage Fright, and forget that she released several albums. But of course she sang in several of her films, including The Blue Angel, Destry Rides Again and Stage Fright. And Myriam Phiro covers songs from her movies as well as from her albums. Joining the vocalist on this album are Hyuna Park on piano and accordion, Elias Bailey on upright bass, Alex Raderman on drums, and Linus Wyrsch on tenor saxophone and clarinet.

The album opens with “You’ve Got That Look,” a song Marlene Dietrich recorded fairly early in her career. Myriam Phiro delivers a wonderful rendition. Like Marlene Dietrich, she certainly has her own strong allure. “You’ve got that look/That look between the lines/You with your let’s-get-more-than-friendly designs.” And just listen to the way she sings, “But oh what’s the use when I know I love it.” This track features some really nice work on piano. It’s followed by “Lili Marlene,” a song that Marlene Dietrich recorded in the 1940s. She also sang a bit of it in the 1961 movie Judgment At Nuremberg. It’s a song that Leonard Cohen refers to in “Famous Blue Raincoat.” Hyuna Park starts this one on piano. The drum beat takes on the feel of a march when Myriam Phiro sings the line, “When we are marching in the mud and cold.” Toward the end, Myriam sings a bit of in German. Marlene Dietrich had recorded both English and German versions of this song.

“Makin’ Whoopee” is a song that Marlene Dietrich included on her live album Dietrich In Rio. There is a hint of melancholy as Myriam sings, “Weddings make a lot of people sad/But if you’re not the groom, it’s not so bad,” but with a wink contained within the line, getting us ready for the next lines. This is a sweet and delightful rendition. Elias Bailey on bass then begins “Que Reste-t-il Nos Amours,” which Myriam Phiro delivers in French. And what a delicious vocal performance! This track also features some excellent work on piano. And in the middle, there is a cool lead on bass. The English version of this song is titled “I Wish You Love,” and Myriam Phiro delivers some of that in the second half, as Marlene Dietrich did. Marlene Dietrich also performed the English version on its own. That’s followed by “La Vie En Rose,” one of the songs that Marlene Dietrich sings in Stage Fright. She also included it on At The Café De Paris. Myriam Phiro delivers an absolutely beautiful and stirring rendition, singing it in both French and English. “When you press me to your heart/I’m in a world apart/A world where roses bloom.” We are all transported to that world just by listening to this remarkable vocal performance. This track features Hyuna Park on both piano and accordion, and I especially love that work on accordion. This is one of my favorite tracks.

“Quand L’Amour Meurt” is a song that Marlene Dietrich recorded in the early 1930s and is another that is delivered in French.  I love that moment when it takes a joyful turn. Myriam Phiro’s voice is incredibly expressive, and even when we might not understand the language, we understand the emotion, and we are right with her. She delivers a beautiful performance. Myriam Phiro then covers a song that Marlene Dietrick did later in her career, “Where Have All The Flowers Gone.” As I understand it, she started performing this song in the early 1960s, and recorded it both in English and German. This rendition by Myriam Phiro is delivered in English. On the verse about soldiers, the drums take on a military feel. “When will we ever learn?” she asks at the end. Then “Jonny, Wenn Due Geburtstag Hast” is delivered in German. This is an interesting song. It is both powerful and playful, as she takes us through different sections, including a short intimate section. This is a dramatic performance, with a final whisper of “Jonny” at the end. I also love Linus Wyrsch’s work. This ends up being another of my personal favorites.

Golden Earrings is a Marlene Dietrich film that came out in 1947. The song “Golden Earrings” is from the movie. Linus Wyrsch delivers some excellent work on this one, a big part of this track’s appeal. “So be my gypsy/Make love your guiding light/And let this pair of golden earrings/Cast their spell tonight.” Oh yes, this music will cast its own lovely spell on all who listen. This wonderful music transports me. That’s followed by “Another Spring, Another Love,” a song that Marlene Dietrich included on an EP. Here Myriam Phiro delivers another touching performance. Even her humming in the second half has a strong effect. This track also features some really nice work on both piano and accordion. “The Boys In The Back Room” is a song that Marlene Dietrich sings in Destry Rides Again. Myriam Phiro has a good time with this playful number. This is totally enjoyable.

“My Blue Heaven” has been in several movies, though I’m not sure of any Marlene Dietrich movies to feature it (but there are many of her films I’ve yet to see). Marlene did include it on her Dietrich In Rio album. This version begins warmly on piano and vocals, and soon includes some delightful work on clarinet. This track also features an absolutely delicious instrumental section, featuring some great stuff from all four musicians, including excellent leads by both Hyuna Park and Linus Wyrsch. Myriam Phiro then wraps up the album with “Falling In Love Again,” a song that Marlene Dietrich sings in her classic film The Blue Angel, which was released in 1930. Myriam Phiro delivers a gorgeous rendition. Oh, just you try to remain aloof and unaffected while listening. She is supported by some beautiful work on piano. A wonderful conclusion to an excellent album.

CD Track List

1. You’ve Got That Look
2. Lili Marlene
3. Makin’ Whoopee
4. Que Reste-t-il/I Wish You Love
5. La Vie En Rose
6. Quand L’Amour Meurt
7. Where Have All The Flowers Gone
8. Jonny, Wenn Du Geburtstag Hast
9. Golden Earrings
10. Another Spring, Another Love
11. The Boys In The Back Room
12. My Blue Heaven
13. Falling In Love Again

Become Marlene Dietrich was released on October 6, 2023.

Sun Ra: “At The Showcase: Live In Chicago 1976-1977” (2024) CD Review

There were some excellent releases this past Saturday for Record Store Day, including a previously unreleased live album from Sun Ra titled At The Showcase: Live In Chicago 1976-1977, which was limited to 3,000 copies. If you didn’t manage to pick up a vinyl copy, do not despair. This special album is being released on CD this Friday. It is a two-disc set, and it comes complete with a 36-page booklet of liner notes and photos. Sun Ra is the name that jazz composer and keyboard player Herman Poole Blunt began performing under in the 1950s in Chicago, so that city is, in a sense, where he as a performer was born. And it was to that city that he returned regularly. This two-disc set contains music that Sun Ra performed on February 21, 1976, November 4, 1977, and November 10, 1977, at Joe Segal’s Jazz Showcase. The music is not presented in chronological order, because it is from 1977 that the early set comes, while the late set is from 1976. The music is mostly original material.

CD 1

The first disc kicks off with, appropriately, “New Beginning,” and immediately things get loose and lively, the music itself determining the course of things. With Sun Ra, you know it’s going to be an interesting ride. And that ride soon takes us into another realm with “View From Another Dimension,” which begins with some interesting percussion, welcoming us to the dance, to the tribe, to the ceremony. It is when the percussion suddenly stops that the weirdness really begins. Once that work on keys takes over, we have crossed over into that other dimension fully. There is no longer easy access to an escape route. We are fully committed to the journey. And it isn’t long before the place is crowded with voices of horns, hustling and making urgent announcements in what may simply be a bustling marketplace or could be the edge of existence. Things get pretty intense and exciting. They do, however, relax before the end. The audience applause is heard at the end of the track, and from the sound of it, the venue must not have been all that large.

“Synthesis Approach” quickly develops a catchy groove, the tune sounding like aliens engaging in their own second line, winding along some interstellar promenade. This track is probably more accessible for folks than the first two, and it’s fun, with a delicious energy. I love the joy of the horns. It’s like they don’t want to, or can’t, hold back, but must shout out. This track is seriously enjoyable, and it features some very cool stuff on keys, particularly in the second half. And when the horns join in again, the joy splashes across the planets and moons and whatever might lie in between. That’s followed by “Ankhnaton.” I love how this music might have its origin in familiar places, but then goes far afield, twisting the familiar into something new and exciting, shaking new worlds from the old, looking at reality from a different angle, and pulling us along for the ride. Who knows what we ourselves will be able to create as we shake and groove and move to this track? And who expects the band to do a standard at this point? No one, I bet. Well, these guys follow “Ankhnaton” with “Rose Room,” composed by Art Hickman and Harry Williams. The arrangement is by Sun Ra, so you can count on things to stay at least somewhat within the realm of the strange and exciting, keeping us on our toes. This track is hopping, and features some delicious work on keys and a great bass line.

“Moonship Journey” is a tune that comes from Sun Ra’s 1976 album Cosmos. This rendition quickly develops that groove and then the vocals come in, “Prepare yourself for the moonship journey.” Yes, it’s the first of the disc’s tracks to feature vocals. I like the rhythm of the vocals. The saxophone then comes in and takes over, drowning out the vocals and becoming the dominant voice itself. This journey soon begins to sound like a party. It must be one of those party moonships I’ve been hearing about, but haven’t yet been able to book. This track is a lot of fun. The band stretches out on this one a bit, this rendition being more than ten minutes long. It’s one of my personal favorite tracks. The first disc then concludes with “Velvet,” a piece that was included on Sun Ra’s 1959 album Jazz In Silhouette and on his 1967 album We Travel The Space Ways. It moves at a good clip, and features some great stuff on trumpet. Actually, several of the players have opportunities to shine here. And I love that rhythm, it makes me feel that everything is happening at once, and we can somehow enjoy it all. This track is a total delight.

CD 2

The second disc opens with “Calling Planet Earth,” a piece that was included on the 1963 Sun Ra album When Sun Comes Out. As it begins, several voices urgently join in the call, along with the horns and drums, and things become deliciously chaotic. Ah, that’s planet Earth, all right! With waves of thunder. Then it sounds like frantic radio signals being picked up by those of us lost in the outer reaches of the solar system, and interpreted by unhinged machines, though not into any language that we can readily understand. It may be that the machines are attacking each other, for things get more and more wild. The band goes straight into “The Shadow World,” presented on the same track here. That piece comes from the 1966 Sun Ra album The Magic City, and it takes us into more unusual and intriguing territory. The darkness has several forms and they all come rushing at us, demanding our attention. This is an exciting track.

“Theme Of The Stargazers” begins on keys, like someone got at the organ at the ball park and was battling his own visions through the instrument. That comes to an abrupt halt, and the voices come in: “This is the theme of the stargazers/Stargazers in the sky/This is the song of tomorrow’s world/A cosmic paradise.” The horns join the keyboard in a wild blaze, a shout up to the heavens, more of a demand than an entreaty. That leads straight into “Space Is The Place,” which is presented as a different track. This is the title track to a 1973 Sun Ra album. The vocalists tell us, “Space is the place,” and we get the feeling that Space is a night club with a particularly good band and some dancing girls that have to be seen to be believed, the kind of place where the party goes all night, the windows darkened to keep the sun from disturbing the festivities. And we seem encouraged to join in singing that title line, and clap along if we so choose. That is followed by a track titled “Applause,” and that is largely what it is, not a composition. We hear people calling out “Sun Ra.”

And then Sun Ra returns to the stage, much to the delight of the crowd, and he goes into “Ebah Speaks In Cosmic Tongue,” asking, “Have you heard the latest news from Neptune?” Apparently, the rest of the track is the latest news from Neptune. But as this is from 1976, it is probably no longer the latest news from Neptune. What’s happening out there now? Why are we not hearing anything about it? What are they keeping from us? Well, the crowd is totally digging it. That’s followed by “Greetings From The 21st Century.” “It’s only twenty-four years before the century of twenty-one,” we learn. Ah, who knows what the 21st century will bring? This is a vocal piece, with some great backing vocal work. There is a sort of gospel bent to them, and again, folks are clapping along. The second disc then concludes with a track titled “Joe Segal Announcements.” It’s kind of cool that this was included. The crowd applauds again for Sun Ra. Then Joe Segal says: “Sun Ra is here one more day, and your student and musician discount is good tomorrow, so be sure to come in. It’s three dollars, as opposed to the five.” Oh man, that’s when concert ticket prices were reasonable.

CD Track List

CD 1

1. New Beginning
2. View From Another Dimension
3. Synthesis Approach
4. Ankhnaton
5. Rose Room
6. Moonship Journey
7. Velvet

CD 2

1. Calling Planet Earth & The Shadow World
2. Theme Of The Stargazers
3. Space Is The Place
4. Applause
5. Ebah Speaks In Cosmic Tongue
6. Greetings From The 21st Century
7. Joe Segal Announcements

At The Showcase: Live In Chicago 1976-1977 is scheduled to be released on CD on April 26, 2024. It was released on vinyl on Record Store Day, April 20, 2024.

The Town And The City Festival 2024 Features Strong Lineup

I’ll be in Massachusetts soon, but sadly not soon enough to enjoy the Town And The City Festival in Lowell this Friday and Saturday. There is quite a good lineup this year, with Robyn Hitchcock, Ryan Montbleau Band, Air Traffic Controller, Syd Straw, and Sofia Talvik among the highlights. The festival, for those who don’t know, is named after the Jack Kerouac novel, which takes place in Lowell, where Kerouac was raised. The festival takes place in various venues in the city, and includes comedy as well as music. Tickets are not very expensive. Visit the festival’s website for the completely lineup and schedule, and to purchase tickets.