A Nod to Bob (An Artists' Tribute to Bob Dylan On His 60th Birthday)

This 2001 collection, issued to celebrate Bob Dylan’s 60th birthday, is a respectful and sedate tribute to one of the 20th century’s most important musical figures. The focus here is on folk and blues performers taking turns with mostly Dylan’s early material with a few exceptions. Guy Davis dares a husky growl through the latter-day “Sweetheart Like You” and Dave Ray and Spider John Koerner take on the folk-blues standard “Delia” that Dylan adapted. Everyone has his or her own way of paying tribute. Maggie and Suzzy Roche take an adventurous route with “Clothes Line Saga,” turning Dylan’s Basement Tape into a meticulous performance of uptown harmony. Cliff Eberhardt slows “I Want You” into a desperate plea. Martin Simpson transforms “Boots of Spanish Leather” into an intricate guitar-piece with Celtic overtones. Dylan’s fellow traveler Ramblin’ Jack Elliott sings “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” with the passion of someone singing it for the first time. Norman Blake and Peter Ostroushko beautifully interpret “Restless Farewell.” Rosalie Sorrels takes control of “Tomorrow Is a Long Time.”