Category Archives: Jazz

Bob Dylan, Cover versions, Jazz

11 more fine jazz covers of Bob Dylan songs

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bobdylan-jazz2_snapseedJazz spans a period of over 100 years and encompasses a range of music from ragtime to the present day, and has proved to be very difficult to define. Jazz makes heavy use of improvisation, polyrhythms, syncopation and the swung note, as well as aspects of European harmony, American popular music, the brass band tradition, and African musical elements such as blue notes and ragtime. The birth of Jazz in the multicultural society of America has led intellectuals from around the world to hail Jazz as “one of America’s original art forms”

Bob Dylan is Jazz at heart, what I mean is that he improvise, he elaborates on his own work. Sometimes his songs are unrecognisable to us. He goes with flow, he goes where the song takes him. He is very “jazzy”, but he does seldom sound like jazz.

I have had quite a few posts with Bob Dylan cover versions and today we collecting 11 more Jazz artists doing their interpretations of his songs.

See also: 10 fine Jazz Covers Of Bob Dylan Songs

Diana Krall – Wallflower:

Herbie Hancock with Lisa Hannigan – The Times, They Are A’ Changin’:

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Bob Dylan, folk, Jazz

10 fine Jazz Covers Of Bob Dylan Songs

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bob dylan jazz

 

10 fine Jazz Covers Of Bob Dylan Songs

“We all play folk music.”
– Thelonious Monk (to Dylan)

Jazz spans a period of over 100 years and encompasses a range of music from ragtime to the present day, and has proved to be very difficult to define. Jazz makes heavy use of improvisation, polyrhythms, syncopation and the swung note, as well as aspects of European harmony, American popular music, the brass band tradition, and African musical elements such as blue notes and ragtime. The birth of Jazz in the multicultural society of America has led intellectuals from around the world to hail Jazz as “one of America’s original art forms”

Bob Dylan is Jazz at heart, what I mean is that he improvises, he elaborates on his own work. Sometimes his songs are unreckognisable to us. He goes with flow, he goes where the song takes him. He is very “jazzy”, but he does seldom sound like jazz.

I have had quite a few posts with Bob Dylan cover versions and today we are looking at Jazz artists doing their interpretations of his songs.

Cassandra Wilson – Lay Lady Lay (audio):

Continue reading 10 fine Jazz Covers Of Bob Dylan Songs →

Blues, Bob Dylan, Cover versions, folk, Gospel, Jazz, Soul

Nina Simone sings Bob Dylan

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Redirecting to a newer version of this post….

Eunice Kathleen Waymon aka. Nina Simone was the sixth of eight children, she grew up in poverty in Tryon, North Carolina. Her family wished for her was that she should be the world’s finest classical pianist. She did  not get into the schools she wanted and always blamed racism.

Born the sixth child of a preacher’s family in North Carolina, Simone aspired to be a concert pianist. Her musical path changed direction after she was denied a scholarship to the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, despite a well-received audition. Simone was later told by someone working at Curtis that she was rejected because she was black. When she began playing in a small club in Philadelphia to fund her continuing musical education and become a classical pianist she was required to sing as well. She was approached for a recording by Bethlehem Records, and her rendering of “I Loves You, Porgy” was a hit in the United States in 1958. Over the length of her career Simone recorded more than 40 albums, mostly between 1958—when she made her debut with Little Girl Blue—and 1974.
– Wikipedia

Simone has dug deep into the american song tradition and it comes as no surprise that she has done several of Bob Dylan’s songs. She is an incredible interpreter of Dylan.

The first song is a contender for best Bob Dylan cover ever done (yes, I am aware of Hendrix’ Watchtower).

The Ballad of Hollis Brown(live,Mickery Theatre, The Netherlands in 1965, see coments…):

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Blues, Bob Dylan, Cover versions, Gospel, Jazz, Soul

Etta James sings Bob Dylan

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etta james_yellow

Etta James sings Bob Dylan

The great late Etta James would have been 77 years old today we celebrate her here at Alldylan by presenting her Bob Dylan interpretations. As far as I know there are only two. Gotta serve somebody is good but Blowing in the wind has a strangely artificial drum sound. Listen to it and make up your own minds.

Etta James – Gotta serve somebody:

Etta James – Blowing in the wind:

– Hallgeir