Dave Alvin Pays Tribute to Another Great Songwriter, Bob Dylan in the second release of the series:

"Highway 61" AVAILABLE NOW only at YepRoc.com and DaveAlvin.net

Over the years I’ve crossed paths a few times with perhaps our greatest living songwriter, Bob Dylan. I’ve even had the great fortune to play music with Dylan a couple of times. I’ve always felt that he picked up where Woody Guthrie, Robert Johnson, Hank Williams, and Jack Kerouac left off and moved American music and culture into the future. He’s still doing that.

When UNCUT magazine asked me to record “Highway 61” for their Bob Dylan tribute CD insert, I was scared to death. Not only is it impossible to do a better version of this song then Dylan had already done but it would be pretty damn hard to come anywhere close to doing a version as good as Johnny Winters’ classic cover. Knowing this I still figured, “what the hell”. I called the musicians (Greg Leisz / Guitar, Gregory Boaz / Bass and Don Heffington / Drums), figured out an arrangement somewhere between Mose Allison and Little Milton, plugged in my guitar and went for it. Me and the guys had a blast doing this and I hope you dig it too.

Dave Alvin – 8/29/2007

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