''Dylan Different'' is a

smooth jazz Smooth jazz is a genre of commercially-oriented crossover jazz and easy listening music that became dominant in the mid 1970s to the early 1990s. History Smooth jazz is a commercially oriented, crossover jazz which came to prominence in the 19 ...

album by keyboardist and

jazz vocalist Vocal jazz or jazz singing is an approach to jazz using the voice. Vocal jazz emerged in the early twentieth century, with its roots in Blues. Popular blues singers such as Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey had a great deal of influence of jazz vocalis ...

Ben Sidran, released in 2009. It is Sidran's thirty-sixth album, and his fourth release with his

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

label

Nardis Records Nardis Music is a jazz record label formed in 2003 by Ben Sidran and his son Leo. It is a subsidiary of Liquid8. It has a compilation series called Nardis Music Presents, which features songs and artists from Nardis and Sidran's GoJazz label. ...

Background

A tribute to

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

, the album consists of covers of his songs, reinterpreted as jazz. Sidran maintained the original lyrics, but introduced revised tempos, instruments and a large backing band. The album was recorded 1–4 June 2009. Eschewing a traditional

recording studio A recording studio is a specialized facility for sound recording, mixing, and audio production of instrumental or vocal musical performances, spoken words, and other sounds. They range in size from a small in-home project studio large enoug ...

, Sidran elected to record the album in an Alsatian farm house in the east of France, explaining that he wanted to introduce the same haunted, mysterious quality that he felt from Dylan's music. Several of the musicians were also European, including Rodolphe Burger, a French singer and musician; Marcello Giuliani, an Italian bassist; and Alberto Malo, a Spanish drummer.

Track listing

Personnel

Musicians

* Ben Sidranvocals, piano, Wulitizer, Hammond B3, Fender Rhodes * Rodolphe Burgerguitar, vocal on "Blowin' in the Wind" *

Jorge Drexler Jorge Abner Drexler Prada (born September 21, 1964) is a Uruguayan musician, actor and doctor specializing in otolaryngology. In 2004, Drexler won wide acclaim after becoming the first Uruguayan to win an Academy Award, which he won for compos ...

vocals on "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" * Georgie Famevocals and organ on "Rainy Day Woman #12 & 35" * Marcello Giulianiacoustic bass, electric bass *

Amy Helm Amy Helm (born December 3, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She is the daughter of drummer Levon Helm and singer Libby Titus. She is a past member of the Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble Band and Ollabelle, as well as her own tou ...

background vocals * Michael Leonharttrumpet, flugelhorn * Bob Malachtenor saxophone, flute, bass clarinet * Alberto Malodrums, percussion * Leo Sidranhorn arrangements, additional guitar, Hammond B3, piano, koto *

Leonor Watling Leonor Elizabeth Ceballos Watling (born 28 July 1975) is a Spanish film actress and singer. Early life Leonor Ceballos Watling was born on 28 July 1975 in Madrid, to a Spanish father from Province of Cádiz, Cádiz and an English mother, the ...

& Lucabackground vocals on "Knockin' on Heaven's Door"

Reception

Writing for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, Thom Jurek praised Sidran's interpretation and style, "his requisite musicality, unaffected jazzman's cool, and streetwise yet elegant poetic imagination." He also praised the source material, commenting on Dylan's ability to write "folk songs that transcend their eras of origin in relevancy."

References