Roots Supergroup Reimagining Classic Dylan Album at Folk Fest (July 19 – 21)

In her first full season at the helm of Vancouver Folk Music Festival programming, artistic director Fiona Black has assembled a fantastic lineup of local and international artists. Known for her work over the years with Capilano University’s BlueShore arts facility, Black has been the source behind many memorable live shows around the Lower Mainland. One series of concerts in particular has proved a huge success and the concept behind them will play a major role in next week’s folk fest.

Over the past decade, Black has produced a series of shows with musician Steve Dawson that interpret a classic album live with a select group of invited musicians. One of their early collaborations was a Mississippi Sheiks Tribute Concert, which was presented as part of the 2010 Vancouver Cultural Olympiad. They’ve also delved into material from the likes of David Bowie, the Stones, and Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs and Englishmen, to name just a few. Part of the fun/risk/dynamic behind the shows is gathering together a talented group of musicians who need to learn and play a set of songs in a short period of time – the results have never been less than thrilling.

Last fall, Dawson and friends reimagined Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited album at West Vancouver’s Kay Meek Arts Centre, and they will be repeating that project at this year’s folk fest. Almost all of the musicians in the “Highway 61 Reimagined” ensemble (Barney Bentall, John Boutté, Jim Byrnes, Mick Flannery, Ndidi Onukwulu, Dawn Pemberton, Suzie Ungerleider, Pharis and Jason Romero, and Alvin Youngblood Hart) will also be performing in solo sets or workshops during the VFMF weekend. “Highway 61 Reimagined” opens the Saturday night Main Stage concerts at 6 p.m. Check the website for the complete lineup and workshop times.