Liner Notes Shooting Star - Jacques Mees sings Bob Dylan 2010 07 25
In Martin Scorcese's highly acclaimed documentary 'Bob Dylan – No Direction Home', in which the Beatles' elementary electric influences are totally neglected, Dylan is a particularly musical sponge at first. Music and lyrics by Robert Johnson, Blind Willie McTell, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Muddy Waters, Sam 'Lightnin' Hopkins, Josh White, Woody Guthrie, Hank Williams, Jimmie Rodgers, Gene Vincent, Mississippi Sheiks and Chuck Berry are being eagerly sucked in, familiarized and played with great passion. The immense oeuvre of Bob Dylan in which very different vocal, musical and textual influences from the 20th century music are fused in a unique way, is a live organism in more ways than one, which keeps inspiring and motivating later generations of artists. The Dutch (Tilburg) singer songwriter Jacques Mees, who recently won a respectful third prize in the Battle Of The Dylan Cover Bands with his impressive interpretation of One Too Many Mornings, presents Shooting Star – Jacques Mees sings Bob Dylan by way of homage (Dylan will turn 70), a CD with 12 covers.
The tracklist, that spans nearly 50 years, makes clear at a glance that this is an atypical and idiosyncratic anthology . Among the tasteful and very well recorded songs are powerfully arranged and tastefully coloured performances of As I went out one morning, One more cup of coffee, Girl from the North Country, Tomorrow is a long time and the title track Shooting Star, which glowingly concluded the 1989 Dylan cd Oh Mercy. In the beautiful spatial opening track As I went out one morning Jacques Mees sings Dylan's lyrics with an emotional and weathered voice. By way of counterpoint a fragile and airy harmony is enhanced in the varied musical landscape. By constantly changing instruments like bluesharp, bouzouki, mandolin, organ and pedalsteel in the mix and a subtle use of different voices, he created a many coloured and well nuanced CD album.
Shooting Star by Jacques Mees really does justice, musically and vocally, to Bob Dylan's fascinating mastery and integrates seamlessly with wonderful covers by , Songdog (Desolation Row) and Warren Zevon (Knocking on heavens door).
Rick Vercauteren
