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people & arts Tuesday 5 sepTember 2017
Joan Osborne channels her inner Bob Dylan on covers album

By MARK KENNEDY gether a new album of her what Osborne could do.
AP Entertainment Writer unique takes on 13 of his Now Osborne’s manager,
NEW YORK (AP) — When classic tunes. “Songs of Bob he called her “one of our
Joan Osborne first met Dylan,” released Friday, is great treasures and under-
Bob Dylan, the two singers equal parts tribute album, appreciated singers.”
got very, very close. There musical experiment and “I was actually excited that
wasn’t much of a choice fan letter. On the album she would be interpreting
— they had to share the cover, she stands arms fold- Bob because the songs are
same recording studio mi- ed as she leans on a car as rock-solid and I knew she
crophone. a subtle homage to an old had enough respect not
“I’m like literally inches image of the rock great. to do any harm. In fact, I
away from his face,” Os- “There’s political songs — think some of her interpre-
borne recalled. “I had to like ‘Masters of War’ — and tations have opened them
focus so particularly on his then there’s very tender, up and given them a fresh
mouth and his lips just to romantic love songs like perspective,” he said.
get the phrasing right — be- ‘Buckets of Rain’ and kind Osborne has long been
cause I was doing harmony of everything in between,” haunted by Dylan. She got
to him and I had to match said Osborne. “He’s got this her start playing acoustic
him — that the whole room incredible range of what sets at the same downtown
became this tunnel.” he can do as a writer so I Manhattan clubs the fu-
On that day in 1998, the wanted to dig into all those ture Nobel Prize winner had This image released by Womanly Hips Records shows “Songs of
two did three quick versions different territories of what played years earlier. “His Dylan,” by Joan Osborne.
of his iconic song “Chimes he’s capable of doing.” ghost is sort of everywhere,” Associated Press
of Freedom,” which would She also shows what she’s she said. Osborne covered can Songbook, covering Shakespeare.
play over the end credits capable of doing, espe- Dylan’s “Man in the Long songwriter by songwriter. But she’s not expecting
of the NBC show “The 60’s.” cially on “Highway 61 Re- Black Coat” on her debut Osborne wanted to try an Dylan to offer any feed-
Each take was completely visited,” which leans on album, “Relish,” and the updated version, picked back. “No, I don’t antici-
different. Middle Eastern rhythms. two met a second time in Dylan for her initial attempt pate that Bob himself is go-
“You’ve got to be focused Osborne was inspired by 2003 when she was singing and honed her skills at two ing to weigh in on it. That
on him or you’re going to Dylan’s use of biblical im- with The Grateful Dead and residencies at the intimate would be great if he did.
be left behind. I felt like that agery in the song and de- shared the stage to sing his Cafe Carlyle in New York Even if he didn’t like it, just
was an interesting chal- cided to weave in sounds “Tears of Rage.” City. to tell me — that would be
lenge but also, for me, it from the area. “Certainly, “During the course of the “I really tried to look for cool.”
was a testament just to Dylan’s version is amaz- song, he just started busting the songs that I felt some Osborne is already sifting
the way his mind works so ing and incredible and we out in this big grin. I thought, kind of personal connec- through other artists’ cata-
quickly,” she said. “He has were not trying to out-do ‘Oh, this is great. I’ve made tion with, and the songs logues for her next album
an idea. He does it. He’s him. What we were try- Bob Dylan smile,’” she said. that really moved me, and of covers. How does she
bored with it, he moves on ing was to bring a differ- “I got a big smile out of him also the ones where I felt follow Dylan? Maybe with
to something else.” ent flavor and a different so I felt pretty good about like the song and my voice Lou Reed, Nick Cave or Lu-
Osborne, 55, clearly wasn’t perspective.” John Ingras- that.” could kind of connect in a cinda Williams.
bored with Dylan or his sia, who worked with Dylan The idea of doing an album real sweet spot,” she said. “Ask me on a different
songs. The Grammy-nom- when he was an executive of Dylan songs was inspired Osborne considers Dylan day and I’ll have a whole
inated singer of the hit at Columbia Records, said by Ella Fitzgerald’s explo- on par with such artists as different list,” she said,
“One of Us” has put to- he was enthusiastic to hear ration of the Great Ameri- Pablo Picasso or William laughing.q

Lambert leads nominees for country music awards

By DAVID BAUDER nomination for penning because he’s also listed as
Associated Press “Better Man,” performed a producer for the song.
NEW YORK (AP) — Miran- by Little Big Town. Little Big Town earned
da Lambert led the pack The inescapable song of nominations for single and
with five nominations for the summer, Sam Hunt’s video of the year for “Bet-
Country Music Association “Body Like a Back Road,” ter Man,” album of the year
awards on Monday, with earned nominations for top for “The Breaker” and vocal
Little Big Town and Keith single and song; it holds the group of the year.
Urban earning four nods record for most weeks top- Besides Lambert, female
each. ping Billboard’s list of top vocalist nominees were Kel-
Lambert was nominated country songs. Hunt was sea Ballerini, Reba McEn-
for song and single of the snubbed in the best male tire, Maren Morris and Car-
year for “Tin Man,” and also vocalist and entertainer of rie Underwood. Along with
earned nods for album, fe- the year categories. Urban, male vocalist nomi-
male vocalist and best vid- Veteran Garth Brooks is nees were Dierks Bentley,
eo of the year. Nominations shooting for his sixth enter- Eric Church, Thomas Rhett
for the 51st annual awards tainer of the year award, and Chris Stapleton.
were announced on and his third straight since In this Sunday, April 2, 2017, file photo, Miranda Lambert Jason Isbell and the 400
“Good Morning America.” coming out of retirement. performs “Tin Man” at the 52nd annual Academy of Country Unit earned an album of
The ceremony is scheduled He’s competing with four Music Awards at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. the year nomination for
for Nov. 8 in Nashville. other men in the category: Associated Press “The Nashville Sound,” un-
Old friend Taylor Swift, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, award winner, was also video of the year for “Blue usual for an artist generally
now a pop music queen, Chris Stapleton and Urban. nominated for male vocal- Ain’t Your Color.” He can pegged in the Americana
earned a song of the year Urban, a 10-time CMA ist and single and music even get an extra trophy category.q