VA – Highway Of Diamonds – Black America Sings Bob Dylan – Ace UK 2LP

Ace’s small but ever-evolving “Black America Sings…” series has been quiet of late, but it springs back into action this month with the 2-LP and CD releases of “Highway Of Diamonds” – a second dip onto the catalogue of Bob Dylan, as reimagined by some of the foremost African-American artists of the 20th century.

From almost the start of his songwriting career, Dylan’s words and music have impacted on black American music, with ‘Blowin’ In The Wind’, speaking to an America that was still mostly segregated and becoming an anthem for all colours and creeds. As Dylan’s own career progressed, so did the number of covers he received, with a significant amount coming from what might be termed ‘non-traditional’ sources such as those heard here.

The 20 songs on “Highway Of Diamonds” continue the story that was told in part on the earlier “How Many Roads” compilation, with an almost entirely different selection of artists lending their voices to some of the best songwriting of the 20th century, and an almost entirely different selection of songs (with the exception of ‘Blowin’ In The Wind’ itself, which provides a common thread linking the story told across the two sets).

Big names from the worlds of soul, gospel and jazz, timeless songs and, for many, new ways of appreciating ever-durable material make “Highway Of Diamonds” as essential a purchase as its predecessor.

As ever, the great audio is complemented by a handsomely illustrated package on both CD and double vinyl, with a plethora of illustrations and in depth song-by-song-and-track-by-track annotation by Ace legend Tony Rounce

tracklist:

A01 The Staple Singers – A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall
A02 Bettye LaVette – Everything Is Broken
A03 Nina Simone – Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
A04 Natalie Cole – Gotta Serve Somebody
B01 Maxine Weldon – It Ain’t Me Babe
B02 Billy Preston – It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
B03 Solomon Burke – The Mighty Quinn
B04 Cassandra Wilson – Shelter From The Storm
B05 Merry Clayton – Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
C01 The Brothers & Sisters Of Los Angeles – The Times They Are A-Changin’
C02 Harry Belafonte – Tomorrow Is A Long Time
C03 Odetta – Baby I’m In The Mood For You
C04 Aaron Neville – Don’t Fall Apart On Me Tonight
C05 Sarah Vaughan – If Not For You
C06 JP Robinson – George Jackson
D01 Jimmy Scott – When He Returns
D02 The Bo-Keys featuring Percy Wiggins – I Threw It All Away
D03 Johnny Jenkins – Down Along The Cove
D04 Lizz Wright – Every Grain Of Sand
D05 The Caravans – Blowin’ In The Wind