2005

Bob Dylan celebrated...again!

Dorp Street Theater, Stellenbosch
20h00, Tuesday, 24 May, 2005
021- 8866107
www.dorpstraat.co.za
info@dorpstraat.co.za

The annual Bob Dylan birthday tribute by Dylan reinventers Jaqcues Coetzee (vocal) and Johann Kotze (guitar & vocal) has become a fixture on the Stellenbosch scene. The great songs of Bob Dylan will this year again be celebrated on May the 24th in a show that is more of a celebration of original music making than faithfully reproduced cover versions.

The honest, raw to the bone and yet finely crafted vocal harmony interpretations of the vocalists create a sound that all of its own; there is nobody in this show trying to sing like Dylan. This Dylan show is a celebration, not a 'tribute’, there are no Dylan posers or imitators; 'nobody but Dylan can sound like Dylan'.

A full band is the feature of this years tribute at Dorp Street Theater. Jazz musicians Ramon Alexander (piano), John Pringle (drums) and Heini Jack (bass) more than fills out the band, and when joined by guests, bass- and guitarist Gideon Malherbe and saxophonist Eddy Boyd, a storm of solo's may be brewed up. Together they lend a unique and exiting aura of musical interpretation to some of the hits, anthems, and a few lesser known songs from Dylan's legendary 40 years song writing and performing.

While the songs are uniquely arranged and interpreted the harmonies remains folk, and the classically trained tenor of Coetzee makes every word audible, every line soar. Sometimes a Dylan song is even read like poetry, always in Coetzee's voice that sings in a way few voice artists can match. ‘Shelter from the Storm’ is performed with just an African drumbeat as backing, the piano and vocals take on a jazz rendition of Dylan as never heard before, while quintessential folksy perennials such as ‘I shall be released’ and ‘Blowin’ in the wind’ remains folksy, juxtaposed with an Arabic-rock sounding rendition of ‘One more cup of coffee’ and a gospel-blues workout of '`Serve somebody'.

The Dylan tribute first appeared as an unplugged, coffee house duo in Stellebosch in 1998, and proceeded to play successfully for a week at the Baxter in 1999. Since 2000 the ‘Annual Bob Dylan birthday tribute’ has become a fixture, drawing in other musicians, and resulting in full band performances at the V&A Amphitheater and the Betty’s Bay Botanical Gardens Summer concert series. Jacques a Johann has also been a fixture on the Cape literary scene, appearing at poetry festivals such as the UCT Summer School, the International Poetry Fair and numerous other coffee house and independent theaters.

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