Blood On The Tracks

Editors’ Notes Recorded one night in 2001 at Arlene's Grocery in New York's Lower East Side, Blood on the Tracks is a song-by-song cover of Bob Dylan's classic '70s album, as performed by singer/songwriter Mary Lee Kortes and her stellar backing band. She admitted to being nervous over the prospect of interpreting one of Dylan's finest albums, but it doesn't show. She approaches "Tangled Up in Blue" with all the emotion and expert phrasing that makes her version worth every ounce of sweat. Her take on "Idiot Wind" breathes real fire. "Meet Me in the Morning" brings an otherworldly blues. Audience members join in for "Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts" and its endless string of verses to hilarious result. The ballads—"Simple Twist of Fate," "You're a Big Girl Now," "If You See Her, Say Hello"—are sung with great pathos. There isn't a misstep here. For a live performance, the arrangements are precise and well-played, while the fidelity suffers not a whit. A worthwhile surprise and one every Dylan fan would surely enjoy and respect.