Howard Fishman

I was working in the lab late last week, when I came upon a CD for sale that caught my attention! Now, let me say for the record that I am a Bob Dylan fan, and am drawn to cover versions of his material. Well, there on the Bob Dylan web site was a promo for a CD (and DVD) by one, Howard Fishman. The title? Howard Fishman performs Bob Dylan & the Band's "Basement Tapes" Live at Joe's Pub. Now, that's quite an album title, wouldn't you agree? I ordered it immediately! It arrived yesterday. And it's one heck of a thing! I agree with Greil Marcus who is quoted on the wrapper as saying, "Remarkable...I'm stunned." Imagine...this music stunned Greil Marcus! Having been to Joe's Pub (to see Donovan a couple years ago) I was interested in seeing how the place looked. The camera for Howard Fishman is set on a ledge of a booth, and is fixed. So it's a one-shot for the four songs that are included. But you can see the whole band, and note the visual cues when it's time for a guitar solo, or violin break. And you can see the waitress walk in front of the band, taking drink orders or delivering the asparagus salad thingy that was so tasty. The music is rough and funky, Fishman's voice a little more user friendly than Bob's, but you get the same sense of wonder that came from the original demos recorded lo, those many years ago, by Bob, Robbie, Rick, Garth, Levon, and Richard. And, of course, the songs are great. Yessiree! Well worth a listen. See for yourself, at
www.howardfishman.com
Going to Winnipeg for a few days...so posts might be few and far between. We'll see.