HIGHWAY OF DIAMONDS - BLACK AMERICA SINGS BOB DYLAN

Double vinyl LP pressing. Aces small but ever-evolving Black America Sings... series has been quiet of late, but it springs back into action this month with Highway Of Diamonds - a second dip onto the catalog 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, Dylans 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 colors and creeds. As Dylans 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).