May 2006


Dave’s True Story - Simple Twist of Fate: DTS Does Dylan
Bebop Records BPO 1016
Format: CD
Released: 2005

by Joseph Taylor
josepht@soundstage.com

Musical Performance ***1/2
Recording Quality ****
Overall Enjoyment ****

As unique and personal as Bob Dylan’s songs are, it is surprising how many other singers have successfully reinterpreted them. Rod Stewart and Elvis Presley both turned in lovely, moving versions of "Tomorrow is a Long Time," and Jimi Hendrix’s version of "All Along the Watchtower" is one of the great recordings in all music. Stewart has covered Dylan’s songs so well that he should consider an all-Dylan album for his next project. Dave’s True Story did, and the EP Simple Twist of Fate is the very delightful result.

Dave’s True Story is singer Kelly Flint, guitarist Dave Cantor, and bassist Jeff Eyrich, who also produced the disc. Their music could broadly be described as jazz, but it has the pop accessibility of a band like Steely Dan. Flint is an engaging vocalist who conveys the emotion of the lyric without overwhelming it, and Cantor is a virtuoso at expanding the harmonic possibilities of a song. He shows keen wit in his approach to Dylan. One of the two versions of "You’re A Big Girl Now" is a successful meshing of jazz and country influences, while the second is a reverb-drenched evocation of Bill Frissel and Duane Eddy. Flint sings through both with ease and class.

Only "It’s All Over Now Baby Blue" falters because of a bad choice in the chorus. Otherwise, Dave’s True Story approaches Dylan’s songs with a fresh, astute ear. The recording brings you very close to the band, though modesty might have caused Eyrich to put himself a little low in the mix.


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