Saskia Griffiths-Moore - Baez, Dylan & Me (2019)

It’s a risky move to add yourself alongside two of the greatest names in folk, but Saskia is nothing if not bold. This is her second release this year, following her second full collection of (mostly) original songs, Ocean of Stars. But this is a very different album, as the title suggests it is a collection of songs written and performed by Joan Baez and Bob Dylan. In her sleevenotes, Saskia explains that the collection is to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the seminal 1969 Woodstock festival, and what she would have liked to have sung if she’d been there.

Saskia’s selects 11 songs, eight are by Dylan but five of which have been performed by Baez. The rest are one Baez composition and two others covered by her: Phil Ochs’ magnificent There But For Fortune; And the last track which must have been irresistible given the recording studio: The Beatles’ Let It Be – also memorably covered by Baez. The Dylan songs focus mostly on his better-known material from the 60s and 70s. But it’s a credit to Saskia and her band that they manage to eek more life out of standards such as Blowing’ in the Wind, Don’t Think Twice and It Ain’t Me Babe. In fact hearing the lyrics of The Times They Are A’changin – “The line it is drawn/ The curse it is cast/ The slow one now/ Will later be fast/ As the present now/ Will later be past/ The order is rapidly fadin’…” – in the context of Brexit and Trump right now demonstrates what a master songwriter Dylan has always been.

The vibe is acoustic folk-rock with a twinge of Americana. It’s particularly enlightening to hear Joseph O’Keefe’s violin since as – apart from Scarlet Rivera in ‘75/’76 – Dylan has never included a fiddle player in his band. His solo on Knocking On Heaven’s Door is simply majestic.