There is no finer interpreter of the music of Bob Dylan than Tim Hockenberry and his Mostly Dylan tribute.  Hockenberry has one of the most distinctive voices in music today and brings an instinctive restraint and succinctness necessary to deliver Dylan’s lyric that expands and enhances each song. Combined with a dazzling band that included ace guitarist’s Gawain Matthews and guest Tal Morris, Mostly Dylan lends a fresh perspective to one of the greatest songwriters of our generation and confirms that Tim Hockenberry is a major talent. 

Older Dylan material is given new depth and emotional charge through Hockenberry’s raw and smokey delivery. The band breathes new life into "One Too Many Mornings" and "My Back Pages" and revives great Dylan works like "Your Gonna Make Me Lonesome" and "Boots of Spanish Leather." The interplay between Hockenberry’s sparse delivery and Matthew’s superbly elegant guitar work lends an emotional charge that makes each number soar. The arrangements crackle with poignancy and Hockenberry’a unique voice and instinctive phrasing make you hear Dylan’s lyric in all its raw urgency. This show is a brilliant triumph of an old master by a new master.

Steve Murray
Cabaret Scenes
November 15, 2007
www.cabaretscenes.org