Bettye Does Dylan

Singer-songwriter Bob Dylan may have won the Nobel Prize for Literature, but a lot of music listeners still struggle to appreciate his nasal drawl of a singing voice. If you're one of them, you might wish to take a listen to Bettye LaVette's new album of Dylan covers titled Things Have Changed.

In LaVette's case, no one would argue that the legendary R&B singer can't sing. Her deep, brassy, soulful voice turns out to be the perfect instrument for rendering Dylan's gritty, wrenching, end-of-days lyrics.

LaVette tackles not just the classics like Times They Are A-Changing, but also half a dozen lesser-known songs which, frankly, some Dylan fans would struggle to place. Whatever the tune, LaVette gives it a solid, sultry R&B interpretation that renders it alive and magical.