Earlier this year Bob Dylan released his third consecutive collection of prerock American pop standards, Triplicate (Columbia). With 30 songs spread across three CDs, it rates as the most substantial volume yet. The album not only demonstrates that Dylan wasn’t kidding around when he started essaying tunes sung by Frank Sinatra (among countless others) a few years ago—it further reveals both his ardor for and understanding of the material. While his voice is more tattered than ever, his phrasing seems to sharpen with each passing year; there’s no missing the stinging futility in his delivery of the final line of “Stormy Weather,” or the less-than-certain optimism he injects into the post-hangover vibe of “The Best Is Yet to Come.” Although some tight brass turns up on some of the collection’s more upbeat material, he relies mostly on the lean support of his nimble working band, which cohesively bridges Dylan classics with pop standards from the Great American Songbook in live performances.
Fri 10/27, 7:30 PM, Wintrust Arena, 200 E. Cermak, $66.50-$126.50, all-ages
