Hartt faculty member Javon Jackson returns with a new album, Jackson Plays Dylan, arriving Friday, March 27 via Solid Jackson Records in partnership with Palmetto Records. The project pays tribute to legendary songwriter Bob Dylan, reimagining songs from across more than three decades of his career.
Jackson is professor of jazz saxophone, director of the Jackie McClean Institute of Jazz, and chair of commercial music at The Hartt School.
Featuring a core quartet and Grammy-winning guest vocalists Lisa Fischer and Nicole Zuraitis, the album blends jazz interpretation with Dylan’s iconic folk and rock catalog. Jackson highlights both the protest spirit of songs like “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” as well as the emotional depth of love songs such as “Make You Feel My Love.”
The project also carries personal meaning. Originally conceived as a collaboration with the late poet Nikki Giovanni—with whom Jackson recorded two acclaimed albums—the release now serves as a dual tribute, honoring both Dylan’s legacy and Giovanni’s artistic influence.
Jackson Plays Dylan reflects Jackson’s evolving appreciation for Dylan’s work, particularly its themes of social justice and human vulnerability. Through inventive arrangements and a dynamic ensemble, Jackson connects jazz tradition with one of America’s most influential songbooks.
Jackson ultimately found vivid parallels between Dylan’s work and that of some of his greatest heroes. “Bob Dylan reminds me of Miles Davis and Duke Ellington in a way,” Jackson says. “Like them, he’s always trying to find another, better version of what came before, with one foot in the past and one foot in the future.”