Dylan Preps New Album, Gets Festive With the Dead

Mon., Mar. 16, 2009 11:59 AM PDT by Josh Grossberg

Michael Caulfield/Getty Images

Big news from Bob Dylan today.

Not only did Mr. Tamborine Man announce his first album of new studio songs in nearly three years, but he also was confirmed as one of the headliners for the massive Rothbury Festival with his old touring mates in the Dead.

First up, Dylan's new collection.Together Through Life, will be out April 28 on Columbia Records.

The music legend and 2008 Pulitzer Prize winner recorded the tracks late last year, drawing inspiration from "Life Is Hard," a tune he composed for My Own Love Song, the upcoming film starring Renée Zellweger and Forest Whitaker.

Together Through Life, which Dylan also produced (via his pseudonym Jack Frost), is the follow-up to 2006's critically acclaimed chart-topper Modern Times, and is the iconic singer-songwriter's 33th studio effort and 45th overall.

On his website, Dylan said the sound is meant to evoke the old Chess Records of the '50s.

After he gets back from a spring European tour, Dylan is set to join the Dead, the Black Crowes, Willie Nelson and Family and the String Cheese Incident as the headliners for the second annual Rothbury Festival taking place in northern Michigan over the July 4 weekend.

The four-day blowout, set for July 2-5 at the Double JJ ranch, will feature more than 66 acts. The bill includes Gov't Mule, Les Claypool, Guster, G. Love & Special Sauce, Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley and Nas, STS9, Matisyahu, the Hold Steady, Girl Talk, Femi Kuti and the Positive Force, King Sunny Adé & His African Beats, the Disco Biscuits, Zappa Plays Zappa, Jackie Green, Soulive and Ani DiFranco.

Rothbury will mark the Dead's only summer show after the core four of Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart reunite for an upcoming 22-date spring tour.

More artists are set to be announced in the coming months. Individual tickets as well as special VIP packages go on sale Friday at noon at www.rothburyfestival.com.