Vernissage Exhibition Bob Dylan @ Cité de la Musique, paris March 05 2012

Vernissage Exhibition Bob Dylan @ Cité de la Musique, Paris March 05 2012

"L'Explosion Rock 61-66"

Cité de la Musique, Billboard & Entrance to exhibition with Pics from Daniel Kramer

Official opening of the Bob Dylan exhibition @ Cité de la Musique in Paris, lots of people tonight including some famous guests...
It's only Bob Dylan from 1961 to 1966.
Once you get there is a long corridor with fantastic and Iconic Pictures from Daniel Kramer who followed Bob Dylan for a year and made some of his early album covers including "Bring it all back home" & "Highway 61 revisited".

Handwritten lyrics, Poster & Jon Sebastian guitar & shirt

Then you have 3 rooms :

1) His musical influences

2) Woody Guthrie, NYC, Folk revival & Protest songs &
3) 1966 "Like a rolling stone"

Guitars... Buddy Holly, Elvis, Pete Seeger & Dylan

So lots of record covers from his influences, some fantastic guitars (see above) for the first time ever at the same exhibition...
In fact it's more an exhibition of his influences than Bob Dylan himself as there are very few personal documents : only a couple of his handwritten lyrics, one of his guitars, some original posters or handbills and... that's it.
None is coming from his personal collection as if he wasn't involved at all for this exhibition which is a shame.
Most of the docs are coming from the Grammy Permanent collection , Phil Ochs', Folk museums...
On this level I was a bit disappointed.
If you're into music it's great if you're a Dylan freak it's a bit short, isnt it ?
They also have a couple of small rooms where you can watch documents about Bob, interviews with people who worked with him...and some headphones to listen to the music.

Donovan & French singer Hughes Aufray who introduced Bob Dylan to the Frenchies in the early 60's

There is a basement floor with some French press cuttings and Pics of Bob Dylan in Paris and his relationship with the french music scene which is interesting and funny considering what was written in the press in the 60's.
Donovan was there as well as Hughes Aufray who did a record of Bob Dylan songs as early as 1964 (if i'm right !)

French (funny) articles in the press in the 60's
"Bob Dylan more expensive than (Maria) Callas...to sing one night in Paris"

Conference with Robert Santelli & Daniel Kramer / Afterparty

Daniel Kramer told us his meeting with Bob, how he worked with him, some secrets behind the cover artworks he made for him: That was very interesting.
Then we had a few drinks and canapés at the afterparty !
Cool evening ! but a bit of a let down Dylanwise.

Dylan for Sale...

Also on monday:
The Autumn Defense @ Fargo store (free showcase) 18h
Wilco @ Grand Rex
Tindersticks @ Trianon (sold-out)