The classic folk songs of Greenwich Village in the 60's are reimagined by a fine collective of artists on The Village: A Celebration of the Music of Greenwich Village arriving November 3 via 429 Records. Tackling 17 songs from acoustic pioneers the likes of Bob Dylan (represented with six tracks), Eric Andersen, John Sebastian, Tim Buckley, Fred Neil, Joni Mitchell and Paul Simon is a who's who of adult/alt performers such as Lucinda Williams, Bruce Hornsby, Shelby Lynne and Rachael Yamagata (L > R above) along with Amos Lee, Los Lobos, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Rocco de Luca, Cary Brothers, Jesse Malin, Sixpence None the Richer, Rickie Lee Jones and Cowboy Junkies.

As with most "tribute" albums such as this, some tracks work infinitely better than others but we think this collection -- a combination of fine artists and great songs, performed respectfully but with each individual's stamp intact -- is one of the better ones to come along in a while. We're particularly fond of Carpenter's richly textured take on Eric Andersen's "Violets of Dawn", Rachael Yamagata's deep, dark reading of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" and (believe it or not) the chiming, atmospheric version of the folk traditional "Wayfaring Stranger" by Sixpence None the Richer. Complete track listing after the jump. Recommended.

Various - The Village Sampler (featuring Lucinda Williams, Sixpence None the Richer, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shelby Lynne and Rachael Yamagata) (from the album The Village: A Celebration of the Music of Greenwich Village)