Bob Dylan has hired yet another new guitarist as the folk great's ever-rotating cast of guest players gets its third name in as many weeks.
Jad Tariq follows Joel Patterson and Julian Lage into Dylan's band, which has been operating with a flexible assortment of guitarists over the past month.
Lage was a surprise addition to the band in late June, replacing the outgoing Doug Lancio. And, after Bob Britt abruptly left the tour, Joel Patterson was also hired.
But Lage has been in and out of the tour as he juggles other commitments, seemingly leading to Tariq's appointment.
Tariq debuted at the PNC Pavilion in Cincinnati on July 10, forming a tandem with Patterson. Given Lage’s absences, which have now been attributed to his busy solo schedule, it’s unclear if Tariq is deputizing in the short term or will become a more permanent appointment.
Often found playing Gibson hollow-body guitars, the Memphis-based guitarist blends swinging jazz with traditional 1950s-era rhythm and blues.
With Lage set for a string of North American shows in October, when Dylan is in Europe, Tariq may become a recurring figure in Dylan’s ever-changing live band throughout the rest of 2026.
Dylan is set to play Philadelphia’s Leader Bank Pavilion on July 14, before hitting Gilford, New Hampshire, two days later, and the Hartford HealthCare Ampitheater in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on July 19. Who will join him on those dates remains to be seen.
The folk musician, who famously stunned the music world when he went electric with Mike Bloomfield at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, has never been afraid to keep his fans on their toes. His latest guitarist shake-up is just another example of that.
