A & E

There are so many superlatives ascribed to rock 'n' roll and pop that the truly transcendent aspects of the music often get marginalized. The term "great" is diluted when it's applied to blog-fueled buzz acts, teen prodigies or one-hit wonders who flame out as quickly as they appear.

But Jonatha Brooke's recent songwriting experience cannot be diminished. It's the rare artist who gets to collaborate with a true legend -- and one who passed away 41 years ago. Brooke was invited by Nora Guthrie, the daughter of Woody Guthrie, to go through the songwriter's archives and pick lyrics she would adapt to song.

This has been done before, notably by Billy Bragg and Wilco for the album "Mermaid Avenue" in 1998. But Brooke -- who was recommended to Nora Guthrie by Gene Shay, a Philadelphia disc jockey familiar with Brooke's work -- admits she had only a passing knowledge of Guthrie's work.

"I was ignorant enough of Woody's music not to have that burden of trying to duplicate or harken back to melodies that are existent," says Brooke, who performs with Glen Phillips Saturday at the Rex Theatre, South Side. "And Nora was very clear with me that it must be my record, that I shouldn't worry about him. (She said) 'Woody will be fine, don't worry about him -- just make your record, bring it into your world, and that's what will be satisfying for everybody.' She was smart enough to encourage me to bring it into my contemporary setting."

The result is "The Works," an album that transcends genre and style. It is a breathtaking, haunting work that finds Brooke adapting music for lyrics that combine the dramatic arc of Shakespeare with the realism of Charles Bukowski.

"They are so poignant and powerful," Brooke says of the lyrics, "especially the simpler ones, the more spiritual ones. I didn't expect to find those in the archives. ... They are so apropos, although certainly more poetic than somebody today might come up with."

Brooke selected between 80 and 90 lyrics when she visited the Guthire archives. The songs that appear on "The Works" were executed almost effortlessly, phrases or lines jumping off the pages, her creative juices sparked.

"I certainly felt a spirit and creativity and an energy that was thrilling," Brooke says, "and it really hasn't ceased. In fact, I feel like I've been kind of on a roll and a rush ever since I got in the archives last October. I learned so much from seeing how unbridled he was, how unafraid; nothing stopped him from writing stuff down, or singing it or walking it or painting it. He was just unstoppable."

Brooke was able to assemble her "dream team" of musicians for the recording, enlisting jazz musicians Steve Gadd (drums), Christian McBride (upright bass) and Joe Sample (keyboards) for the project. Greg Leisz, Derek Trucks and Keb' Mo also pitched in on "The Works."

Given Brooke's tendency to experiment throughout her career, she realized this project might be a challenge for her fan base. But "The Works" has been eagerly embraced.

"Most people are just over the moon," Brooke says. "It's just like an old shoe; it's a really comfortable, quintessential Jonatha record. I tend not to repeat myself, and my records have been anywhere from intimate, tiny folk songs to huge, growly rock epics. I think this is satisfying all of the people who have embraced all of me."

Brooke says it is too soon to think about how "The Works" is going to affect her next album. She is writing more now than before, and has squirreled away two more songs from Guthrie's lyrics that she hopes to release.

What is certain is that Brooke has been changed, as a musician and as a person.

"It's definitely opened me up to the world," she says. "Even just touring this year, it feels like I'm doing what I'm meant to do more than ever. It feels like I'm the luckiest girl in the world -- look what I get to do."

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