For Maria Muldaur, Bob Dylan is just as much of a lover with his music as he is a fighter.
"When people think of Bob Dylan, they think of these amazingly insightful, perceptive songs of social conscious and concern," said the 63-year-old singer in a phone interview last week from Florida. "You don't normally think of him as a writer of great love songs, but indeed he is."
Muldaur chose to honor the seasoned songwriter's romantic side with a tribute album, "Heart of Mine: The Love Songs of Bob Dylan," which she released in August on Telarc Records.
She comes through the Berger Performing Arts Center Friday to promote the recording as part of the Rhythm & Roots fall season.
Muldaur admits she loves Dylan's way with words, but her association with the icon goes far beyond that of your average fan.
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A product of the Greenwich Village 1960s folk scene, Muldaur ran in the same circles as Dylan alongside other folk revival musicians like John Sebastian and John Hammond Jr.
"I knew (Dylan) as someone on the scene that I jammed with on occasion," Muldaur said. "Over the years at certain pivotal times we have been in touch. His music has always had great resonance with me."
It wasn't until Muldaur heard the track "Moonlight" off Dylan's 2001 release, "Love and Theft," however, that she conjured up the idea for a Dylan love-song release.
"It had such jazzy, swinging melody progressions and very gorgeous lyrics," she said. "It was very seductive and unbelievably romantic. It almost sounded like the kind of song you would expect Bing Crosby to be crooning to some broad on a balcony in the 1930s. Each line was like a different impressionistic painting that painted this idealistic, romantic landscape."
It wasn't long before Muldaur was shopping a label for the concept and researching songs she could choose for such a release.
Dylan's office was kind enough to grant Muldaur access to his entire catalog, says Muldaur, including rare bootlegs and demo tapes.
She eventually pared the material down to 12 songs, including "Moonlight" and the Dylan classic "Lay Lady Lay" — changed to "Lay Baby Lay" because, according to Muldaur, "I don't swing that way."
"I chose songs that talked about love in a pretty unconvoluted way," she said. "He does have a lot of songs that have a certain ambivalence and bitterness. I chose the ones that were pure expressions of love and emotion, as well as some sexy seductive songs. All the juicy stuff I love to sing about."
Muldaur says more than half of her Tucson show will be dedicated to the Dylan material.
"This is specifically what I am out here doing," she said. "I wanted to thankfully present his songs the best I could."
● Maria Muldaur in concert.
Presented by: Rhythm & Roots.
When: 8 p.m. Friday.
Where: Berger Performing Arts Center, 1200 W. Speedway.
Tickets: $25; 297-9133.
