POP MUSIC : FREEWHEELIN’

Bob Dylan, record executive? The voice of his generation has joined the ranks of superstars with their own record labels--an as-yet-unnamed joint venture with Columbia Records, his recording home (with a brief interruption) since 1961.

Little detail is available yet on the company’s plans or exactly what Dylan’s role will be, but a first album project is underway--a tribute album to country music progenitor Jimmie Rodgers, with Dylan serving as executive producer.

So far Steve Earle has contributed a version of “In the Jailhouse Now” (with a wink to Earle’s own drug-related jail time), and Dylan himself is recording a track for the collection. Other artists are being lined up.

Dylan’s label will follow Neil Young’s Vapor Records, which debuts Feb. 27 with Young’s instrumental score to the upcoming Jim Jarmusch film “Dead Man” and an album from the band the Customers.