From: les@jmdl.com (JMDL Digest)
To: joni-digest@smoe.org
Subject: JMDL Digest V3 #345
Reply-To: joni@smoe.org
Sender: les@jmdl.com
Errors-To: les@jmdl.com
Precedence: bulk
JMDL Digest Wednesday, September 9 1998 Volume 03 : Number 345
The Official 1998 Joni Mitchell Internet Community Shirts are available
now. Go to for all the details.
-------
Trivia buffs! We are compiling an in-depth trivia database on all things
Joni. Send your bit of trivia - or your questions you would like answered -
to
-------
And don't forget about JoniFest 1999! Reserve your spot with a $25 fee.
Only 100 rooms have been reserved. Send a blank message to
for more info.
-------
The Joni Mitchell Homepage is maintained by Wally Breese at
and contains the latest news, a detailed bio,
Joni's paintings, original essays, lyrics and much more.
-------
The JMDL website can be found at and contains
Joni-related interviews, articles, member gallery, info on the archives,
and much more.
==========
TOPICS and authors in this Digest:
--------
(NJC) A couple of "Thank Yous" -- Badi Assad ["Winfried Hühn" ]
Mojo Magazine for Howard [mann@chicagonet.net]
joni and mojo ["Morten Feiring" ]
(no subject) [Chilihead2@aol.com]
joni in chicago tribune: read all about it [Wolfebite@aol.com]
Home at last from Jonifest! [Bounced Message ]
More twisted lyrics.... ["Phil Klein" ]
JoniFest 1999 [Mary Grace Valentinsson ]
List Mondagreen (NJC) [Janet Hess ]
virgin greatest albums [Tortorici@exchange.conference-board.org]
NJC Temptations in Pittsburgh?!?! ["Julie Z. Webb" ]
JM's "River" on HBO [Brian Gross ]
RE: joni in chicago tribune: read all about it ["Don Rowe" ]
Joni article from "guitarist" magazine [Howard Wright ]
Re: NJC Temptations in Pittsburgh?!?! [TerryM2442@aol.com]
Re: Joni Mitchell at the BBC [FredNow@aol.com]
I'm back SJC [Cblakey5@aol.com]
What did Howie say? [FredNow@aol.com]
Joni's Jazz Banner [Medric Faulkner ]
Memoreez Pt 3 The Final Chapter ["Julie Z. Webb" ]
ps. ["Julie Z. Webb" ]
Re: I'm back (NJC) [Marsha ]
Re: This just in...film at 11... [FredNow@aol.com]
Joni Mitchell Unleashes 'Tiger' [FredNow@aol.com]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 09 Sep 1998 11:40:26 +0200
From: "Winfried Hühn"
Subject: (NJC) A couple of "Thank Yous" -- Badi Assad
Hey folks,
due to my imminent exams, I'm pretty much confined to lurking, but I
simply have to express my appreciation for all those "little" (?)
things that make the JMDL a truly unique community. I loved all of your
reports and pictures from The Garden and NE Jonifest, and I truly
appreciate all this exciting music I've gotten to know through list
recommendations. Keep those NP - lines coming in!!!
Les - the denim shirts are great. Everybody is asking me about the "joni
mitchell internet community".
I also have a new recommendation, especially for all those folks (like
currently myself) who are looking for music that's beautiful and
relaxing without being too complicated. Check out Badi Assad's 1998
Album "Chameleon". (http://www.badi.com) And if you get a chance to see
her in concert, go for it. She's irresistible, both sonically and
visually!
Any more Badi Assad fans out there???
Winfried,
still bewitched from his Badi concert attendance last month
NP: Laura Nyro, "Stoned Soul Picnic (Best Of)" -- Thanks again, list!
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 10:50:37 +0100
From: "secret"
Subject: Re: Court and Spark HDCD
Unless your cd player contains a HDCD decoder you
won't hear any difference between the HDCD and the
old cds. The HDCD mastered cd's contain additional
"high density" code which is supposed to fix the "pingy"
sound of the piano and lack of ambience you get with cds
but your player needs to have the HDCD decode chip to
extract and interpret the additional code.
The best, most warm sounding Court and Spark you will
ever hear is your old vinyl record played on the best pick
up and turntable you can afford. I still remember the
delight the day I got home from school to find Court
and Spark had arrived in the post, lowering the needle
and hearing John Guerin's muscular thump at the start of
Car On A Hill for the first time.
Philip
- - non believer in music industry hype that wants me to keep
buying the same records again and again (the same situation)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 09 Sep 1998 08:24:16 -0500
From: mann@chicagonet.net
Subject: Mojo Magazine for Howard
Howard,
If you still haven't found a copy of MOJO
I have an extra for you. Contact me
privately for details.
Laura
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 15:27:02 +0200
From: "Morten Feiring"
Subject: joni and mojo
Hello!
I am a bit nervous, joining you here for the first time.
A few words about myself is perhaps a proper way of starting off:
Born in 1958, Joni came into my life in about 1974, when I heard "Free Man
in Paris" on my radio, and since then she has been there as an inspiration
on my way. My wife came into my life in 1983, and since then she has been
there too, very much as an inspiration (perhaps not all of the time, like
Joni!), four children have joined us as the seasons go round and round in
the circle game.
We live on the west coast of Norway nearby the town of Aalesund.
None of my friends have been much interested in the music of Joni Mitchell,
but as I logged on to internet and found JMHP and JMDL, that was really
great, and I hope I can get lots of new friends now - that share the same
interest in the music of this great lady!
I have a question to you all: Can somebody help me to get hold of a copy of
the august issue of MOJO magazine, with the Joni interview? I have tried
here in Norway, but it is sold out everywhere.
Thanks
Morten
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 10:32:03 EDT
From: Chilihead2@aol.com
Subject: (no subject)
Hi Patrick!
Very great to meet you and the rest of the JMDLers who made it to Ashara's!
You are a wild man and a lot of fun! For some reason everyone thought that I
would look like Jerry Garcia.
Debbie (Mrs. Chili) and I are planning to go into town on the 19th. We have
found that our best days in NY are the ones we plan the least. Our only
suggestion is that we try to find some live music or maybe even go somewhere
to dance. We also have to get bread at Balthazaar's on Spring Street. It is
beyond words. Can you give me the location of this resaurant? We will also be
celebrating Mrs. Chili's 38th Birthday! Happy Birthday a la Mingus is in
order!
Take Care!
- -Chili
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 10:54:51 EDT
From: Wolfebite@aol.com
Subject: joni in chicago tribune: read all about it
Hey kids: the following in todays Chicago Tribune Metro section: along with
(1) frontpage color pic- one large black & white pic on metro page and an
insert of joni w/ johnny cash. ps: WALLY- i've got a hard copy for you!
also: a pic and mention of joni's show at OTSFM in Crains Chicago Business!.
enjoy:
doug
JONI'S JAZZED
By Greg Kot
Tribune Rock Critic
September 9, 1998
Back when she was loosening her ties to the folk world to explore jazz and
world music, Joni Mitchell was asked about her career goals. There was only
one, she replied: "To remain interested in the music."
Nearly 20 years after distilling her artistry to those six well-chosen words,
Mitchell is on the phone from California and pondering a new question: Has she
succeeded?
"It died for me a few years ago, and I intended to quit," Mitchell replies.
"But a few things have happened to give me a new enthusiasm. And then I began
spending time with my daughter and grandson." Last year, Mitchell was reunited
with the child she put up for adoption 35 years ago, when the singer was a
struggling, if not starving, young artist. She has no other children and is
unmarried.
"I was recording some music with Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock recently and
they were going on and on about my (vocal) tone, which was odd because I've
known and worked with those guys for years, so why should it different now?"
she says. "And the only thing I can think of is that the coming of my family
has done something to my central core. It's like there was a hole in there
that is fleshed-out now."
Born in Canada but now living in California, her home for several decades,
Mitchell is slowly re-emerging from a long period of artistic seclusion.
For Chicagoans, and in particular for the Old Town School of Folk Music, that
is good news. On Sept. 18, Old Town is bringing Mitchell to the city to
perform for the first time in 15 years. The occasion is a benefit concert
(tickets are $2,500) to open its new home, the Chicago Folk Center at 4544 N.
Lincoln Ave. Mitchell will play solo, a reminder of her mid-'60s coffeehouse
youth when her finely honed songs won raves and were being covered by
performers such as Judy Collins (who had a hit with Mitchell's "Both Sides
Now") and Tom Rush ("The Circle Game"). Soon after, Mitchell and her rapturous
multi-octave voice invaded the national consciousness with indelible songs
such as "Big Yellow Taxi," "Help Me" and "Free Man in Paris."
She was a beacon for songwriters and thinkers, forlorn lovers and closet
poets, pop fanatics who loved her tunes and jazzers who were wowed by her
unconventional chords. Her effect on aspiring female rock and pop musicians
was incalculable.
"Her writing was so good -- so literate, so descriptive," says Lucinda
Williams, a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter who calls Mitchell an
inspiration. "The fact that she was a woman and writing that way -- there
really weren't that many women doing that then. Judy Collins was there, and
Joan Baez, but neither of them wrote the way Joni Mitchell did. That's why she
made such a big impression on me and a whole bunch of other women who were
picking up guitars."
Mitchell could easily have parlayed her penchant for introspective lyrics and
memorable folk melodies into a career like James Taylor's, by creating
variations on a successful formula that caters to a huge, loyal audience. But
she chose a different path. For her, maintaining interest in the music meant
pushing beyond the familiar. Folk -- or any genre, for that matter -- could
never hope to contain her.
"I came into the folk scene because it was easy and I did it as a hobby in art
school to make some money -- there was never any ambition or desire to be a
performing animal," she says. Mitchell instead aspired to become a painter,
and although she has become one (her artwork consistently adorns her album
covers and has been exhibited around the world), she found in music a world of
seemingly infinite possibility.
Searching for chords
"I started out in folk with simple chords, but very soon an appetite for
broader chords came about that weren't even on the guitar, so I began
twiddling with tunings," she says. "Even in the coffeehouses where I was
working in Detroit, they went jazz after hours and it was the jazz musicians
who started playing my stuff because they were intrigued by it harmonically.
"I've always been an `adjacent folkie' -- it was just that it took me six
records to find a band to play my music. The rhythms were too intricate for
folk-rock, because my harmonies were not very `white,' like James Taylor's or
Carole King's, where everything was in a major or minor key. My emotional
makeup is a bit vaguer -- my life is going nicely, but always with a kind of
dissonance going through it. And I gravitated toward wider chords, `black'
voicings out of gospel and jazz because they mirrored what I was feeling."
After the commercial triumph of "Court and Spark" (1974), Mitchell ventured
into this more esoteric territory on "The Hissing of Summer Lawns" (1975),
which was castigated by Rolling Stone magazine as the year's worst album.
Though Mitchell's hits dwindled, she kept following her muse, collaborating
with the late jazz legend Charlie Mingus, incorporating Latin percussion and
African drumming, and hiring adventurous jazz musicians such as Wayne Shorter,
Pat Metheny and Jaco Pastorius who gave her music a dreamy, searching, open-
ended quality. She hadn't abandoned melody, just made it more complex. Her
wordplay became denser and more politically pointed, her singing less showy
and more nuanced -- like a jazzer she became expert at finding the drama in a
phrase.
But by the early '90s, Mitchell was getting frustrated speaking to the same
band of 200,000 loyal album buyers every time out. "I'd been blacklisted from
things (such as MTV, VH1 and commercial radio), for reasons that are still not
clear to me other than, `That's the way it is,' " she says. "I was doing good
work, but record companies don't stay long with artists anymore if you're not
selling a certain number of records. My work has been called too jazzy and too
high-minded, and perhaps it is. But there has to be a counterforce. And I'm
sick of thinking deep for others. If no one is interested -- I'd rather not."
Live performances had become laborious because they required an armada of
guitars to accommodate the 50 tunings she used in her songs. Then, a week
before what was to be her last concert in New Orleans two years ago, she was
introduced to a new technology -- the Roland VG-8 Guitar System -- that
allowed her to dial up a new tuning in an instant.
"It was a dream -- it solved a lot of my problems and gave me new enthusiasm
for performing," she says.
A new album, "Taming the Tiger" (Reprise), due out Sept. 29, reflects that
enthusiasm. It is a lush, haunting work: "Stay in Touch" captures the first
enigmatic pangs of romance with a lingering melody loosely based on a
classical work by Rachmaninov, while "Harlem in Havana" is a sly update of Cab
Calloway's mirthful brand of jazz. "Lead Balloon" is a fierce, funny swipe at
corporate arrogance, while "My Best to You" is an atmospheric interpretation
of a 1940s cowboy-swing tune.
Joni's high profile
It arrives at a time when Mitchell is enjoying her highest artistic profile
since the '70s. The Artist Formerly Known as Prince sings her praises; Janet
Jackson prominently incorporates a sample from "Yellow Taxi" into her recent
hit "Got 'Til It's Gone"; Billboard magazine recognizes her career
achievements with its 1995 Century Award; the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last
year votes her into the pantheon alongside Bob Dylan and John Lennon.
Mitchell seems unimpressed by it all. She knows too well how the music
business works. "The hip syndrome manipulates the money machine in America,"
she says. "The American public is so afraid not to be hip they are constantly
manipulated into needing the new thing. That's how commerce works. I've
managed to maintain a certain amount of originality because I've never been
much to stay within the boundaries of any camp. Through some kind of stubborn
loner-ness, my inability to become a joiner, I've come to this place."
Mitchell pauses to drag on a cigarette. "You know, I played at the site of the
original Woodstock the other day, and I took my kids -- my daughter and my
grandson had never seen me perform -- and the audience was wonderful. Some
people held up a poster 6 feet long saying `Joni's Jazz,' which was
encouraging, because the tendency of my music toward jazz is not for
everybody. I sang `Woodstock,' which was comically beautiful, because I wasn't
in attendance at the original concert. But, I saw the movie."
Mitchell laughs her deep, nicotine laugh. She is in feisty spirits,
opinionated and in love with the art of conversation, in love with art itself.
At 54, she says her best days are still ahead. "It's so funny, I'm in this
youth-oriented music business, yet artists, composers, painters -- you don't
really come into your own until you're in your 50s. It takes that long for you
to assimilate your influences and make something of your own from them."
STRIKING CHORDS
Among Joni Mitchell's 20 albums released since 1968, here are a few
milestones:
- - "Ladies of the Canyon" (1971): Her soprano flights capture the tenor of the
times with "Big Yellow Taxi" and "Woodstock."
- - "Blue" (1971): The confessional pop song raised to the level of an art form.
- - "Court and Spark" (1974): A turning point - great melodies with a jazz bent.
- - "The Hissing of Summer Lawns" (1975): Panned upon its release, it now sounds
like a landmark with its adventurous rhythmic and textural experiments.
- - "Hejira" (1976): Lots of pop musicians have written about the road and
travel, but few have done it with this sort of haunting insight.
- - "Mingus" (1979): A moving tribute to her friend, the late jazz great Charlie
Mingus.
- - "Dog Eat Dog" (1985): Mitchell's boldest political statement still has
teeth.
- - "Turbulent Indigo" (1994): An impressionistic sound painting.
- - "Taming the Tiger" (1998): Slippery vocal lines intertwine hypnotically with
the saxophone of Mitchell's longtime foil, Wayne Shorter.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 09 Sep 1998 08:58:41 -0600
From: Bounced Message
Subject: Home at last from Jonifest!
From: "Claud SansSoucie"
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1998 21:55:58 -0400
Hello Wonderful!=
Sorry I didn't post a message immediately after my arrival home =
but...I'm always running behind the time, just like this train...
First to all - I had a blast. It was sooooooo nice to meet all of you. I =
felt bad for needing to retire so early on Saturday night (or more =
correctly Sunday morning), I heard you all jammin right above my head =
and I was far too wired to get to sleep anyway. By the time I finally =
fell asleep it was probably 4:00 am. Somehow I slept through my plan of =
heading back home at 5:00 am and woke up at 7:00 am. I was immediately =
struck with panic, knowing I had an eight hour ride home ahead of me and =
that I had to be at home by no later than 4:00 p.m. I scrambled out of =
the house and (here is a big "Thank you" to, I guess, the Chiliheads and =
to those that helped unblock my car in the driveway). .....
....One day later (after a day at work):
I just finally managed to read through the pile of mail. And everyone's =
recollection of the party was so beautiful to read. If I could paste it =
all together, that's exactly what I would like to say also. So read =
everybody else's messages again and then: here is my short version - I =
thank you all for having made me feel so welcome considering that I was =
truly the new one on the JMDL block. I am still floating high on the =
wonderful kindred spirit that I encountered in Boston, and I am so glad =
that I did not shy away from the long trip to Boston and from meeting a =
bunch of strangers. (Strangers? - being all lovers of JM - I never once =
felt like I was among strangers! ) Considering how far some of you =
traveled, my trip was merely a hop and a skip. Ashara, you have been =
truly a wonderful hostess - you are a gem for opening your home and =
giving us the opportunity for a memorable weekend dedicated to JM! Thank =
you for your sacred space and for making us all feel so at home! Chuck =
your sound ;-) efforts were deeply appreciated. When I wrapped cables =
after my gig on Sunday, I gave you big hug in my mind for all you did =
for us - lugging your PA in and out, and taping, and playing, and being =
so wonderful. Thank you also for calling me to see if I got home =
alright. Once I arrived at home, I had only 45 minutes to get showered =
and dressed for my gig. I was Mrs. Spaceranger at that gig, feeling like =
my foot was still somehow on a gas pedal and I kept speeding up and =
slowing down - but I made it through. I sang every Joni song I knew at =
my gig, and when I closed my eyes I could hear everybody sing along in =
my head and felt like I was still in Boston singing with everybody! What =
a great time! I definitely experience some major spine tingling moments =
this weekend. Maggie's kitchen magic was absolutely incredible and I was =
so grateful for my travel survival kit which consisted of a sampling of =
party leftovers. On my way home, I gave every sign for fast food =
restaurants a satisfying snobbish glance, while I spooned away at the =
French lentil salad and the tabouli.
It will probably take me weeks to sort through my experiences, to =
collect my thoughts, and to get the real names of everybody I met and =
e-mail address names straight in my head! At least now I can put a face =
to all of you! Thank all of you also for the tremendous amount of =
musical inspiration. Michael - thank you for sharing your VG 8, your =
shrimp, and your incredible talent with us. Marian, thank you for =
opening me up to playing the more complicated guitar pieces of Joni's - =
I can't wait to get a chance to learn more songs now - songs I always =
considered beyond my reach. Jim, thank you for allowing me to share some =
Bruce Cockburn with you. Julie, thank you for your repeated invitation =
to come and visit you! I will surely take you up on it! Likewise please =
feel free to know on my door any day. I certainly feel we didn't get to =
spend enough time together and would like to get to know you better, =
considering you are so close to me. Bryan, your version of Black Crow, =
Big Yellow Taxi, and Little Green are forever etched into my ears. What =
a heartfelt delivery! You were wonderful, wish we could have heard more. =
Pearl, thank you for the JM folder with its wonderful treasures. What =
happened to the tape you were going to leave next to my thermos? Ric, =
thank you for being such a handsome man with so many creative Jonifest =
gifts. Your tiger is perfect to comfort me until TTT is released. If I =
weren't still so incredibly tired I would just go on and on about all I =
wish to give thanks. I will go now and catch up on my REM (not the band =
though) and I will get back to you over the next couple of days with =
more reflections. Just wanted to let everyone know, I am well and alive, =
and full of wonderful memories and garden cookies from Mr. and Mrs. =
Chili....mmm...mmm...we are stardust, we are golden .... Next time we =
should definitely ride together!
Claud 9 & higher!
Dave and Claudia SanSoucie (and Monk the Dog)
email:
dvsclaud@worldnet.att.net
tele:
(717) 854-7171
Web Page:
http://home.att.net/~dvsclaud
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 16:17:48 GMT
From: "Phil Klein"
Subject: More twisted lyrics....
Hi from another member of the small but growing band of UK jimdles!
A while back, people related their favourite (note spelling, please)
mis-heard Joni lyrics. My own contribution to this is that for about
20 years of listening to THOSL, I thought Joni was singing: "Baby,
you're my centipede..." Understandable, really, since it has
"Centerpiece" quite clearly on the album cover, and "centipede"
really makes a lot of sense, doesn't it?.... D'oh!!
While we're on the subject, I browsed the guitar tab page, and saw 2
versions of "California". The version by Harlan Thompson transforms
"Still a lot of lands to see" into "Stole a lot of lines to sing"...
well, yeah, I can sort of hear that in my head, I suppose. Howard
Wright's version has the correct lyric. Still doesn't help me play
the thing any better, though.
Bye,
Phil Klein (no relation, to Larry, or that other guy someone
mentioned...)
NP: Mingus - on the headphones, at work.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 12:11:26 -0400
From: Michael Yarbrough
Subject: RE: joni in chicago tribune: read all about it
Joni said:
<<<"I was recording some music with Wayne Shorter and Herbie
Hancock recently and they were going on and on about my (vocal)
tone, which was odd because I've known and worked with those
guys for years, so why should it different now?">>>
Cool! Glad to see we weren't the only ones to notice the change.
- --Michael
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 09 Sep 1998 12:16:29 -0400
From: Marsha
Subject: meet-n-greets (NJC)
Chilihead2@aol.com wrote:
>
> We will also be
> celebrating Mrs. Chili's 38th Birthday! Happy Birthday a la Mingus is in
> order!
And I did not think Mrs. Chilihead looked a day over 28!
Marsha, looking all of her 44 these days
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 09 Sep 1998 09:26:28 -0700
From: Mary Grace Valentinsson
Subject: JoniFest 1999
Thanks for the prompt Patrick.
As soon as my head stops spinning from this and that and the other
thing, I'll post a list of attendees as well as some polling ideas. (thanks
Julie!)
For now, you can get JoniFest information by sending a blank message
to info-jonifest1999@jmdl.com
I think that Patrick is right on target about attending. With all the Dear
Abby horror stories of the Internet, the jmdl community is a lovely oasis.
For myself, I've made such wonderful and special connections with
people that I would never have met any other way. I could think of worse
ways to spend a weekend.
More to follow,
MG
np: Housewarming: "Where are the gifts?" (:-^
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 09 Sep 1998 12:28:40 -0400
From: Janet Hess
Subject: List Mondagreen (NJC)
Happy The Man quoted Rolling Stone as follows:
In the "What's Going On" Category:
On "Taming the Tiger"—Last spring Mitchell hit the road on a rare minitour.
- -----------
And, as I read it, our Joni was riding a minotaur. Now *that's* rare.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 12:40:27 -0400
From: Tortorici@exchange.conference-board.org
Subject: virgin greatest albums
Although this seems skewed toward the U.K., read about Joni!:
Beatles Dominate All-Time Albums Poll
Beatles discs take four out of the top five
spots on a new survey, "1,000 Greatest
Albums Of All Time," set for release Sept.
8 by Virgin Publishing. According to
Billboard Bulletin, "Revolver" tops the list,
followed by "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts
Club Band" and "The Beatles" (known as
the White Album), with "Abbey Road" at
No. 5. Only Nirvana's "Nevermind,"
which nabs the fourth spot, breaks the Fab Four's
dominance.
The survey, which is billed as the most
comprehensive
sampling of musical tastes ever conducted, is based
on 200,000
votes compiled from the U.K. and the U.S.
The list's top 10 is completed by the Beach Boys'
"Pet
Sounds," R.E.M.'s "Automatic For The People," Pink
Floyd's
"Dark Side Of The Moon," Oasis' "(What's The Story)
Morning Glory?," and Radiohead's "The Bends." Other
contemporary albums scoring high on the list include
Blur's
"Parklife" (30), Prodigy's "The Fat Of The Land"
(33),
Portishead's "Dummy" (34), and Alanis Morissette's
"Jagged
Little Pill" (35).
The Beatles secure the most entries in the top
1,000, with 14,
followed by Frank Sinatra and Miles Davis (13 each)
and Bob
Dylan (12). The most popular female artist is Joni
Mitchell,
with eight entries.
The poll suggests that the '60s and early '70s are
widely
regarded by fans of all ages as the golden age of
pop. A
separate list of the 50 greatest artists of all
time, compiled
cumulatively from the album votes, includes 30 acts
who first
enjoyed success in the '60s or earlier and only 11
whose
careers post-date the 1976 punk explosion.
-- Nigel Williamson,
London
Next Item: Anglo-Asian Acts Look East
Daily Music News Index
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 09 Sep 1998 13:05:56 -0500
From: "Julie Z. Webb"
Subject: NJC Temptations in Pittsburgh?!?!
Only in the entertainment business can make Pittsburgh look like Detroit
in the 60's. Yep, as I write this they are filming the life of the
Temptations a few blocks away. I stopped our van and got out, because I
thought it was "just my imagination" when I saw a neighborhood house turned
into a cheesy record shop. The films design people completely defaced the
front of a residential, three story house and colored it bright blue and
painted flowers on it---turning it into the "Record Tree."
-Julie, NP The Temptations, what else?
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 10:00:18 -0700 (PDT)
From: Brian Gross
Subject: JM's "River" on HBO
My sister informed me that while watching a movie on HBO2 Tuesday night called
"Live Nude Girls", the filmakers used "River" (from Blue for those of you
youngsters not familiar with the early works) in the closing scene.
Did anybody here catch it??
Brian
np: For The Roses
===
"No paper thin walls
No folks above
No one else can hear the crazy cries of love"
yeah, right
_________________________________________________________
DO YOU YAHOO!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 09 Sep 1998 10:17:17 PDT
From: "Don Rowe"
Subject: RE: joni in chicago tribune: read all about it
>From: Michael Yarbrough
>To: "'joni@smoe.org'"
>Subject: RE: joni in chicago tribune: read all about it
>Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 12:11:26 -0400
>Reply-To: Michael Yarbrough
>
>Joni said:
>
><<<"I was recording some music with Wayne Shorter and Herbie
>Hancock recently and they were going on and on about my (vocal)
>tone, which was odd because I've known and worked with those
>guys for years, so why should it different now?">>>
>
>Cool! Glad to see we weren't the only ones to notice the change.
>
>--Michael
>
I'll second the motion. I figure if Joni's voice is good enough for
these guys, then that pretty much settles it, no? :-)
Don Rowe
>
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Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 13:28:26 EDT
From: TerryM2442@aol.com
Subject: Re: joni in chicago tribune: read all about it
Doug,
What a treat! I'm still salivating-
So, who's banner was that at Woodstock? Suze??
Terry
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 09 Sep 1998 10:35:39 PDT
From: "Don Rowe"
Subject: Re: List Mondagreen (NJC)
hessj@ix.netcom.com writes ...
>On "Taming the Tiger"—Last spring Mitchell hit the road on a rare
minitour.
>-----------
>
>And, as I read it, our Joni was riding a minotaur. Now *that's* rare.
>
Okay so I have to ask, was she hangin' on his boom-boom pachyderm? Oh
brother ... here we go again. :-)
Don Rowe
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Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 18:35:50 +0100 (BST)
From: Howard Wright
Subject: Joni article from "guitarist" magazine
Joni Mitchell feature from "Guitarists" magazine, October 1998.
(Joni was chosen as Number One in the magazines "Girls and Guitars" feature)
Joni Mitchell
- -------------
She's continually referred to as a "folk" singer, and only her early hit
singles such as "Big Yellow Taxi", "Carey" and "Woodstock" ever receive
radio airplay, but this supremely talented Canadian artist is musically
uncategorisable. From her seminal acoustic albums of 1969 to 1971
("Clouds", "Ladies of the Canyon" and "Blue"), where she played guitar,
piano and zither, Joni soon began exploring the more rocky and jazzy
side of her nature with "Court and Spark", "The Hissing of Summer Lawns"
and the superb "Hejira".
Her reputation means that she can attract the cream of the world's
musicians for work on a new album. Queueing up to work with Joni over
the years have been guitarists Larry Carlton, Pat Metheny and Robben
Ford; bassists Jaco Pastorius and Wilton Felder; drummers Vinnie
Collaiuta and Pete Erskine; and horn players Tom Scott, the Brecker
Brothers and Wayne Shorter. What's more, many artists and players cite
their work with Joni as the height of their musical achievement.
Rarely without a cigarette or a paintbrush in her hand, Joni is a
celebrity smoker and an exception to the celebrity painter rule - she's
amazingly gifted, as many exhibitions (and album covers) have revealed.
Joni is probably best known for her association with Martin acoustics,
but for her more jazz-influenced music she has used Ibanez George Benson
models. Her strange and mystical chords are derived from open tunings;
as well as standard variations, such as open G and D, Joni also invents
her own.
The 1980s saw Mitchell at odds with the tastes of even die-hard fans,
and it wasn't until the release of the acclaimed "Turbulent Indigo" LP
in 1994 that she finally recreated the passion of her earlier work. It's
impossible to recommend a single album, so here are three choices that
highlight the work of this most gifted, if introspective, writer and
musician.
"Blue" (Reprise, 1971): The album concentrates on deep personal
feelings, from the daughter she gave away for adoption (and who has
recently come back into her life), to her relationship with CSNY's
Graham Nash.
"Court and Spark" (Asylum, 1974): More of a band feel here, with
Mitchell's songwriting stretching into the near reaches of jazz. Deeply
personal, as usual, but any listener can relate Joni's feelings to their
own dismal lives.
"Hejira" (Asylum, 1976): This is poetry set to music. Here are songs
without choruses, songs about people we'll never know, and songs about
Joni's perennial wonderlust touch the soul of anyone prepared to give
this superb album a listen.
*******************************************************
Howard.Wright@ed.ac.uk
Formula music, girly guile
Genuine junk food for juveniles
Up and down the dial
Mercenary style
- Joni Mitchell
********************************************************
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 13:38:24 EDT
From: TerryM2442@aol.com
Subject: Re: NJC Temptations in Pittsburgh?!?!
In a message dated 9/9/98 1:03:38 PM Eastern Daylight Time, jzw@visint.com
writes:
<< Only in the entertainment business can make Pittsburgh look like Detroit
in the 60's. >>
The nerve! This happens so many times- movies about Detroit being filmed in
other cities. Feh!
Terry
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 14:00:04 EDT
From: FredNow@aol.com
Subject: Re: Joni Mitchell at the BBC
"secret" wrote:
>>The vaults at the BBC are rich in Joni Mitchell material I wonder
>>will this stuff ever see the light of day again.
Maybe they will release a Joni/BBC compilation as part of the current series
of Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and Beatles at the BBC. At least, they should.
I would pay nearly anything for a remastered, clean CD copy of the Joni/James
gig.
- -Fred
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 14:04:04 EDT
From: Cblakey5@aol.com
Subject: I'm back SJC
Hi everyone
It feels great to be back again after @ 1 1/2 yr. break. I have a new
computer and a new partner so I couldn't resist rejoining the list.
For those who don't know me, I'll briefly introduce myself. I'm Carole and I
live on Vashon Island--just west of Seattle. About 5 years ago I became
enamored with Joni after taking a closer listen to Don Juan"s..., Hejira,
Shadows and Light, and Hissing. SIQUOMB
I was blessed to see her at both days at the Gorge this year. Talk about a
peak moment! I was spellbound. Like many of you, I thought the chance to see
her live had come and gone. I was thrilled to see a Listee from Seattle with
her joni.com shirt. I even bumped into someone I had previously traded tapes
with. I can't help but think all the love and support of this community had
encouraged Joni to tour again.
Wally, my thoughts and prayers are with you. Hope you are feeling better.
And Les, thanks for keeping it going.
Carole
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 14:10:24 EDT
From: FredNow@aol.com
Subject: What did Howie say?
stevephoto@mindspring.com wrote:
>>Now onto Howie Klein's comment in Billboard: I can't believe that he
>>is
downplaying the importance of T T T
I missed this. What did Howie say?
- -Fred
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 11:14:57 -0700 (PDT)
From: Medric Faulkner
Subject: Joni's Jazz Banner
I was a part of the group that held the banner up. A nice man who said
he was a carpenter by trade and his wife had made the banner. His name
excapes me. A group of us loyal fans who were late arrivals banded
together, made friends and helped he and his wife to raise the banner.
He and his wife spotted my TI t-shirt from the Anaheim concert and
sort of attached themselves to me. It sort of thrilled me to know that
it meant something to her. As we in the south say, "Better to be
thrilled than go around boo hooing all the time."
Medric Faulkner
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 09 Sep 1998 14:54:28 -0500
From: "Julie Z. Webb"
Subject: Memoreez Pt 3 The Final Chapter
17. A special highlight of "The JoniJunk Give-Away" was a mailed-in
package of goodies from JMDL Chicagoan, Laura Mann, which included a never
seen before---
promotional poster-ette of the "hits" album won by Jim Lamadooo! Thank you
thank you Laura!!! The following additional "junk" "won" was: A number
of Joni vinyls and cds, 2 programs from A Day in the Garden, the HDCD of
Hejira, The sheet music for Both Sides Now, the MOJO magazine, the music
book for DJRD, homeade cookies in a cookie tin, rice amulets with JMDL
printed on it, Maui silk screen prints of Joni, A stuffed baby Tiger for
all, kitty masks, and tons of misc stuff like Hollywood memorabalia,
Vienese Chocolates, Smokey Mountain Taffy, Bostonian paraphanalia,
baseball caps and books mentioned earlier...plus all the stuff Im
forgetting because I was too tipsy to remember. But I remember
breakfast....Ashara's homeade granola cereal was the best I've tasted in
years.....
18. Dawn on Sunday morning came long before we were ready to see sunlight
and hear birds chirping. I slept from 4 to 8 and was up second to Kate.
(For some reason that time of the weekend made me feel like I was part of
an ensemble movie like "The Big Chill." I half expected Ashara to come down
stairs with a box of sneakers to distribute....or fins, maybe. I passed
the opended bedroom door of Lamadoo and Paz sleeping in twin beds across
the hall. I go down the stairs and spy on Patrick and Michael Y on
differnt couches in the living room with flushed, widdle baby,seepy cheeks
peaking out of their backpacks. ;~D. It's so wierd, one minute in
cyberspace you don't know what a person looks like......the next minute at
a Jonifest you hear them snoring as you pass by. Of course all of us jmdl
women remain absolute babes in the morning.....)
I made the coffee and tried to figure out what to do with Ashara's sweet
German Shepherd, Pippin who was moaning to go out. Luckily Kate walked
into the kitchen telling me she had already had been. Kate and I start
looking for breakfast food to set out. Eventually everybody comes down for
breakfast and in our sleep deprived state, we try to make some sense in
trying to juggle those departing for planes vs. those who are planning to
sightsee. Or who actually left in the middle of the night vs who were still
asleep in the tents out back.... It became a confusing comedy of glances
and shrugs, so we did the most obvious thing: listen to more music
19. But our Tennesse tornado-ette, Marsha, who has more energy than most 16
year olds, was itchin to do Boston town(to see if 'there was good times in
the city,') and generously offered to chauffer Marian and I all over the
downtown...... and then to the airport since we both had to be there at 6
PM. So after countless hugs goodbye and employing our best spacial
abilites in loading Marian's magical guitar and luggage in a Marsha's
mid-size trunk, we were on the road again, with jmdl Marsha who is blessed
with a great sense of direction: we never got lost.
You name it, we drove past it. Boston was a crowdfest of college kids
moving-in, and and tourists hogging every parking space available near
Quincy Marketplace, so once again, we did the most obvious thing for a girl
to do: have lunch. But we weren't near any quaint cafes, so we settled on
a typical yet scrumptious Tai restaurant at a shopping strip near Boston
University...(I might as well have been in Cleveland ;~D But having
lunch with Marian and Marsha and spending the afternoon getting to know
them was wonderful---too much fun, and I hadn't thought that finding a Tai
restaurant in Vienna Austria was, like, impossible.
The three of us laughed and talked wanting to fit everything in about our
lives, because we knew the clock was ticking and that time was precious
with the few lasting NON cyber moments counting down. We talked about how
we missed Sherelle, Mary Pitassi, Mendi, Suze, Sherie, Bill D, the others
and of course: Terry Matlin, jmdler from Detroit and guitar partner to
Marian from Pgh Jonifest. Marian alone is awesome in giving us great Joni
on guitar as so many of you witnessed this weekend, (Ill never forget
"Overture from Cotton Avenue", for starters. This weekend, we didn't get
our fill of Marian's playing to say the least.....) but to have Terry and
Marian paired up, there was a certain non-stop magic that they possessed:
they kept on giving us Joni all night long with their combined tuning
experience----- so much so, that We've gotta make sure those two, at
least, make Colorado...and you know there may be more! And with that, Ill
end here
-Yours till 1999 in Colorado, Julie
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 09 Sep 1998 15:06:40 -0500
From: "Julie Z. Webb"
Subject: ps.
correction from my "Last Chapter" post:
"peaking out of their backpacks." Should read " peaking out of thier
sleeping bags....."
"were still asleep in the tents out back" should read "was still asleep"
-julie, who is embarrased about never proof reading my posts. I know I
know I need a spanking from Uncle Paul I ..... ;~D
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 09 Sep 1998 15:07:59 -0400
From: Marsha
Subject: Re: I'm back (NJC)
Cblakey5@aol.com wrote:
>
> It feels great to be back again after @ 1 1/2 yr. break. I have a new
> computer and a new partner so I couldn't resist rejoining the list.
Welcome back, Carole. I think you will find a healthy and
active list happening here these days.
Glad to see you post and so wonderful you got to see Joni
live in May!
Regards,
Marsha, just got my phone installed, the fridge, W/D, and
waiting on the new bed here in my own new space in Knoxvegas
p.s. for those of you who know Sarah (Connor) now "Ripley"
the DJ, I just heard her do a promo here on the local
hard rock station "the X" and she is somewhat of a famous
person in these parts. They have a website at:
http://www.987thex.com
where Sarah has her own page and a soundbite, really cute...
(I'll say hi from listas when I get settled and see her, since
she has yet to get a pc and can't do it from work)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 15:16:18 EDT
From: FredNow@aol.com
Subject: Re: This just in...film at 11...
Michael Paz wrote:
>>We can also start a joni tribute band (any ideas on
names??? the
>>JoanTones, Little Green Men, Siquomb Singers, Boys to
Joanes,???
Tones For Joan's Bones (actually the title of a tune by jazz pianist Chick
Corea).
- -Fred
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 16:08:53 EDT
From: FredNow@aol.com
Subject: Joni Mitchell Unleashes 'Tiger'
Joni Mitchell Unleashes 'Tiger'
BPI/Billboard
LOS ANGELES (Sept. 9) - Joni Mitchell
, who was considering retirement from the vagaries of a fickle music
business only a year ago, has invested her latest album, ''Taming The Tiger,''
with a newfound passion and optimism that has the artist feeling hopeful about
its prospects.
''My prejudices against popularity are many, but I'm trying to get bigger,''
says Mitchell. ''I like the way this record turned out, plus my stock has
risen lately with Janet Jackson sampling me in her hit "Got 'Til It's Gone''
and with my becoming a tabloider. More heads are turning at airports these
days.''
The album is due out Sept. 29.
''I'm not a typical artist of my generation, as my driving will isn't broken
down. I haven't even peaked yet,'' Mitchell says. ''I'm a serious musician in
that I'm in it for the music. Unfortunately, this doesn't always make a record
company happy. The pattern is to knock people for trying new things, and I've
had my fair share of two-star reviews. I experiment because I'm restless and
get bored easily.''
After tinkering for 2+ years, Mitchell felt ready to unleash ''Tiger.''
Creativity for the project was stoked when director Allison Anders asked
Mitchell to write a song for a grieving scene in the film ''Grace Of My
Heart.''
''I told her, 'I want to do it, but I'm not a hack. I can't write on cue, and
the only song I have in me now is 'I hate show biz,' '' Mitchell says. ''She
told me to write that song and she'd fit it somewhere.
''Meanwhile, my cat Nietzsche, who my boyfriend called Man From Mars because
he walks on two legs and looks like a classic Martian, had taken to piddling
everywhere. I got mad and told him, 'If you want to act like an animal, you'll
live like one.' I put him outside, and he gave me a look of betrayal before
taking off. I was trying to write the song but was going through all the
emotions of loss and guilt. I hung fliers and would search the neighborhood at
night. After 17 days, I had written the grieving song Allison needed based on
my loss.''
On the 18th day, Mitchell was reunited with her feline muse, allowing her to
refocus on the show-biz-sucks track, ''Taming The Tiger.''
''It's a racket, a business of wet dreams, and what chance in hell does that
leave women in their 50s?'' Mitchell says. ''Companies hang on to you for
prestige but won't do anything to promote your work, especially if the public
voice has criticized you. It's like being an athlete all suited up but sitting
on the bench. It's hard to endure, but most artists will have to live it.''
Mitchell says the problem stems from constant pandering to ''hip.'' She
explains, ''Instead of enthusiasm for something original, you hear, 'Well,
what are we going to do with that?' The system trains people to be purchasers
manipulated by hip, in and out, hot and not hot. But hip is hindsight, so I
stood my ground and plowed on. If you avoid doing what's cool, you won't have
bell-bottom pants on your songs down the road.''
Mitchell also gets pinned with the unappealing tag of ''heritage artist.'' ''I
have to compete with myself and often get panned for not playing my old stuff.
I was careful to stay out of '60s and '70s repackaging so as not to be wrapped
up and kissed off for early retirement,'' she says. ''My chords reflect my
complex life, which is why my simple old songs don't suit me. It's good folky
pop music, but it's like primary colors when you like aubergine. It's hard to
know who I'm addressing, knowing that my generation doesn't buy records and
typical younger ones reject me as their parents' contemporary.''
And nothing gets her goat more than being ''referred to as highminded and
dismissed while watching cheap imitations use my name to launch careers and go
platinum.''
''If you can like them, why can't you like me?'' she says. ''It's better for
you and almost tastes the same. It's provocative and might take a little
thinking, but the rewards are limitless when the product is good.''
With all these obstacles, it's no wonder that Mitchell almost announced her
swan song after 30 years and 19 albums. ''I was sitting here in the Daily
Grill in Brentwood, Calif., and I told the waitress I was going to quit. She
burst into tears and told me how much she loved my music and used it to
articulate her feelings when she couldn't find the words,'' she says. ''That
made me feel good. People on the street have always been where I got my good
reviews. It helped me to realize I still had things to say.''
The 11 tracks on ''Taming The Tiger'' are an extension of Mitchell's longtime
love affair with smooth jazz, ambient new age soundscapes, layered sounds, and
poetic lyrics chock-full of allusions and metaphors. Opener ''Harlem In
Havana'' invites listeners to step right up to a bouncy tune fashioned after
traditional carnival-midway music. ''It's quite a dense mix. If you don't pay
attention, you'll miss something,'' Mitchell warns.
Next is Mitchell's lament for her lost cat, ''Man From Mars,'' followed by a
ballad of anguish and love called ''Love Puts On A New Face.''
Mitchell picks up the pace for ''Lead Balloon'' and delivers some of her folk-
roots sound on ''Facelift.''
She scrutinizes a current state of affairs in ''No Apologies.'' ''The
introspective artist is like a canary in a coal mine in that they are the
first to feel things,'' Mitchell reasons. ''If they are worth a salt, they
should turn a jaundiced eye toward society and look for a vaccine. That's the
difference between artists and stars. Stars are only concerned with
twinkling.''
The first single, ''Crazy Cries Of Love,'' was penned by Don Freed, who
describes the mesmerizing effect of young love. Wayne Shorter's lilting sax
helps achieve a misty-eyed, warm, fuzzy atmosphere overall.
A Shorter solo also opens ''Stay In Touch,'' another mellow ballad. Mitchell
says, ''Wayne is an undervalued, amazing talent. He crawls over notes and has
a relationship with them. He is welcome to scribble all over my songs.''
Mitchell covers ''My Best To You,'' written in 1942 by Gene Willadsen and
Isham Jones. It's accompanied by alt.country pedal steel genius Greg Leisz,
who recently cameoed on Grant Lee Buffalo's ''Jubilee.''
Hidden track ''Tiger Bones'' is a sparse instrumental version of the title
track that showcases the guitar part without all the orchestration.
Mitchell's last original album was 1994's ''Turbulent Indigo.'' Besides
selling 275,000 copies, it reached No. 47 on The Billboard 200 and scored two
Grammys.
In 1996, she released the dual retrospective collections ''Joni Mitchell
Hits'' and ''Joni Mitchell Misses.'' ''Hits'' peaked at No. 161 on The
Billboard 200, while ''Misses'' failed to chart. They sold 150,000 and 45,000
copies, respectively, according to SoundScan.
Her older albums, like 1971's ''Blue'' and 1974's ''Court And Spark,'' check
in with much higher numbers, peaking at No. 15 and No. 2 and having sold
210,000 and 250,000 copies, respectively, since SoundScan started charting
sales in 1991.
Mitchell will be the subject of a 90-minute live special airing nationally in
November. Subsequent airings may be scheduled on VH1 or PBS.
Fans of Mitchell's live show can also catch her Sept. 18 at a benefit for the
Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. She also performed a set at A Day in
the Garden, held Aug. 14-16 at the site of the original Woodstock in Bethel,
N.Y., and did a West Coast mini-tour with fellow rock giants Bob Dylan and Van
Morrison.
''It took a great bill like that to get me on the road, because I don't have
the appetite for applause anymore,'' Mitchell says.
She may give in and travel the U.S. in October or November. Meanwhile, other
artists sing her praises in interviews and deliver versions of her songs -
like Joshua Redman jazzing up ''I Had A King'' on his upcoming ''Timeless
Tales'' - and turn more listeners on to Mitchell's magic.
Singer-songwriter Jennifer Kimball gushes at the mere mention of her name. ''I
don't think there is any female writer/guitar player who has been more
influential,'' she says. ''Everything she does is complex and beautiful. Her
voice is one of the most beautiful things in the world to listen to.''
Regardless of how ''Tiger'' fares, Mitchell says the acknowledgment of her
influence on the modern musical map is proof enough that the hard work hasn't
been in vain.
''I don't have a false modesty. I know the work is good, but I appreciate the
compliment that covers are. You can never hear enough nice things,'' she says.
As for the aforementioned retirement, Mitchell says she isn't sure where the
music will go from here. She is certain she won't start playing the game now
and admits that she is tired of being ''told I'm poop when I'm great, and
great when I'm poop by the looming public voice.''
''Not that anyone should feel sorry for me,'' she adds. ''I'm not a starving
artist, and my career let me meet great people and see the world. I've had a
hankering to explore my painting more. After all, my music bought a lot of oil
paint.''
APEX-09-09-98 1324EDT
------------------------------
End of JMDL Digest V3 #345
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Siquomb, isn't she?