From: les@jmdl.com (JMDL Digest) To: joni-digest@smoe.org Subject: JMDL Digest V4 #517 Reply-To: joni@smoe.org Sender: les@jmdl.com Errors-To: les@jmdl.com Precedence: bulk JMDL Digest Wednesday, November 17 1999 Volume 04 : Number 517 The Official Joni Mitchell Homepage is maintained by Wally Breese at http://www.jonimitchell.com and contains the latest news, a detailed bio, original interviews and essays, lyrics, and much more. ------- The JMDL website can be found at http://www.jmdl.com and contains interviews, articles, the member gallery, archives, and much more. ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- Re: A Zen Moment ["Raffaele Malanga" ] Lyrics ["Raffaele Malanga" ] Re: broken strings ["Marian Russell" ] Re: NEFest99 Boxed Set Credit-where-due [MDESTE1@aol.com] Turbulent Indigo strumming (was: broken strings) [Howard Wright ] Re: Joni's voice ["Catherine McKay" ] Re: red riding hood (NJC) ["Catherine McKay" ] Re: Wally and Joni ["Catherine McKay" ] Re: Channel 4 Music of the Millennium (VLJC) ["Catherine McKay" ] Re: Jimmy Webb, Part 2 (NJC) ["Catherine McKay" ] CD prices (SJC) ["Takats, Angela" ] Welcome ["Catherine McKay" ] NJC Gig of the Year (Taj content) ["Paul Castle" ] Canucks (njc) ["Brett Code" ] RE: Jimmy Webb, Part 2 (NJC) [Anne Sandstrom ] RE: NJC Siberry and Mulvey ["Wally Kairuz" ] Re: broken strings [Randy Remote ] Re: Jimmy Webb, Part 2 (NJC) ["Kakki" ] Re: NEFest99 Boxed Set Credit-where-due [Brian Gross ] Joni: the long and short [Julie Webb ] Re: Joni: the long and short [zapuppy2@webtv.net (Penny)] Cumberland Island...long....(NJC) [waytoblu@mindspring.com] Come In From The Cold NJC [catman ] RE: Come In From The Cold NJC ["Wally Kairuz" ] Got it bad (NJC) ["Kakki" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 02:41:32 PST From: "Raffaele Malanga" Subject: Re: A Zen Moment Jimmy wrote: << Just had to share this with my friends... It was such an incredible feeling. Just sitting there watching the man I love with our two dogs fast asleep on his lap, listening to Joni, together. It was truly a Zen moment!!! >> This was really touching. Thank you Jimmy for sharing. My best, Raffaele (in London) ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 03:06:56 PST From: "Raffaele Malanga" Subject: Lyrics Hi Colin, a few days ago you posted a message (which I lost) about doing a speech inspired by some Joni's songs. Among those you mentioned "Sex kills". Now, I am aware that you listers may have discussed this already in the past, but I would be very interested in your interpretation of those lyrics. I know it's a song about violence in L.A. (as Joni says in the PWWAM video). I've always thought of it as a song about AIDS, but it may well be a superficial and a too straightforward association with the title that I am making. I'd love to hear your opinion. Talking about lyrics, I must say that I will post very often asking for your interpretations. Here in London I am attending a part-time course in Communication Design (although my age is far from being that of a student!), dealing very much with web design and multimedia, and I've decided to dedicate my second year major project to some lyrics of JM. It is meant to be a sort of visual experience with text, movies, visuals, graphics and small interactive pieces on a number of subjects inspired by one or more Joni's lyrics. The title of the project could be "Joni Mitchell Never Lies", but I'm still thinking about it (any ideas?). Of course I will use my imagination and my personal interpretation of the lyrics, but it would be really helpful if I can have the possibility to hear from you on some issues (I can give you credit in the project credits!) I'd be happy to have your opinion on my idea. Thank you so much. All my best Raffaele ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 12:15:23 CET From: "Marian Russell" Subject: Re: broken strings Dan wrote: to minimize string breakage: > >Raise and LOWER tuning slowly. I'm amazed at how often a string breaks >while lowering the tension! Go about halfway, and let it rest a second, and >then go on the rest of the way to your desired pitch. I think it does help to do this, but it's hard to know for sure. I've made some really radical changes in tunings back and forth and not had any breakage and then put on a new set of strings and had one or more break after just a couple of changes which were not at all radical. I think in these cases, it is a weakness in the string itself - poor quality, or some defect - rather than the changes themselves. I use Martin light-gauge strings, but only because that's what's commonly available in Austria. But I also always keep extra strings on hand, and extra extras of the ones that break a lot like the 1st, 3rd and 4th strings. The singles are Ernie Ball (phosphor bronze for the wound strings) and they seem very durable, lasting much longer than the Martins even though they are the same gauge. I never tune my guitar into standard tuning anymore. If I need a standard tuning, I tune it a whole step lower for all of the strings (top and bottom strings are D - the pattern is D55545) and use a capo if I need a higher key. I call this D-standard tuning. I break a lot fewer strings this way! >I must add my thanks to Sue for organizing such a wonderful selection of >Joni's music, as well as all the "tabbers," particularly from the JMDL. >And thank you Marian, for the tuning "database"! Very nice and useful >piece of work! Sue's Guitar Files are truly a wonderful resource and it has been a pleasure to be able to contribute to them. I only wish there were more Joni songs to tab. I'm very glad to know you find the tuning database useful - would welcome any suggestions for making it better. I've thought maybe adding the possibility to download the database in Excel or text format might be nice. Regards to all my dear Jonifriends. Marian (still recovering from bronchitis at home) Vienna ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 07:54:02 EST From: MDESTE1@aol.com Subject: Re: NEFest99 Boxed Set Credit-where-due Very well stated in detail Chuck. The production work that had to go into it was incredible. Les, you da man. marcel deste. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 13:12:02 +0000 (GMT) From: Howard Wright Subject: Turbulent Indigo strumming (was: broken strings) SueMac wrote: >Also you are >right about the strum on TI. It is one of her frustrating shuffles which >is very hard for me to play exactly as she plays it on the record. I >think I end up playing 6/8 instead of whatever crazy timesignature she is >in. Howard--help me here!! :-) You're spot on Sue - the classic Joni Shuffle is a 6/8 type of thing. (Or 12/8 if you prefer - basically the same idea!) The key is that, although there are 4 strong beats to the bar, the guitar strumming pattern is based on triplets. For each "strong" beat, count three, e.g: your 4/4 count of: 1 2 3 4 becomes: 1-2-3 2-2-3 3-2-3 4-2-3 This is the basic strumming rhythm used on all Joni's shuffle classics (TI, Cherokee Louise, Harlem in Havana, Crazy Cries of Love etc). It can take time to get the basic pattern right - and then there are extra Joni subtleties to work in - i.e which beats are accented etc, but if you can get the triplet idea working, your almost there! I guess I can put in a plug here ... this triplet/shuffle strumming pattern was covered in the notes I did for the "Taming The Tiger" songbook. If you have a copy, take a look - the same idea applies to TI. One thing that may help - listen to the rythms when Joni sings "paper thin walls" in Crazy Cries of Love. Repeat this over and over - "paper thin paper thin paper thin ..." - this is the same basic 1-2-3 2-2-3 triplet pattern. If you can "feel" this triplet pattern, as well as the slower regular count of 1 2 3 4, you're there. Try using alternate thumb and finger strokes with your strumming hand, on the triplet pattern, and see how that sounds ... Howard ******************************************************* Howard.Wright@ed.ac.uk Every country has smart people in it. The trouble is : none of these smart people ever go into politics. - Frank Zappa ******************************************************** ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 13:09:19 -0000 From: philipf@tinet.ie Subject: Re: Jimmy Webb - All I Know (NJC) On a United Airlines flight during the summer I found a Jimmy Webb Channel on their entertainment panel. He was doing a sort of master class about how he wrote the songs etc. I don't know if it's still on but my advise to Webb fans would be to fly with United and of course as Michael mentioned - never leave your cake out in the rain. Philip ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 08:41:57 -0500 From: Susan McNamara Subject: Re: Turbulent Indigo strumming (was: broken strings) Thanks Howard! You have a knack for simplifying the unexplainable!! :-) That inspires me to tackle Cherokee Louise! take care, Sue >SueMac wrote: > >>Also you are >>right about the strum on TI. It is one of her frustrating shuffles which >>is very hard for me to play exactly as she plays it on the record. I >>think I end up playing 6/8 instead of whatever crazy timesignature she is >>in. Howard--help me here!! :-) > >You're spot on Sue - the classic Joni Shuffle is a 6/8 type of thing. >(Or 12/8 if you prefer - basically the same idea!) > >The key is that, although there are 4 strong beats to the bar, the guitar >strumming pattern is based on triplets. For each "strong" beat, count >three, e.g: > >your 4/4 count of: > >1 2 3 4 > >becomes: > >1-2-3 2-2-3 3-2-3 4-2-3 > >This is the basic strumming rhythm used on all Joni's shuffle classics >(TI, Cherokee Louise, Harlem in Havana, Crazy Cries of Love etc). > >It can take time to get the basic pattern right - and then there are extra >Joni subtleties to work in - i.e which beats are accented etc, but if you >can get the triplet idea working, your almost there! > >I guess I can put in a plug here ... this triplet/shuffle strumming >pattern was covered in the notes I did for the "Taming The Tiger" >songbook. If you have a copy, take a look - the same idea applies to TI. > >One thing that may help - listen to the rythms when Joni sings "paper thin >walls" in Crazy Cries of Love. Repeat this over and over - "paper thin >paper thin paper thin ..." - this is the same basic 1-2-3 2-2-3 triplet >pattern. > >If you can "feel" this triplet pattern, as well as the slower regular >count of 1 2 3 4, you're there. Try using alternate thumb and finger >strokes with your strumming hand, on the triplet pattern, and see how that >sounds ... > > >Howard > > > ******************************************************* > Howard.Wright@ed.ac.uk > > Every country has smart people in it. The trouble is : > none of these smart people ever go into politics. > > - Frank Zappa > ******************************************************** ____________________ /____________________\ ||-------------------|| || Sue McNamara || || sem8@cornell.edu || ||___________________|| || O etch-a-sketch O || \___________________/ weekend email address: suemc16@webtv.net "It's all a dream she has awake" - Joni Mitchell ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 09:26:25 EST From: MINGSDANCE@aol.com Subject: Re: JMDL Digest V4 #514 "Jazz takes on Joni" Way to go David ! When one shoots for the moon they will certinly see stars. I have been enjoying your CD on my long drives ever since I won it on the list. I'll be Pow-Wowing with the spirts on your behalf.... Best of luck, Mingus ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 09:41:40 -0500 From: Anne Sandstrom Subject: RE: NEFest99 Boxed Set Credit-where-due Applause, applause... Les, can you hear the standing ovation by all us JMDLers for you? [I'm imagining all 600 or so of us in Ashara's backyard, while we coax Les up on stage/porch to take a well-derserved bow.] Great, great work Les! Thank you from all of us. Anne ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 02:41:57 +0200 From: j.pukkila@pp.inet.fi Subject: Re: S+L and M of A on cd Martin wrote: > Tony from Oxford said on Friday > > > Have not seen, over here at least, either Miles of Aisles > > or Shadows and Light on CD which I would not mind adding to my > collection. > > Definitely look out for the import version of S&L, because the > original > single CD version has at least one track missing - Free Man In Paris, > I > think. The import version is also HDCD if that makes any difference to > > you. I had to get my copy through CDNow. HDCD also has a couple of longer versions of the tracks, compared to the LP or other CD's. I don't have the HDCD, but at least the back sleeve claims so. > The video of S&L was available at Amazon a few months back, but only > NTSC. So if your video player can only play PAL tapes your out of > luck. > I love the album so much, I went out and bought a new video player > just > so I could play the video!! > > BUT...Be warned - the video is not cheap, and I ended up having to pay > > import duties and VAT in addition to P&P which took the totla cost up > to > somewhere in the region of 50 UK style smackers! ALSO, if you are used > > to the vinyl version of the album, be warned that it is slightly > different. Jaco gets a solo on the vid, but Woodstock is missing :-( > Seeing as I am now missing an arm and a leg, I play my copy quite a > lot. > Which is nice. "Raised On Robbery" is also on the video but not on any of the audio formats. Not so nice. > The CD of MofA I ordered from MVC (In Harrow) - I suppose any shop can > > get it if they can. Regular CD of MOA has the Joni chatter bits erased which appear on LP. HDCD has those restored. - --jussi ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 15:15:03 GMT From: "Catherine McKay" Subject: Re: VIBE magazine >In a message dated 11/12/99 11:27:14 PM US Central Standard Time, >p.a.oconnor@worldnet.att.net writes: > >So...6 of the 10 songs rate on the Bleak side, which does indicate a >Bleak >feel to the album, however it is not nearly enough to qualify >it as >Brutally Bleak. Bob replied: >Patricia, this is an excellent assessment...I think critics that >dwell on >Blue's "Brutal Bleakness" just really don't know it that >well. Like you >say, some of those dulcimer songs are so exuberant >and joyful, that's what >makes the whole record work. It's what makes >the sad songs seem stronger, >I think. I pretty much agree with both of you, although it's interesting that I never thought of "Little Green" as bleak. Admittedly, on first hearing it, I didn't know about Joni's daughter, and thought she was talking about someone else, a close friend and this friend's child perhaps. I always thought of "Little Green" as a bittersweet type of song. ("There'll be icicles, and birthday clothes, and sometimes there'll be sorrow.") In retrospect, you can see that it's a very mother-to-daughter song, but I still see it as bittersweet. The problem is, how do you rate bittersweet? It's not bleak, but it's not happy either, and yet, you'd only rate it as "neutral" because the positive and negative cancel each other out (and yet they don't.) Another case of convoluted thinking on my part. I have difficulty rating things or making things black and white, which is why I tend to be kind of namby-pamby about a lot of things. Half the time I don't even know what to have for supper. If you're going to rate this kind of song, you probably need one of those darned matrix-type rating systems, the kind of things they make you do when you go on one of those silly management-type courses, where you answer a bunch of questions about yourself, so you can figure out which group you fit into. There are usually only 4 groups, but they use different names according to whose scale it is (kind of a flavour-of-the-month thing). One of them I went to had us all rated as kinds of birds and, if I'm not mistaken, I was a "dove" (I bet some of you figured I was a hawk, surprise, surprise.) Anyway, how nice of them to fit us all into these neat little categories. Ranting and rambling, as usual, not trying to be argumentative at all, but definitely not a "rater", and it's probably a good thing I don't have a big wardrobe so there's usually not much trouble deciding what to wear in the morning (what doesn't need ironing is the important question.) Catherine (in Toronto) cateri@hotmail.com ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 15:49:28 GMT From: "Catherine McKay" Subject: Re: Joni's voice On Nov 13, Colin asked: >I ma sure this has been asked and answered before but I can't >rmember. >Joni's voice changed markedly after Blue, especially on HOSL. >Although it >sounded more like her voice on STAS. >Was the voice change deliberate on her part? Or was it natural? I >wouldn''t expect her to sing now like she does on Blue for example, >but >her voice change happened when she was still quite young. Forgive me if this has already been answered. I'm still reading stuff from the 13th. I do remember either reading or hearing an interview with Joni where she said that the "high" voice she sang with on some of her earlier stuff (but not STAS evidently) was pretty much a "falsetto" and that her "real" voice was actually in a lower register. And more recently, her voice is lower still due to aging and too many cigarettes, I guess. For my part, I prefer the lower voice. Catherine (in Toronto) cateri@hotmail.com ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 16:14:39 GMT From: "Catherine McKay" Subject: Re: red riding hood (NJC) Victor said: >I forgot to mention that I played this song for Emily Saliers(Indigo > >Girls) on her guitar a few years ago ....the only time I've ever > >performed for a celebrity...now if I could play a song for Joni on >her >guitar I would probably die and go to heaven...... :>) > Way to go, Waytoblu. Good for you. I know we can't hear the music, but the words were good - I particularly liked the "Why do you want to know?" line, which evoked a sense of sinister-ness. I also appreciate ambiguity/different ways of looking at things, and that was there too. Keep up the good work, Victor! Catherine (in Toronto) cateri@hotmail.com ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 16:30:53 GMT From: "Catherine McKay" Subject: Re: Wally and Joni Gina writes to Wally saying: >I just went to the Joni site and saw the brief note from Wally and >the >photo there of him and Joni. Wally, I have never met you but the >warmth of >your lovely smile says worlds about you. I am, of course, >looking forward >along with everyone one else to the details of your >weekend with Joni but >just knowing that you had the experience makes >me really happy and your >smile tells it all (well, almost) : } Gina, you've said it so well. My feelings echo yours. It is a beautiful and touching photograph. Wally, I wish you all the very best - your e-mail name says it too. Wally, be well. "Here's to you, may your dreams come true, and may God bless, this is my best to you." Catherine (in Toronto) cateri@hotmail.com ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 16:39:44 GMT From: "Catherine McKay" Subject: Re: Channel 4 Music of the Millennium (VLJC) Chilly Azeem provides us this list: >10 Bach >9 Dylan >8 Bowie >7 Mozart >6 Robbie Williams (That juxtaposition is at least worth a chuckle) >5 Paul McCartney >4 Jimi Hendrix >3 Michael Jackson >2 Elvis >1 John Lennon Considering it's supposed to be top music of the *millenium*, not just the century, or say the last 30 years or so, it's nice to see Bach in there (which one? ha ha.) And Mozart. Right up there with Robbie Williams and Michael Jackson. Uh-huh. Who makes this stuff up anyway and does anyone actually take it seriously? (And now, here's Madonna to sing Mozart's "Exultate, Jubilate". Followed by PJ Harvey covering Bach from Bach to Front.) Get me off this planet, puh-leez! Catherine (in Toronto) cateri@hotmail.com ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 16:43:33 GMT From: "Catherine McKay" Subject: Re: NJC Siberry and Mulvey >Peter Mulvey will perform at Genghis Cohen Cantina on December 13th >(LA?). You've gotta love a name like Genghis Cohen! That's a great name! Catherine (in Toronto) cateri@hotmail.com ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 16:59:33 GMT From: "Catherine McKay" Subject: Re: Jimmy Webb, Part 2 (NJC) Ashara wrote: >OHMYGOSH!!!!!!!! I almost forgot to tell you!!!! At the end of his >set, >right before his encore, he said "And I want to say hi to all >the Joni >Mitchell fans that are in the audience." Thanks to Paul >Castle, who >alerted his management that we JMDLers would be in the >audience, he >remembered to say hi to us!!! Of course, we yelled and >screamed, and made >complete fools of ourselves for all to see and hear when he said that! >Thanks, Paul!!!! Like Ashara, I knew Jimmy Webb was the writer of so many songs done by other people - but I've never heard him do his own stuff. I can go out and do that (of course), but I'd like to hear people's opinions on what he sounds like. I understood he didn't perform because he was shy, but that may be just a myth. Is it kind of a Carole King thing where they wrote mostly for others and only later on performed their own stuff (for whatever reason - is it their choice, or did some producer didn't think their style was marketable enough?) Catherine (in Toronto) cateri@hotmail.com ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Nov 1999 05:00:06 +1100 From: "Takats, Angela" Subject: CD prices (SJC) Hey all, I know this won't really interest most of you, but I'm rather shitty and had to have a little bitch. I am so sick of paying so much for CD's in Australia - - it is beyond a joke, and what's more annoying is that there's not even consistency in the pricing....yesterday I saw MOA for $36, next store I went in it was $26, and then I saw Hejira for $15 (I paid $32 when I bought it 2 yrs ago) where's the logic?...then DJRD was sitting on the shelf for $35, the SAME cd behind it was priced at $31 - when I asked the shop keeper what the hell this means, he said something like one was from Japan, the other from the US....annoying! But, on the positive side, I found a double James Taylor CD (J.T. and Flag) for $14.....sigh - eases the pain of me feeling totally ripped off most of the time when it comes to CD purchases. - - Ange From across the sea in Sydney - place of expensive/dodgy CDs ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 18:53:34 GMT From: "Catherine McKay" Subject: Welcome Welcome to a fellow Canadian. (Do any of us actually call *ourselves* Canucks, or is that just a term the Yanks use for us.) Catherine (in Toronto) cateri@hotmail.com ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 18:56:04 -0500 From: "Paul Castle" Subject: NJC Gig of the Year (Taj content) Despite Les telling me he had once driven 300 miles to see Jan Garbarek, and Lori offering to fly over to see Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill with me, two things [Three things - I'm counting my fingers like The Knights who say "ni"] drew me to Taj Mahall last night - Linda's post to say that she had once opened for him (wow!!) - a love of the kora, having played with an African kora player for a while years ago, and finally, hearing a track, ('Ol' Georgie Buck') from his new album on the radio and going "ooh ooh what's that?] The preview said "Joined by six of the finest West African musicians, this exploration of connections between the blues and their African roots is a true musical adventure" and the Sunday Times review said "For music that plugs straight into your soul look no further". The thing I notice most is the atmosphere in the Festival Hall - the audience, normally a little too formal and reserved in here, seem to be all gasping for air, with, what feel like rushes of spontaneous applause breaking out in different parts of the hall at different times, everyone smiling and urging these wonderful players to really go for it. I'd never seen Taj Mahal before. I instantly like him and like the way he rocks from foot to foot when he plays - solid and rooted and comfortable. Soon Toumani Diabate, a Malian kora master and his smiling band of players of strange and wonderful instruments, join him on stage - a (I learn this morning) 'balafon' player, (what I thought of as a marimba), another (bass?) kora player and a 'ngoni' player (I'd love one of these - a flat very thin ukelele-sized instrument with what looked like a stick for a neck that Taj Mahal said was an original African precursor to the banjo. What a sound! At a link off http://www.guitarsite.com/newsletters/991011/22.shtml it says that Taj is convinced that he is decended from Mali's Kouyate tribe, the first family of Mande griots, or storytelling musicians and singers, and agrees with musicologists who cite West Africa as a spiritual and musical fountainhead of the blues. "The Mande people are the ones responsible for the way guitars and banjos were played in the United States, " he explains, "and they're also the creators of that specific rhythmic style, the lompa-tonka-lompa-tonka groove you hear when someone picks up a blues guitar and starts picking on it. They also have that sad sound, the melancholy, that you hear as much in the blues as in the older African music" Although born in Harlem, Taj said his mother was from South Carolina and that 'Ol' Georgie Buck' was the kind of song SC mothers would sing to their babies. "Bet Bob Muller knows this one", I thought. PaulC ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 12:21:38 -0700 From: "Brett Code" Subject: Canucks (njc) Catherine, I've sure never called myself or anyone else I know a 'canuck'. Don't really even know what that word originally referred to. Brett (in Calgary) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 14:22:04 -0500 From: Anne Sandstrom Subject: RE: Jimmy Webb, Part 2 (NJC) Hi Catherine. It's definitely worth seeing him perform his own songs. He does a great job of it (I'm pretty critical of performers.) His voice is strong and melodic and his piano playing is wonderful. He also brings something to the songs, a depth of emotion, that most covers somehow don't quite get. For example, I've heard Galveston a million times. But it was like hearing it for the first time - and it's a much sadder and more poignant song than I'd realized. In part, it's his phrasing, in part the fact that it's just his voice and piano. If you have the chance, by all means go see him perform. Anne ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 17:18:41 -0300 From: "Wally Kairuz" Subject: RE: NJC Siberry and Mulvey i know this is really stupid, but whenever i read the name peter mulvey i remember that seinfeld episode about his girlfriend called mulva. wallyk ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 12:24:33 -0800 From: Randy Remote Subject: Re: broken strings A couple more tips: Sometimes, if the same string (especially the higher strings) keeps breaking, it may due to a sharp edge on the tuner hole where the string goes through, because the string takes a sharp bend there. You can wrap a little bit of emery paper around a small rat tail file or a nail, and smooth the sharp edge. Also, along the same lines, having a couple extra wraps of string around the tuner shaft will lessen the tension on that spot. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 13:20:00 -0800 From: "Kakki" Subject: Re: Jimmy Webb, Part 2 (NJC) Catherine wrote: > Like Ashara, I knew Jimmy Webb was the writer of so many songs done by other > people - but I've never heard him do his own stuff. I can go out and do > that (of course), but I'd like to hear people's opinions on what he sounds > like. He has always recorded his own albums almost from the beginning but they were very obscure and I doubt they sold well when everyone else was buying the covers from the "superstar" performers. > I understood he didn't perform because he was shy, but that may be > just a myth. According to my friend (who has a veritable vault of all things Webb) he indeed was shy and thought his voice was not good enough. Supposedly he also felt frustrated that he played piano rather than guitar and actually tried to become more of a guitar player for awhile (but went back to the piano). My friend has a rare recording of Webb performing on Glen Campbell's "Goodtime Hour" back in the late 60s and he sounds stunning. I've listened to most all his recordings over the years and for some reason his voice was at its weakest in the early 80s IMO. But in the 90s albums - "Suspending Disbelief" and "Ten Easy Pieces" - he is better than he has ever been. No album has ever affected me so emotionally as "Ten Easy Pieces" the first time I heard it. Roberto hit on it the other night in his review when he said that there is no trace of hamminess or some of the overblown or enhanced productions of those who covered his songs. When you hear the songs straight from the man it is like hearing them for the very first time in many ways. Kakki NP: CSNY - Someday Soon ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 13:23:24 -0800 (PST) From: Brian Gross Subject: Re: NEFest99 Boxed Set Credit-where-due My package arrived in today's mail. It could not have come at a better time. My day/week/month/year has been running in panic/all-out mode. But today was the worst yet. A 3.000 mile phone call helped a great deal. Thank G-d for digital cellphones and call allowances. And for all-knowing lovers ;-) So when my boxed set package arrived, I took it and my small stereo into the conference room, closed the door, and was transported back to Ashara's lawn. And my panic attack subsided as I listened again to my Joni-brothers and sisters pour out their souls into the microphones set up by Les, Chuck, and Michael. Clear as a bell. Just like being there again. Thank you, one and all who were involved in making this treasure possible. It is priceless. And as I sit here at my desk and look over at the group picture from Ashara's on my wall, a tear comes to my eye when I think about how lucky I am to have a group of friends like all of you. My Joni-family. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Take care, Brian np: Ashara doing The Gallery ===== "No paper thin walls, no folks above No one else can hear the crazy cries of love" yeah, right __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 16:29:56 -0500 From: Jerry Notaro Subject: For your consideration - NJC An interesting and fascinating statistical table provided for your >consideration. > >See how many categories you fall into..... > >***************************************************** > >If we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely 100 >people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would >look something like the following. > >There would be: >57 Asians >21 Europeans >14 from the Western Hemisphere, both North and South America > 8 Africans > >52 would be female >48 would be male > >70 would be non-white >30 would be white > >70 would be non-Christian >30 would be Christian > >89 would be heterosexual >11 would be homosexual > >6 people would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth and all 6 would >be from the United States. > >80 would live in substandard housing >70 would be unable to read > >50 would suffer from malnutrition > >1 would be near death; 1 would be near birth > >1 (yes, only 1) would have a college education >1 would own a computer > >When one considers our world from such a compressed perspective, the >need for both acceptance, understanding and education becomes glaringly >apparent. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 16 Nov 1999 00:07:41 -0500 From: Julie Webb Subject: Joni: the long and short Do you have a favorite Joni song that you wished went on longer? I've been spinning "Night Ride Home" and absolutely hate it when the song "Two Grey Rooms" ends...Somehow it feels as if it's over prematurely, especially for how lovely it is. Musicoligists out there, is this just me or is there something to this? And believe it or not, I find that the song "Don Juan's Reckless Daughter" drones on far too long. - -JulieWebb btw, a Jane Sibbery fan, I met her after a performance; if anyone wants the details, email me privately. (And she actually responded to an email I sent her!!!) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 14:27:13 -0800 (PST) From: zapuppy2@webtv.net (Penny) Subject: Re: Joni: the long and short Julie asks: <}...but I didn't. I did see a seagull fly off with a whole hamburger though when I was in 10th grade and I believe to this day there are still marks on the library wall outside where we threw the pickles from the cheeseburgers...) Also, the sunrises are truly amazing. Growing up on the Gulf of Mexico, I rarely had a chance to see sunrises so I really treasure them. I can't really imagine a better way to wake up than to run to the beach and see the sun slowly rise up and gradually fill the water with the glow of sunshine. The first day I was there, I remember a male cardinal walked up to me at my campsite and chattered at me for several minutes. I believe he came within inches of me which really surprised me. The raccoons were also very brave which didn't surprise me and I shooed them away since they were after my food and they'd walk away, seeming to have disappointed looks...it must be those masks they were. The most remarkable part of my trip came when I ill-advisedly decided to try to hike around the island to the other side. I had come alone to the island(my girlfriend had originally planned to go but couldn't get away which made this my first camping trip on my own) so at times I would be quite bored and lonely as I love speaking with people and being around friends. I do enjoy being alone( I have to be completely alone when I am writing) though this was quite a long stretch with not even a phone. Anyway, I had begun walking down the beach in the mid afternoon. Eventually, I got to the end where there is a long line of rocks. I suddenly thought it would be interesting to explore were noone one ever goes and so I walked around the rocks and continued on along the water. I figured that if I kept going eventually I would hit a path or on of the docks on the other side which is not as much of a beach but more wooded and marshy. To make a long story short, it eventually began to get dark and I found myself in the middle of a marsh with no flashlight, no water, and no clear idea where anything was. If I had thought about where I was headed earlier I might have avoided everything and turned around and gone back down the beach though I think I was actually too stubborn and I had sort of wanted things to become a little more exciting(I'm also a direct descendent of Lewis from Lewis and Clark), which they did, perhaps a little more than I bargained for. Imagine hiking for miles in water a foot high, stepping on lily pad type plants, occasionally sinking in muck up to your waist(which I did several times.) Though I was in saltwater environment, everything looked and felt like I was walking right into a nest of alligators and snakes. Occasionally I'd walk down these long stretches of land where something had flattened out the straw into a crude path and I thought, oh my god, what if I'm walking right into an alligator den. And then when I got to more brushy land and tried walking through, palmettoes basically tore into my legs so I avoided anything wooded, which was just as well since I wouldn't have been able to see where I was going anyway. I kept thinking that it was a bad dream since it seemed too terrible and awful to be real and yet it was though I think part of me was not really convinced. Ironically, earlier that day I had sat at the Greyfield Inn on a porch swing, sipping from a glass of lemonade, sketching the palm trees...in a matter of hours I had gone from the best possible place to be to the worst. And noone had any idea where I was! I never stopped since I was determined to make it back to my campsite and eventually that paid off. I got to what looked like a sand dune and after climbing over the hills for maybe a mile or so, I came to the boardwalk that leads from the camping area to the beach. I didn't recognize it at first though when I figured out I had made it back this incredible feeling of gratification came over me. I didn't even mind a cold shower to get all the muck off of me. My sleeping bag had never felt so warm, the music on my cd player had never sounded so good( I think it was Grateful Dead Dozing at the Knick), and sleep had never come at a better time. I don't have much more to say after that though I did write a new song while I was there(one of the best yet I think) that was sort of indirectly inspired by the movie American Beauty. I saw it a couple of weeks prior to my trip. I remember walking into the theatre around 5 and coming out into the dark and the rain, just illuminated with this incredible sense of beauty and appreciation for beauty. I remember thinking it was remarkable how powerfully this movie affected me( perhaps other people had a similiar experience) though I have heard from other people that they were quite disturbed by it. For me it was completely opposite, some sort of catharthis feeling. Ange, I really feel that I connected with Cumberland Island in a way which I don't think will ever happen again. Though being hardheaded, who knows where I might end up. Victor NP: Miles Davis- Kind of Blue ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 18 Nov 1999 00:29:44 +0000 From: catman Subject: Come In From The Cold NJC Winter is here! -2celcius outside not much better inside. Wind chill factor is worse. Very windy here-surrounded by flatness for many miles. Good job we have a superkingsize bed as the dogs will have to sleep in it. no central heating here. Still better than the city anyday or night, freezing or not! - -- "It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not." ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 22:21:35 -0300 From: "Wally Kairuz" Subject: RE: Come In From The Cold NJC oh colin! i envy you so much! it's 28 celsius here at 10 pm, and it's only november. i don't want to think what this is going to be like in january. fortunately, i'll be somewhere in the northern hemisphere by then! i really must love my jmdl family to distraction to consider going to new orleans in late may. wallyk - ----- Mensaje original ----- De: catman Para: jmdl Enviado: Miércoles 17 de Noviembre de 1999 21:29 Asunto: Come In From The Cold NJC > Winter is here! -2celcius outside not much better inside. Wind chill > factor is worse. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 20:29:21 EST From: Ginamu@aol.com Subject: Re: Come In From The Cold NJC In a message dated 11/17/1999 7:35:37 PM Eastern Standard Time, catman@ethericcats.demon.co.uk writes: << Winter is here! -2celcius outside not much better inside. Wind chill factor is worse. Very windy here-surrounded by flatness for many miles. Good job we have a superkingsize bed as the dogs will have to sleep in it. no central heating here. Still better than the city anyday or night, freezing or not! >> Colin, I heat my home with only one forced hot air radiator downstairs and a wood furnace in the basement of my country house which was built in the mid 1800s. There is no heat upstairs at all. We actually like jumping into the flannel sheets and pulling the down comforter up to our chins. We're toastie at night and in the morning it almost seems too warm until one pokes a foot out from under the comforter and feels the winter chill. Then it's run down in the morning to make a fire in the fireplace, let it crackle while you shower and come back and dry off in front of it, while the dog and cats look dreamily on as if to say "aaaah, this is more like it!". I wouldn't trade my hilltown existence for any other. Surrounded by lovely hills and rivers, with three college towns within a 30 mile radius to keep us on our toes culturally (chilly though they are) this is the spot for me. I'm glad you're so much happier than you were in London and I understand exactly why. But I *am* jealous of that king size bed! : } Your American country counterpart, Gina NP: Martin Sexton - The American ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 21:08:00 EST From: FMYFL@aol.com Subject: Re: Joni: the long and short Julie (happy belated birthday) asks: << Do you have a favorite Joni song that you wished went on longer? >> Well Julie, you definitely hit the nail on the head with "Two Grey Rooms". The other song I wish were longer is "Electricity" Jimmy ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 21:35:24 EST From: SCJoniGuy@aol.com Subject: Re: NJC Gig of the Year (Taj content) Paul C said about an ole' SC folk song: << "Bet Bob Muller knows this one", I thought. >> Funny you mention this Paul, I just got this obscure recording of Joni singing "Ol' Georgie Buck"...LOL! Just kidding y'all!! Bob NP: Wally K, "This Flight Tonight" ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 21:43:03 EST From: SCJoniGuy@aol.com Subject: Re: Thanksgiving In a message dated 11/17/99 3:28:27 PM US Central Standard Time, BrianGross@rocketmail.com writes: << And as I sit here at my desk and look over at the group picture from Ashara's on my wall, a tear comes to my eye when I think about how lucky I am to have a group of friends like all of you. My Joni-family. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. >> Stop Brian, now you're making ME cry... Bob NP: Wally K, "Circle Game" (in that wonderful Wally-accent!) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 21:49:49 EST From: SCJoniGuy@aol.com Subject: Re: Joni: the long and short Julie (no kin to Jimmy) Webb asks: << Do you have a favorite Joni song that you wished went on longer? >> Oh, "Dancin' Clown", definitely! :~D But Seriously folks, off the top of my head: The Arrangement Judgement of the Moon & Stars Harlem in Havana You Dream Flat Tires Everything on Hejira! :~) Bob NP: Bryan Thomas, "Black Crow" HOT DAMN! This one alone is worth the plane fare to Ashara's!! I mean, ALL of it is wonderful, but Bryan...Ohmigawd!! ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 22:19:10 EST From: MDESTE1@aol.com Subject: Re: Joni: the long and short Without a doubt..Passion Play and Night Ride Home. marcel deste ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 22:26:26 EST From: MDESTE1@aol.com Subject: Re: For your consideration - NJC If you took the entire population on the planet and gave each person an acre all for themselves. Which means a family of ten would have ten acres. The entire population of the earth would fit inside the confines of the state of Texas. marcel deste. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 22:30:32 EST From: MDESTE1@aol.com Subject: Re: Jimmy Webb, Part 2 (NJC) Maybe Im alone in this opinion but I have always felt that the actual songwriter always did the best version even if their voice wasnt too perfect. I dont know why I just do. I have never liked the "star search"-michael bolton voice preferring the flawed with attitude approach. More soul I guess. So if doesnt suprise me that Webb would sound better today than ever before. marcel. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 19:18:56 -0800 From: "Kakki" Subject: Re: Joni: the long and short Julie asked: << Do you have a favorite Joni song that you wished went on longer? >> Smokin' (Empty Try Another) heehee But seriously, I agree with you on "Two Grey Rooms" I think most of Joni's songs are just the right length but would like to hear a little bit more of: Blonde in the Bleachers Sunny Sunday Last Chance Lost Silky Veils of Ardor and as Bob suggested: > Judgement of the Moon & Stars I'd love to see this one expanded into a symphony like Paprika Plains. Kakki NP: Chuck E. Webb - If These Old Walls Could Speak ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 19:54:06 -0800 From: "Kakki" Subject: Got it bad (NJC) I'm sitting here doing internet research for a case and sending the results to my work email address and just put NJC in the subject line. Kakki, taking a break now. NPIMH: Help Me ------------------------------ End of JMDL Digest V4 #517 ************************** The Song and Album Voting Booths are open! Cast your votes by clicking the links at http://www.jmdl.com/gallery username: jimdle password: siquomb ------- Don't forget about these ongoing projects: Glossary project: Send a blank message to for all the details. FAQ Project: Help compile the JMDL FAQ. 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