From: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org (JMDL Digest) To: joni-digest@smoe.org Subject: JMDL Digest V2007 #498 Reply-To: joni@smoe.org Sender: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk Unsubscribe: mailto:joni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe Archives: http://www.smoe.org/lists/joni Website: http://jonimitchell.com JMDL Digest Friday, December 14 2007 Volume 2007 : Number 498 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- Starting out in the evening - njc [Joseph Palis ] The Hisses on The Last Time I Saw Richard [Rian Afriadi ] Re: rock jazz pop techno ["Randy Remote" ] Re: Maire (Moya) Brennan, NJC [Jerry Notaro ] NJC Crosby unwell [Bob.Muller@Fluor.com] Re: NJC Crosby unwell [Jerry Notaro ] Re: NJC Crosby unwell [Bob.Muller@Fluor.com] Re: NJC Crosby unwell [Em ] Re: NJC Crosby unwell [Monika Bogdanowicz ] Joni at the Grammy awards? [Monika Bogdanowicz ] rock jazz pop techno, now stuck in 70's [Marianne Rizzo ] Re: Joni at the Grammy awards? [Bob.Muller@Fluor.com] Shine's ongoing disappointment [Dave Blackburn ] Re: Shine's ongoing disappointment [J Kendel Johnson ] kudos to Lori and Patti ["Barbara Stewart" ] Remastering, njc ["Jim L'Hommedieu" ] Christmassing with Joni [Patti Parlette ] Re: Joni at the Grammy awards? [J Kendel Johnson ] Re: Shine's ongoing disappointment ["Jamie's Box of Paints" ] 2008 Rock and Roll HOF Inductees - NJC ["Cassy" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 09:28:11 +0100 (CET) From: Joseph Palis Subject: Starting out in the evening - njc Thanks for this heads-up, Patti. Frank Langella was named Best Actor for "Starting out of the evening" by the LA Film Critics. I'd like to see this film. Looks like "No Country for Old Men" is winning big with critics. I like the movie too but feel that "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" is also good. Joseph (who didn't know that Robin Wright-Penn and Amy Adams sing very well in "Beowulf" and "Enchanted" respectively) Patti Parlette a icrit : The movie Joseph told us about -- "Starting Out in the Evening" -- with the Joni mention? It got a five star review from the LA Times. Any movie with a Joni mention has got to have some class! ; ) For anyone who likes to read reviews, voila: http://www.courant.com/entertainment/movies/hc-startingrev.artdec07,0,5927458 .story _________________________________________________________________ You keep typing, we keep giving. Download Messenger and join the im Initiative now. http://im.live.com/messenger/im/home/?source=TAGLM - --------------------------------- Ne gardez plus qu'une seule adresse mail ! Copiez vos mails vers Yahoo! Mail ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:43:16 -0800 (PST) From: Rian Afriadi Subject: The Hisses on The Last Time I Saw Richard Hi y'all. I didnt go to work today (got to do this and that with the police) (the police themselves are shocked by the robbery, the last time a robbery happened in this city was almost 4 years ago) (my city is a med sized city, pop 1.1million++) ah, in just a day i became 6000$ poorer. (6000 is a huge amount in a country with income per capita only 1500) I'll tell u about that later. Maybe next saturday. I'm writing this with my cellular phone. I can't write long thread with this. Lemme chime in on the remaster topic. This remaster topic is too precious to miss. Very simple question: My Blue CD was made in Australia, year 1995. And it has noises/hisses during the intro The Last Time I Saw Richard. Does this only happen to mine? How about yours? And how about the remastered one? Rian NP w my mp3 player: Let The Wind Carry Me (boohoo... I miss my notebook) ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:43:35 -0800 (PST) From: Rian Afriadi Subject: The Hissing of The Last Time I Saw Richard Hi y'all. I didnt go to work today (got to do this and that with the police) (the police themselves are shocked by the robbery, the last time a robbery happened in this city was almost 4 years ago) (my city is a med sized city, pop 1.1million++) ah, in just a day i became 6000$ poorer. (6000 is a huge amount in a country with income per capita only 1500) I'll tell u about that later. Maybe next saturday. I'm writing this with my cellular phone. I can't write long thread with this. Lemme chime in on the remaster topic. This remaster topic is too precious to miss. Very simple question: My Blue CD was made in Australia, year 1995. And it has noises/hisses during the intro The Last Time I Saw Richard. Does this only happen to mine? How about yours? And how about the remastered one? Rian NP w my mp3 player: Let The Wind Carry Me (boohoo... I miss my notebook) ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:44:17 -0800 (PST) From: Rian Afriadi Subject: The Hissing of The Last Time I Saw Richard Hi y'all. I didnt go to work today (got to do this and that with the police) (the police themselves are shocked by the robbery, the last time a robbery happened in this city was almost 4 years ago) (my city is a med sized city, pop 1.1million++) ah, in just a day i became 6000$ poorer. (6000 is a huge amount in a country with income per capita only 1500) I'll tell u about that later. Maybe next saturday. I'm writing this with my cellular phone. I can't write long thread with this. Lemme chime in on the remaster topic. This remaster topic is too precious to miss. Very simple question: My Blue CD was made in Australia, year 1995. And it has noises/hisses during the intro The Last Time I Saw Richard. Does this only happen to mine? How about yours? And how about the remastered one? Rian NP w my mp3 player: Let The Wind Carry Me (boohoo... I miss my notebook) ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 03:53:39 -0500 (GMT-05:00) From: Eric Taylor Subject: Re: rock jazz pop techno Give it more time to slowly sink in, jkj! Get into the clunk. It's deeply original and uniquely Joni. Shine has been constantly in my CD players since it was released and I've heard it almost 100 times by now & appreciate it more & more as with all of her albums. One of my very favorite things is harmonizing with her music and Shine is a HUGE challenge..... Hell it took me five years to finally get into Hejira, DJRD & Mingus. But once I finally did I was totally hooked for life (& even perhaps even death). Sometimes I feel embarrassed to be such a complete joniphile! All I can say is that when the smoke of history clears Joni will be up there shining with Beethoven & Van Gogh. & Led Zep will still be groveling at her feet ;~D ewwt - -----Original Message----- From: J Kendel Johnson Subject: Re: rock jazz pop techno Eric Taylor wrote: Joni's been playing synthesizer for 25 years now and I've always liked it. The Reocurring Dream is pure genius! To me Shine is among her five best albums. Yes, I have ALWAYS loved Joni's synth playing before now, too -- ALWAYS! Almost all the snyth on Shine, though, sounds clunky, sophomoric and un-artful to me. I really want to love it, but I guess I'm just not going to be one of those who do. Thanks for the dialogue. I actually envy your enjoyment of this album! Respectfully, J ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 01:18:33 -0800 From: "Randy Remote" Subject: Re: rock jazz pop techno While the synth parts may not be played with a high level of virtuosity, Joni has arranged and orchestrated this album herself, and therein lies it's charm and uniqueness. It is handmade to a degree not seen since FTR. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 07:56:20 -0500 From: Jerry Notaro Subject: Re: Maire (Moya) Brennan, NJC Lucky you, Joseph. I have been a Clanaad and Maire fan for many years. I was dragged to a Ten Tenors (from Australia) concert last night. If I had had any piano wore on me it would have been the first Sicilian suicide in history. Jerry > JoniListas, > > I watched the concert of Moya Brennan tonight at the Cat's Cradle in Chapel > Hill. Being a fan of Clannad and of Moya (whose name is really spelled "Maire" > but pronounced as Moya, but she said that people usually call her Mary or > Marie, so she decided to spell it out in her albums in a way that is as close > to the phonetic pronunciation of her name as possible), I did not think twice > about watching the concert. Plus the semester is almost over so why not > indulge? > > I grew up listening to Clannad when I was in Manila. For some reason, before > Enya became a superstar in mid-1980s, we tuned to Clannad and the Brennan > family band in the early 80s and we played their music (tape format then) at > home like pop music. > > Through the years I followed up Moya's solo career as well as Enya's and of > course of Clannad. Plus she did a great cover of Joni's BYT in her second solo > album called "Misty Eyed Adventures" and I am not sure if it was me who sent > that cover to Bob first or someone else did but I am sure I have heard that > version before Bob started collecting all Joni covers. I thought her > arrangement of BYT, though retaining the bouncy cadence of the song, also > introduced choruses that really worked well. > > So anyway it was a pleasant surprise to know that Moya and her entourage > decided to play and end their US concert tour in Chapel Hill. The venue was in > Cat's Cradle and at first I thought her type of music might not work in Cat's > Cradle and should best be heard in the nearby Arts' Venue or even in our > campus recital hall where the format of the seats are more organized and > disciplined. I kinda thought that Cat's Cradle's 'venue format' is more for Yo > La Tengo than Vashti Bunyan, but was I pleasantly surprised to see how at-home > the 2 harps, a fiddle, the piano/synthesizer and the traditional drum look in > Cat's Cradle dark interiors. It kinda created a ghostly appearance as though > it is Diamanda Galas who will come out and give her famous schrei shrieks. > > The people who attended the concert were almost the exact same people who > watched Rickie Lee Jones' show when she performed in Chapel Hill in early > 2006. This is a concert for the perpetually-hip aging children. There were > about 80-90 people in the audience tonight. Moya started the set by singing > two Gaelic songs. It didn't matter to me what they meant because it > communicates in a different level where language fails. Her voice has this > rich texture in her lower range but when she hits a high note, it is > even-toned and effortless. She half-whispers when she begins her songs but it > doesn't make you worry that she'll lose her voice mid-flight because they are > executed cleanly and with a gleaming soprano tone. She played the other harp, > and the traditional drum (the same one Mari Boine uses) and this castanet-like > instrument that acts as a bass (not sure what to call it). > > She then told the audience that she is going to sing a "couple of songs". She > explained that in Ireland "a couple" means "more than two" which sent everyone > giggling. She sang 3 selections from her latest album and sang Christmas songs > in that beautiful Gaelic sound that is lovely in its despairing-longing kinda > way. It sounded foreign yet familiar at the same time. She and her band (one > guitarist, one fiddler, one pianist/synthesizer-player, and one more harpist) > were so in sync with everything. I guess that since Chapel Hill is their last > stop, they must already communicate in psychic levels. The close harmonies > that we all heard from Enya's albums were replicated here minus the > multi-tracking. Very very beautiful. The vocal dynamics expertly outlined the > contours of the songs they sang. She said that they just came from NYC and DC > for this series of concerts and everytime she sings Christmas songs alluding > to cold, bleak mid-winterish weather, she thought it made sense > in NYC and the mid-Atlantic states because there's snow or at least a cold > temperature to make it somehow appropriate. "But here in Chapel Hill, it is > pleasantly warm that I dipped into the pool this morning". (The weather has > been great lately in NC that it feels more like Easter except that the leaves > in the trees are falling fast but according to the weather bureau, things will > get colder in a few days -- so much for the Indian summer in late Fall, > right?) > > The guitarist (who looks and plays like a younger Luka Bloom) sets the tone > for much of the more spirited numbers. And as brilliant and self-effacing as > he is, I thought the best moments in the concert happens when Moya caresses > her harp and sings in that beautifully mournful way. When the bandmembers > provide additional back-up vocals, they do so in such an ethereal way that it > sounds like an echo to Moya's lead vocals. More like whale songs, really. Very > moving. They evoked the moors and the (probably romantic) notions I had of > Ireland. When she introduced the next "couple of songs", she said that these > are very old songs composed by a harpist (Moya said "composed by a > harper...no, wait a harpist? or harpard? ...One that plays the harp during > ancient times!" to gales of laughter from the enthralled audience). She > plucked the strings of her own harp while the band shadowed her instrumental > leads. Then in one song, an otherworldly voice floated in the air and I was > looking > among each of them to figure out is singing since no lips are parted/open to > reveal the identity of the singer. But of course it turned out to be Moya > herself (funny how singers can sometimes create sounds without opening their > mouths). It is a beautiful paean to life. Actually, the image that came to > mind when I heard it, is that of a flying bird that is about to land on a > perch or wood or something that is unsteady -- so the flapping of wings > gracefully hovers around the chosen place for perching before the bird > actually lands. That image pretty much captures the voice that Moya produced > in that segment. Quietly hair-raising. > > After that there was an intermission where the audience mingled with the > musicians in a very informal way. Moya was talking to people who lined up to > speak to her and when my turn came, I told her how much Clannad's music > somehow became a soundtrack of my early adolescence in Manila. I told her I > loved her BYT version ("I love Joni" she later said). I also said that I love > the song that she sang (as part of Clannad) in the movie "The Last of the > Mohicans". Then she went back onstage to do the second half. > > She did a couple of Christmas medleys that paired a modern carol with an > ancient Irish carol which I thought was brilliantly-conceived. Then she said > "The next song I am about to sing is from the movie "The last of the Mohicans" > [applause] "... I talked to this guy from the Philippines earlier during the > break...where is he?" I yelled "here" and could sense several heads look at > the direction where my voice came from. Moya asked "what's your name?" Then > when I answered back, she said "I dedicate this song to you Joseph". Wow, and > I thought it happens only in movies that a singer dedicates a song to you; or > when these surreal things happen in real life, it happens to other people > other than me. It felt good being singled out and I felt like a spotlight was > turned to me. > > After the song, the applause came long and built into this crescendo. The nice > thing about a concert with about 80-90 people is that when everyone claps, the > sound comes out fuller and more high def. Or maybe I was in a state of > exaltation that is why I thought that way. But then the applause sounded like > that too earlier even before Moya singled me out. But what do I know? > > She did a couple more Irish songs and some truly awesome instrumental pieces. > She also dedicated a few other songs to people she met during the break and I > was wondering how suddenly in-your-face and intimate the whole event was where > Cat's Cradle appeared less like a dive. > > The last song she performed is "Against the Wind" from her first solo album > "Maire" and for the second time that night, she said "This is again for you > Joseph because you grew up with these songs". My 15 minutes got an extension > (beat that Andy Warhol!). It was a very upbeat song that made for a great > ending. But of course the audience kept on clapping and she came out again and > did "Silent Night" in Gaelic encore and enjoined the audience to sing along. > > Needless to say I feel as though I was blessed. The Catholicism in me always > alludes to religious motifs when describing something, and tonight, I thought > I was in the glorious mysteries of the rosary. Now its time to go back to > obscurity. But oh what a night! > > Joseph in (warm) Chapel Hill > > > > --------------------------------- > Ne gardez plus qu'une seule adresse mail ! Copiez vos mails vers Yahoo! Mail ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 08:16:42 -0500 From: Bob.Muller@Fluor.com Subject: NJC Crosby unwell I forget who asked about Dave's assertion about Crosby, here's an article that fleshes it out a bit: http://tinyurl.com/34r7qa Bob NP: Arctic Monkeys, "Only Ones Who Know" - ------------------------------------------------------------ The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain proprietary, business-confidential and/or privileged material. If you are not the intended recipient of this message you are hereby notified that any use, review, retransmission, dissemination, distribution, reproduction or any action taken in reliance upon this message is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender and may not necessarily reflect the views of the company. - ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 08:27:22 -0500 From: Jerry Notaro Subject: Re: NJC Crosby unwell Good find, Bob. I've had a lot of questions myself as so many have told me how good he looked and sounded on tour. Just shows to go ya... > I forget who asked about Dave's assertion about Crosby, here's an article > that fleshes it out a bit: > > > http://tinyurl.com/34r7qa > > Bob > > NP: Arctic Monkeys, "Only Ones Who Know" > ------------------------------------------------------------ > The information transmitted is intended only for the person > or entity to which it is addressed and may contain > proprietary, business-confidential and/or privileged material. > If you are not the intended recipient of this message you are > hereby notified that any use, review, retransmission, dissemination, > distribution, reproduction or any action taken in reliance upon > this message is prohibited. If you received this in error, please > contact the sender and delete the material from any computer. > > Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual > sender and may not necessarily reflect the views of the company. > ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 08:36:57 -0500 From: Bob.Muller@Fluor.com Subject: Re: NJC Crosby unwell Well, on 2nd look at that article, it alludes to problems he had a year ago - but still, all things considered he's luckier than Keith Richards to still be walking upright and above room temperature. Bob NP: Jim Hendrix Experience, "51st Anniversary" - ------------------------------------------------------------ The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain proprietary, business-confidential and/or privileged material. If you are not the intended recipient of this message you are hereby notified that any use, review, retransmission, dissemination, distribution, reproduction or any action taken in reliance upon this message is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender and may not necessarily reflect the views of the company. - ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 06:15:47 -0800 (PST) From: Em Subject: Re: NJC Crosby unwell thats a beautiful photo of the 3 of them.... Em - --- Bob.Muller@Fluor.com wrote: > I forget who asked about Dave's assertion about Crosby, here's an > article > that fleshes it out a bit: > > > http://tinyurl.com/34r7qa ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 08:30:03 -0800 (PST) From: Monika Bogdanowicz Subject: Re: NJC Crosby unwell On the last CN tour (which was pretty recent) Crosby looked a lot better. He looked thinner, very bright in his color, and in good spirits. That's not to say he's a 100% healthy man (after his life...well...you know) but he seems to be doing pretty well as of recently. -Monika Em wrote: thats a beautiful photo of the 3 of them.... Em - --- Bob.Muller@Fluor.com wrote: > I forget who asked about Dave's assertion about Crosby, here's an > article > that fleshes it out a bit: > > > http://tinyurl.com/34r7qa - --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 08:34:11 -0800 (PST) From: Monika Bogdanowicz Subject: Joni at the Grammy awards? Do you folks think Joni will go to this year's Grammy Awards for her nomination? If I recall correctly, I have seen pictures of her at previous Grammy shows, yes? What do you think? -Monika - --------------------------------- Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:10:18 -0500 From: Marianne Rizzo Subject: rock jazz pop techno, now stuck in 70's >Bill is stuck in the 70s like too many people i know. I am stuck in the 70's too. . (and in the 60's) sTUCk and PROud in tHE 60's and 70's From: Eric Taylor Subject: rock jazz pop techno Tonight i subjected my good friend Bill to a second listen of Shine.Bill is stuck in the 70s like too many people i know.He has an amazing LP collection includig much Tower Of Power, Weather Report and many classics from the 60s & 70s such as Meet The Beetles.Court & Spark is the only Joni LP in his vast collection. _________________________________________________________________ Share life as it happens with the new Windows Live. http://www.windowslive.com/share.html?ocid=TXT_TAGHM_Wave2_sharelife_122007 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 08:40:46 -0800 (PST) From: J Kendel Johnson Subject: Re: rock jazz pop techno Eric Taylor wrote: body{font-family: Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:9pt;background-color: #ffffff;color: black;} All I can say is that when the smoke of history clears Joni will be up there shining with Beethoven & Van Gogh. Could not AGREE with you more!!!! J ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 12:38:10 -0500 From: Bob.Muller@Fluor.com Subject: Re: Joni at the Grammy awards? She has been before, but after all she's said about the business I'd be REAL surprised if she shows up at the Grammys. If she does I would guess it would be in support of Herbie's nomination for Album of the Year. Bob NP: Led Zeppelin, "In The Evening" - ------------------------------------------------------------ The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain proprietary, business-confidential and/or privileged material. If you are not the intended recipient of this message you are hereby notified that any use, review, retransmission, dissemination, distribution, reproduction or any action taken in reliance upon this message is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender and may not necessarily reflect the views of the company. - ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 07:51:13 -0800 From: Dave Blackburn Subject: Shine's ongoing disappointment J, Oh how I agree with your summary of Shine. While there is nothing inherently wrong with MIDI emulations (most movie scores these days are built from sample libraries of orchestral and other instruments), Joni Mitchell has worked with the world's finest orchestra, brilliant orchestrators and surely has a wide stable of players who would be honored to play on her first release of new material in 9 years. A woman who can get Pat Metheny, Jaco, Wayne and Mike Brecker to tour with her has the respect of anyone she'd care to call upon. She can afford it and so could Starbucks. But as you say, it is not just the stock Yamaha keyboard sounds but the amateurishness of the arranging. I'd have taken unadorned piano and voice any day. Myself, I also find the compositions on Shine to be well well below par for JM. The harmony is "blocky" and lacks counterpoint, the chords are square and totally predictable (unlike Joni's almost entire body of work), and then there is the mix, in which Joni's voice is marginalized so as to feature the fake saxophones, guitars and bassoons. C-, must try harder. Dave (currently scoring live string parts for a modest budget CD release). On Dec 13, 2007, at 12:00 AM, onlyJMDL Digest wrote: > Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2007 16:58:56 -0800 (PST) > From: J Kendel Johnson > Subject: Re: rock jazz pop techno > > Eric Taylor wrote:Am I the only one to be > blown away by Joni's shocking synth playing on Shine??? > ET > Please explain what you mean by "shocking". > > I do find it shocking that she would play those cumbersome, heavy- > handed synth parts and deem them ready for release -- or anything > more than demos for live instrument players. > > I am equally shocked that her record company would listen to them > and agree to release the tracks as is. > > Weeks after the release of Shine, I continue to feel sadness and > disappointment that it's those very synth tracks that keep me from > listening any further beyond the first 6 or 7 times through. > Beyond that, I remain embarrassed for her. > > I am further shocked that "One Week Last Summer" -- awash in the > album's amateurish synth performances and arrangements -- was > deemed worthy of a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Instrumental > Performance. Performance!!! So far as I can tell, the emperor has > no clothes... > > J ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 08:37:59 -0800 (PST) From: J Kendel Johnson Subject: Re: Shine's ongoing disappointment A contrast that speaks to my disappointment (and "shock") came to me last night: Joni was nominated (and won) in a very similar category -- Best Pop Instrumental Arrangement -- for "Down To You" from Court and Spark in 1974, an honor which she shared with Tom Scott. Could anyone listen to listen to "Down To You" and "One Week Last Summer" and consider them in the same league -- in any way? J NP: Vienna Teng, The Atheist's Christmas Carol Dave Blackburn wrote: J, Oh how I agree with your summary of Shine. While there is nothing inherently wrong with MIDI emulations (most movie scores these days are built from sample libraries of orchestral and other instruments), Joni Mitchell has worked with the world's finest orchestra, brilliant orchestrators and surely has a wide stable of players who would be honored to play on her first release of new material in 9 years. A woman who can get Pat Metheny, Jaco, Wayne and Mike Brecker to tour with her has the respect of anyone she'd care to call upon. She can afford it and so could Starbucks. But as you say, it is not just the stock Yamaha keyboard sounds but the amateurishness of the arranging. I'd have taken unadorned piano and voice any day. Myself, I also find the compositions on Shine to be well well below par for JM. The harmony is "blocky" and lacks counterpoint, the chords are square and totally predictable (unlike Joni's almost entire body of work), and then there is the mix, in which Joni's voice is marginalized so as to feature the fake saxophones, guitars and bassoons. C-, must try harder. Dave (currently scoring live string parts for a modest budget CD release). On Dec 13, 2007, at 12:00 AM, onlyJMDL Digest wrote: > Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2007 16:58:56 -0800 (PST) > From: J Kendel Johnson > Subject: Re: rock jazz pop techno > > Eric Taylor wrote:Am I the only one to be > blown away by Joni's shocking synth playing on Shine??? > ET > Please explain what you mean by "shocking". > > I do find it shocking that she would play those cumbersome, heavy- > handed synth parts and deem them ready for release -- or anything > more than demos for live instrument players. > > I am equally shocked that her record company would listen to them > and agree to release the tracks as is. > > Weeks after the release of Shine, I continue to feel sadness and > disappointment that it's those very synth tracks that keep me from > listening any further beyond the first 6 or 7 times through. > Beyond that, I remain embarrassed for her. > > I am further shocked that "One Week Last Summer" -- awash in the > album's amateurish synth performances and arrangements -- was > deemed worthy of a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Instrumental > Performance. Performance!!! So far as I can tell, the emperor has > no clothes... > > J ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 14:00:43 -0500 From: Bob.Muller@Fluor.com Subject: Re: Shine's ongoing disappointment Exciting news - are you talking about a Joni-related release? Enquiring Joniphiles want to know! Bob NP: Tom Waits, "I Don't Wanna Grow Up" - ------------------------------------------------------------ The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain proprietary, business-confidential and/or privileged material. If you are not the intended recipient of this message you are hereby notified that any use, review, retransmission, dissemination, distribution, reproduction or any action taken in reliance upon this message is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender and may not necessarily reflect the views of the company. - ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 18:52:04 +0000 From: Patti Parlette Subject: njc, if you're feeling contempt This just in from a friend of spirit: it's a start! Lawmakers vote to hold Bolten and Rove in contempt - Yahoo! News http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071213/pl_nm/usa_congress_contempt_dc_2 Aim the hoses on 'em! _________________________________________________________________ im is proud to present Cause Effect, a series about real people making a difference. http://im.live.com/Messenger/IM/MTV/?source=text_Cause_Effect ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 10:44:12 -0500 From: "Barbara Stewart" Subject: kudos to Lori and Patti Many thanks for the info on the March Buffy event. Correct you are that there are some strong BSM fans on JMDL - I am one! But I also wanted to alert you to the fact that the bio referenced a project she does with indigenous kids, which has sparked great interest here at Sesame Street, especially as she was an SS performer many many moons ago. And the "Rebel Voices" filming post also gave something to look forward to and mark for future agendas. I just saw the stage presentation here in NYC at the Culture Project. So heartfelt, stirring and inspiring - honestly, a 'spiritual' experience. Let me encourage you to see it live in Soho, as it is a work from the heart for all the participants, including an audience totally engaged. Informative too, for those history buffs out there, or those wishing a crash course. B from : Barbara L.Stewart, MLS Library - Sesame Workshop 1 Lincoln Plaza, 4th fl, NYC, NY 10023 USA tel: 212-875-6393 fax: 212-875-7309 barbara.stewart@sesameworkshop.org "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter." - ML King Watch and encourage others to watch "Elmo's Christmas Countdown" at 7 p.m., Sunday, December 23rd on ABC........ brought to you by Sesame Workshop, the non-profit organization behind Sesame Street and so much more. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2007 07:25:36 +1300 From: Subject: Re: NJC Crosby unwell Jerry wrote: > Good find, Bob. I've had a lot of questions myself as so many have told me > how good he looked and sounded on tour. Just shows to go ya... CSN played two concerts in NZ (and a few in Australia) a couple of weeks ago, and from all accounts they were sounding (and looking) great. They were scheduled to play in March of this year, but the tour was postponed due to David Crosby being unwell - it would appear that he's OK now. The 13-hour flight to/from LA would have been test enough! Hell (in NZ) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 13:12:47 -0500 From: "Jim L'Hommedieu" Subject: Remastering, njc As I understand it, a recording is "mastered" when a record company plays the original recording (a two-track master) and makes a digital master from it. For example, when they remastered "Song To A Seagull", they converted the 2-track analog tape into bits for pressing CDs. That was done way back when STAS was first released on CD, of course. The difference between sound of CDs made from the first mastering and the later, "remastered" ones could be because they found a better tape or because the conversion process is better now, or both. Jim L. Peep Richman>what does 'remastered' mean? And why would we want something remastered as opposed to the original?> ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 18:33:58 +0000 From: Patti Parlette Subject: Christmassing with Joni I'm romantic and snowblind (winter's closing in) in New England today with a little time on my hands, no child to raise, so let me share a few petite Joni Christmas stories. 1. I decided to get my Mom "Shine" (She's not as into Joni as your Mom is, Em). I played it for her over Thanksgiving and she said: "I like your Joni! That's pretty." Now, my brothers would say I'm only thinking of what *I* like and pushing Joni all the time (If you can bear to hear The truth you've spoken Twisted and misconstrued By some smug fool), so here's the on-line gift message I sent with it, as is (pardon all the schmushed-upness and "u"s and all....I had 250 spaces to fill in (TIC: an empty space to filllll innnnn): "Hi Mama!I wouldn't force this on u,but u said you liked it,so voila.After u,Joni has been the most influential woman in my life.U both taught me"the deeper meaning".My little light shines,becuz of u 2. U'll love "Hana"-she's like your Mindy!XO,Patti" 2. My son sent me his new wife's wish list, and one item on there was: "Gift card to Hannahs". Ha! They may spell the name wrong, but I will get her a gift card from Hannahs. (NPIMH: Hana!) Ha! And when she opens it, I will have another opportunity to talk about Joni and Hana! (Maybe my brothers are right....LOL!) 3. My friend Judy called last night to tell me that she was talking to a co-worker about how hard it is to buy gifts for teenagers. Ellen said: "I like to buy them CDs of timeless music, like Joni Mitchell and..." Judy just had to call and tell me immediately! She couldn't remember the other names (we were guessing: Beatles, Dylan, JT, CK, etc., but Judy said it wasn't any of them. She will ask her today. How cool (TIC: play it cool, play it cool) that only Joni stuck in her mind!) 4. My high school friend Debbie (she went to Florida) doesn't have "Shine" yet (I'm surprised at her!) so I ordered that for her, along with the WOHAM DVD. She always loved Joni but she's gotten a little off track (I have a special knack for getting people back on the right Joni track, settling them down into the clickety-clack.) I guess I was off the track myself for a little bit in the 80s because Debbie recently wrote me this, to my shock and horror: "Anyway, I was looking in a box of old letters, cards, etc. -- special ones I saved -- a lot from you of course -- and one letter was typewritten in 1988 and begins with "Thanks so much for the Joni article! I haven't read about her in years -- I never even knew that she was married!" "Funny" now, how I was OCD with her then and (well, I still am) and now YOU are! Huh?" LOL.....oui, juste un tout petit peu JMOCDed these days. Have a holly jolly Joni Christmas! Or whatever you celebrate. The one thing we can all celebrate together is how "the gift goes on." Yeah! Love, Patti P., watching the snow gather like you-know-what P.S. Sending up prayers for David Crosby. He looked great when I saw him in October. P.S.S. Welcome back, Lori! _________________________________________________________________ The best games are on Xbox 360. Click here for a special offer on an Xbox 360 Console. http://www.xbox.com/en-US/hardware/wheretobuy/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 09:27:02 -0800 (PST) From: J Kendel Johnson Subject: Re: Joni at the Grammy awards? Does anyone know of archived photos of Joni presenting at the Grammy's with Dionne Warwick (in the 80s?) -- finely tuned like fancy women in 30s evening gowns? God, they were a striking pair! J Monika Bogdanowicz wrote: Do you folks think Joni will go to this year's Grammy Awards for her nomination? If I recall correctly, I have seen pictures of her at previous Grammy shows, yes? What do you think? -Monika ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:19:56 +0000 From: "Jamie's Box of Paints" Subject: Re: Shine's ongoing disappointment I dunno about 'ongoing' disappointment. At first I was a little let down but despite that, it's been in my cd player since I bought it and I've had a change every so often (HOSL, Hejira et TI RLJ's Sermon on Thingy Boulevard) but I keep on going back to it. I really don't mind about the sonics on it, it's the composition. I keep on hearing other things in it that make me stop and listen. REALLY listen. I'm not saying that you haven't done but I guess I'm hearing what it would've/could've sounded like with the full orchestra/band and I'm loving the arrangements. To me Shine is both a departure and a culmination of her career. It's that step back into the so-called limelight to say that she's here, she has something to say, let it's subtle beauty wash over you. yes, I think she was limited by the machine she was using, it'd be great if she could do a 'Shine - Live' album, but she probably wanted to get things done for the ballet (she wanted more songs for the ballet but didn't get them done on time - I wonder if the next show will include them?) and really I guess she thought, as Sting has once said,'There's no such thing as perfection, you just run out of time' or words to that effect. Some ya gotta love, some ya gotta hate.... Much Joni Jamie Zooby On 13/12/2007, Bob.Muller@fluor.com wrote: > release).> > > Exciting news - are you talking about a Joni-related release? > Enquiring Joniphiles want to know! > > Bob > > NP: Tom Waits, "I Don't Wanna Grow Up" > ------------------------------------------------------------ I am a lonely Painter I live in a Box of Paints I'm frightened by the devil But I'm drawn to those ones that 'aint afraid... Jamie Zubairi can be found for voice-overs at http://uk.voicespro.com/jamie.zubairi1 acting CV and showreel at http://uk.castingcallpro.com/u/81749 http://www.jamiezubairi.co.uk Facebook me! ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 15:03:04 -0800 From: Dave Blackburn Subject: Re: Shine's ongoing disappointment I guess I'm saying that if Shine were representative of JM's body of work I would not have followed her career so avidly, spent years putting together a tribute band of her music, featured her as lyricist nonpareil in a songwriting college course book I wrote, or be on this discussion list. Of course it has it's merits and I'm not saying she can't use whatever tools she likes, but I find her writing, playing and even singing to be several notches below her good work and unrecognizable compared to her great work. But as Bob has said in the past, she established a benchmark so high in the 70's that not even she could hope to attain it again. For what it's worth I feel the same about WTRF and TTT. Still love Joni and all you guys though so not to worry... Dave On Dec 13, 2007, at 2:19 PM, Jamie's Box of Paints wrote: > I dunno about 'ongoing' disappointment. At first I was a little let > down > > but despite that, it's been in my cd player since I bought it and I've > had a change every so often (HOSL, Hejira et TI RLJ's Sermon on Thingy > Boulevard) but I keep on going back to it. I really don't mind about > the sonics on it, it's the composition. I keep on hearing other things > in it that make me stop and listen. REALLY listen. I'm not saying that > you haven't done but I guess I'm hearing what it would've/could've > sounded like with the full orchestra/band and I'm loving the > arrangements. > > To me Shine is both a departure and a culmination of her career. It's > that step back into the so-called limelight to say that she's here, > she has something to say, let it's subtle beauty wash over you. > > yes, I think she was limited by the machine she was using, it'd be > great if she could do a 'Shine - Live' album, but she probably wanted > to get things done for the ballet (she wanted more songs for the > ballet but didn't get them done on time - I wonder if the next show > will include them?) and really I guess she thought, as Sting has once > said,'There's no such thing as perfection, you just run out of time' > or words to that effect. > > Some ya gotta love, some ya gotta hate.... > > > Much Joni > > Jamie Zooby > > On 13/12/2007, Bob.Muller@fluor.com wrote: >> > release).> >> >> Exciting news - are you talking about a Joni-related release? >> Enquiring Joniphiles want to know! >> >> Bob >> >> NP: Tom Waits, "I Don't Wanna Grow Up" >> ------------------------------------------------------------ > I am a lonely Painter > I live in a Box of Paints > I'm frightened by the devil > But I'm drawn to those ones that 'aint afraid... > > Jamie Zubairi can be found for voice-overs at > > http://uk.voicespro.com/jamie.zubairi1 > > acting CV and showreel at > http://uk.castingcallpro.com/u/81749 > > http://www.jamiezubairi.co.uk > Facebook me! ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 18:03:38 EST From: FMYFL@aol.com Subject: NJC Billy Joel Someone sent me this link with Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start The Fire" put to photos. This could be EXTREMELY old, but it was the first time I've seen it. It brought back some memories. Here's the link if you're interested. http://yeli.us/Flash/Fire.html Jimmy ************************************** See AOL's top rated recipes (http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop00030000000004) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:15:04 -0800 (PST) From: Brian Gross Subject: Joni stamps at Canada Post I received a First Quarter 2008 catalog in the mail today from Canada Post and I see that there are still Canadian Recording Artists stamp sets (from this past summer's release) available for sale. The set of all four artists (Joni, Anne Murray, Paul Anka and Gordon Lightfoot) is C$6.76 (Item 262166) The Joni stamps from that set are also still available at C$1.69 (Item 262169), but if you have the hots for Anne Murray, you're out of luck, as they are all sold out. I guess the Snowbird is more popular than Our Lady of the Canyon among philatelists. Check it out at www.canadapost.ca/collecting or toll-free from the US and Canada at 1-800-565-4362 or 902-863-6796 from everywhere else. Have a great holiday season everyone, Brian - ----------------------------------------------------------- Politicians and diapers both need to be changed often. And usually for the same reasons. - ----------------------------------------------------------- ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 21:59:15 -0800 From: "Cassy" Subject: 2008 Rock and Roll HOF Inductees - NJC I am pleased to see Leonard Cohen being inducted this year. For your interest here is the whole article: http://www.rockhall.com/pressroom/2008-inductee-announcement The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Announces its Inductees for 2008 December 13, 2007-New York-The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation today announced its inductees for 2008. The inductees will be honored at a ceremony on March 10, 2008, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. "The 2008 inductees are trailblazers - all unique and influential in their genres," said Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation President and CEO Joel Peresman. "From poetry to pop, these five acts demonstrate the rich diversity of rock and roll itself. We are proud to honor these artists and celebrate their contribution to rock and roll's place in our culture." The performer inductees are: * Leonard Cohen * The Dave Clark Five (Dave Clark, Lenny Davidson, Rick Huxley, Denny Payton and Mike Smith) * Madonna * John Mellencamp * The Ventures (Bob Bogle, Nokie Edwards, Gerry McGee, Mel Taylor, Don Wilson) The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame also announced the induction of Little Walter in its sideman category, and the newly named "Ahmet Ertegun Award" (formerly the non-performer category) will be presented to legendary producers, Gamble & Huff. The 2008 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame performer inductees were chosen by the 600 voters of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. Artists are eligible for inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twenty-five years after their first recording is released. In addition to being honored at the March ceremony, each inducted artist is commemorated at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland Ohio, which serves as a monument to rock and roll's impact on our culture. There, this year's inductees will be honored - along with previous year's inductees and hundreds of other artists - with exhibits, video and interactive presentations and programs that serve to tell the story of modern music. The Hall of Fame itself will include artifacts from this year's inductees, a multi-media presentation with highlights from each artist's career and their signatures permanently engraved in the glass walls of the Hall of Fame. Presenters and performers at the induction will be announced at a later date. The induction ceremony will again air live on VH1 Classic on March 10, 2008. More about the inductees: With the 1966 release of In My Life by Judy Collins, containing Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" and "Dress Rehearsal Rag," Cohen became a folk rock icon of the singer songwriter movement. Already an acclaimed poet and novelist in his native Canada, Cohen moved to New York in 1967 and released his classic album Songs of Leonard Cohen on Columbia Records. Its music launched Leonard Cohen into the highest and most influential echelon of songwriters. Cohen's elegiac work is widely used in film and covered by artists from Jeff Buckley to Bono to Bob Dylan to R.E.M. As Kurt Cobain said, "Give me a Leonard Cohen afterworld so I can sigh eternally." One of the most successful British Invasion bands of the Sixties, The Dave Clark Five topped the UK charts in 1965 with their iconic pop song "Glad All Over." Thundering production set the DC5 apart. Their slick melodic sensibility masked their boom factor: The DC5 were the loudest group in the U.K. until the advent of The Who. Drummer, songwriter and manager Dave Clark provided a perfect foundation for Mike Smith's soulful vocals. Reaching the Top Forty 17 times in just three years, with more appearances on the Ed Sullivan show than the Beatles or the Rolling Stones, the DC5 were an enormous pop phenomenon before disbanding in 1970. The Dave Clark Five have sold more than 50 million records worldwide to date. Doors opened wide for Madonna Louise Ciccone in 1982, after five years as a singer and dancer on New York City's competitive club circuit. She signed with Sire Records (her label for the next 14 years) where her idiosyncratic persona exploded onto turntables, dance floors and airwaves and captured the imagination of the first generation of MTV viewers. She went on to become the top female star of the 1980s with seven #1 hits, three #1 albums and seventeen top ten hits in that decade. In addition to molding her public image, Madonna is a meticulous studio craftsperson and completely uninhibited stage performer. From her first #1, 1984's "Like A Virgin" (produced by Nile Rogers of Chic) to her most recent two year Confessions campaign, Madonna remains one of the most ferociously original artists in music today. Over the course of his career, John Mellencamp has become a symbol of the hopes, struggles and passions of America's heartland. As a songwriter, many of his efforts have transcended "hit" status ("Hurts So Good," "Pink Houses," "I Need A Lover") and have entered the cultural vernacular. Mellencamp's musical heart is in his ballads and rock numbers rooted in late 50s and early 60s rock and roll. His music describes the American experience; the hopes and fears of the common everyman. As co-founder of Farm Aid, Indiana's favorite son gives voice to issues that might otherwise be ignored, from our disappearing farmlands to the role of race and class in America. From Seattle, The Ventures defined instrumental guitar rock in the 1960s. Their hits bookended the decade, from 1960's "Walk Don't Run" to 1969's "Hawaii Five-O." Nokie Edwards' twang-guitar and the crisp rhythm of Don Wilson, bassist Bob Bogle and drummer Mel Taylor gave every Ventures album their trademark bent note sound. Long admired by other bands like the Beatles (and especially George Harrison), Stephen Stills, Joe Walsh, Aerosmith, and others, the Ventures hit the Billboard chart nearly three dozen times in the 1960s. The transparent stereo mixes enabled guitarists to isolate and learn every riff, an idea that fueled 1965's essential instruction LP Play Guitar With the Ventures. Founders of surf rock, the Ventures inspired a classic line of Mosrite guitars and have maintained a flourishing touring and recording career for decades, especially in Europe and Japan. Little Walter (May 1, 1930 - February 15, 1968) Although Little Walter might not have been the first person to amplify the harmonica, his pioneering use of the microphone helped establish the modern blues harmonica. With a mike clasped to his harp, Little Walter created echoing, moaning, hornlike sounds that redefined the capabilities of the instrument. Walter Jacobs had fourteen top ten hits on the R&B charts in the 1950's including two number #1 songs "Juke" and "My Babe." Little Walter toured and recorded extensively with blues great Muddy Waters in the 1950's. He also recorded with Jimmy Rogers, Memphis Minnie, Otis Rush and Bo Diddley. Little Walter's influence was pervasive, especially in England where the next generation of harp players such as Mick Jagger listened to his records over and over. Songwriters-producers and record label owners Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff made Philadelphia the soul capitol in the 1970's. Gamble and Huff's label Philadelphia International had a stable of artists that included the O'Jays, McFadden & Whitehead, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Lou Rawls and Dee Dee Sharp. Their records featured the duo's trademark sound: lush string orchestrations, a powerful rhythm section and a disco beat. They also worked with Dusty Springfield, Wilson Pickett, and Jerry Butler among others. In 1990, Gamble and Huff won a Grammy for best R&B song, awarded for Simply Red's cover of the Blue Notes' 1972 hit "If You Don't Know Me By Know." And in 1999, they won the Grammy Trustees Award. ------------------------------ End of JMDL Digest V2007 #498 ***************************** ------- Post messages to the list by clicking here: mailto:joni@smoe.org Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:joni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe -------