From: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org (JMDL Digest) To: joni-digest@smoe.org Subject: JMDL Digest V2013 #1687 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 Website:http://jonimitchell.com JMDL Digest Monday, November 25 2013 Volume 2013 : Number 1687 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- RE: Blues [Mike B ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 11:47:47 +0000 From: Mike B Subject: RE: Blues O h my, this is great! Thanks Dave. (Are there any plans to release the Mutts live Hejira?...... ) M > Subject: Blues > From: beatntrack@att.net > Date: Sat, 23 Nov 2013 17:43:51 -0800 > CC: joni@smoe.org; kbhla@fastmail.fm > To: charliebu@hotmail.co.uk > > Mike, > > Blue Motel Room actually contains little that one could call blues musically despite the lyrics I got the blues inside and outside my head. Some people think of blues as a feeling, or an attitude, so in that sense it may be blues, but it doesn't employ the scales or chords that are usually called blues. Its more of a torch ballad in the vein of My Funny Valentine or Body and Soul, to my ears at least, drawing from a 40s sensibility. What is different about it is that it is clearly written on guitar and not piano like most standard ballads were. The chord motion is more the parallel shape movement that guitar is so good at than the extended ii-V-I motion of most standards. > > A Strange Boy is not really a blues either but it has a bluesy sounding pentatonic riff and Larry C ran with that and played all his coolest blues licks over it taking full advantage of the Dmajor/D minor ambiguity that runs through the song. > > Be Cool, by contrast is certainly a blues and has some jazzed up reharmonizations in it to boot. Its no wonder so many jazz vocalists are covering it. > > Dave > > > On Nov 23, 2013, at 10:25 AM, Mike B wrote: > > > Kakki thanks for flagging up that Hejira interview, it's a great find! > > I like Dave and Sue's suggestion that Chogyam Trungpa influenced 'Strange > > Boy', and that in the 'He sees cars...' verse she's admiring his simplified > > uncluttered insight, whether into traffic patterns or facial patterns. > > A musical question for Dave (or fellow-musicians, but I know Dave has played > > this), if I may: how 'blues-ish' is Blue Motel Room? Is Joni actually using > > traditional blues chords here, or did she more likely stumble on > > blues-sounding voicings through the particular tuning used for that song? > > Thanks for the great discussions! > > M ------------------------------ End of JMDL Digest V2013 #1687 ****************************** ------- To post messages to the list, sendtojoni@smoe.org. Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:joni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe -------