From: owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org (onlyJMDL Digest) To: onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org Subject: onlyJMDL Digest V2006 #36 Reply-To: joni@smoe.org Sender: owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk Archives: http://www.smoe.org/lists/onlyjoni Websites: http://www.jmdl.com http://www.jonimitchell.com Unsubscribe: mailto:onlyjoni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe onlyJMDL Digest Friday, February 3 2006 Volume 2006 : Number 036 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- tribute: review in today's NY Times [Deb Messling ] Re: concert review [Bobsart48@aol.com] NY Cabaret opportunity ["Gerald A. Notaro" ] Re: concert notes [Bobsart48@aol.com] Re: Nellie McKay, Chelsea Morning, and the Tribute Show [billdollinger ] razed & rubbery [Dflahm@aol.com] Tribute Two Cents ["Kate Bennett" ] home from nyc [david sapp ] RE: Tribute Two Cents ["Bree Mcdonough" ] and yet another Tribute review.... [RoseMJoy@aol.com] Daily News review [RoseMJoy@aol.com] Re: Some tribute notes [Debra Shea ] Re: razed & rubbery [Debra Shea ] Ken's Story: Tribute Show & Rockwood [PassScribe@aol.com] View my photos [michael@thepazgroup.com] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 03 Feb 2006 06:44:04 -0500 From: Deb Messling Subject: tribute: review in today's NY Times Songs Open to Interpretation Flaunt Their Staying Power By JON PARELES One way songs survive is to prove themselves adaptable: to become widely heard through endless rearrangements and multiple genres. Another way is to be just the opposite: so personalized and obstinate that every performance becomes one more imitation of the song's originator. Joni Mitchell has written both kinds of song, to judge by a tribute concert on Wednesday night at Carnegie Hall. It was a benefit that raised $130,000 for the Music for Youth Foundation, which supports music education. Ms. Mitchell, who has post-polio syndrome, was not there; a statement from her said she was home with "a very sick cat that needs medicine twice a day." But her open-tuned guitar chords, her vocal slides and her vibrato were emulated by half of the 23 acts on the bill. The concert only hinted at Ms. Mitchell's eclecticism. Representing jazz was the ballad singer Little Jimmy Scott, who performed the standard "At Last"  which Ms. Mitchell has recorded  as a series of short, stabbing, utterly dramatic outbursts. Most of the lineup featured singer-songwriters playing acoustic guitar or piano. Dar Williams, Amy Grant, Shawn Colvin, Sonya Kitchell (backed by Assembly of Dust), Joanne Shenandoah, and even male performers including Martin Sexton, Marc Cohn, Jesse Malin and Mark Oliver Everett (leading Eels) stayed close to Ms. Mitchell's versions of the songs they chose. It was a measure not only of how inseparable Ms. Mitchell's songs are from her performances of them, but also of how many songwriters have modeled themselves on her since the 1960's. On the surface, Ms. Mitchell's lyrics have the candor and detail of a diary; behind them is a meticulous organization of ideas and images. Her music has grown ever more idiosyncratic. She began her career with the simple folk harmonies and symmetrical melodies of songs like "Both Sides Now," but went on to incorporate jazz harmonies and the spontaneous rushes and pauses of conversation in her phrasing. What seems improvisational in the first verse is clearly a structure when it returns. With songs from the 60's, the 70's and the 90's, the concert sketched Ms. Mitchell's trajectory. As a young woman, she made grand philosophical statements about life's cycles and paradoxes in songs like "Urge for Going" and "The Circle Game"; Tom Rush, an early advocate for Ms. Mitchell's songwriting, performed them both with reflective serenity. "Both Sides Now" got two renditions. Laurie Anderson used pulsing electronic chords and plucked fiddle notes to make the song a solitary reflection on disillusionment; Judy Collins made it sweetly optimistic. Nellie McKay tried to remake "Chelsea Morning" with a hint of piano rumba; it resisted. And Richie Havens sang "Woodstock" as a quiet elegy for long-gone 1960's idealism. Ms. Mitchell's 1970's songs grew more restless, more willful, and more innovative. She sang about a character  possibly herself  who was constantly in motion, traveling from place to place and man to man. The folky melodies gave way to mutable lines that were more naturalistic and more virtuosic. Michelle Williams (from Destiny's Child) sang "Help Me," from 1974, following the melody's leaps and dips and swoons while using the breathy tone and self-congratulatory moves of current R&B, a fascinating mismatch. The Cowboy Junkies turned "River," from the 1971 album "Blue," into a rootsy torch song. The Wood Brothers (Chris, from Medeski Martin & Wood, on bass with his brother Oliver on guitar and vocals) brought a bluesy openness to "Black Crow," from 1976, and Suzanne Vega, sounding closer to Ms. Mitchell, sang "Amelia" backed only by a bass, making it the song of a lone voyager. Neil Sedaka cheerfully linked "Raised on Robbery" back to piano-pounding 1950's rock. By the 1990's, Ms. Mitchell's melodies were stretching toward jazzy recitative, as her lyrics confronted a world she found ever more merciless. Meshell Ndegeocello, playing bass accompanied by ghostly guitar and percussion, captured the desolate tension of "Cherokee Louise," about an abused teenager. And Bettye LaVette turned "Last Chance Lost," a terse and bitter breakup song, into an intense, wrenching soul lament that seemed to encompass a lifetime of disappointments. She made the song her own  no easy feat. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Deb Messling -^..^- dlmessling@rcn.com - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2006 08:12:46 EST From: Bobsart48@aol.com Subject: Re: concert review I'm not sure whether this will copy clearly into the digest, but the following is the review in today's Newark Star Ledger. Also, you may have to just sign in by entering your zip code before getting in with this link. If so, just follow the links in order as they appear (go to nj.com, then music, then ledger etc. _http://www.nj.com/music/ledger/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-0/11389493011538 80.xml&coll=1_ (http://www.nj.com/music/ledger/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-0/1138949301153880.xml&coll=1) Bobsart _More_ (http://www.nj.com/starledger/) | _Subscribe_ (http://ads1.advance.net/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.nj.com/////ProxyLink/NJONLINE/CLICK_NJ04/Led gerClick4.html/) | _14-Day Archives (Free)_ (http://www.nj.com/search/) | _Long-Term Archives (Paid)_ (http://wawa.starledger.com/texis/search/slfree.html) A tribute from the Joni Mitchell songbook Friday, February 03, 2006 BY JAY LUSTIG Star-Ledger Staff NEW YORK -- It was a shame Joni Mitchell could not attend Wednesday's tribute to her music at Carnegie Hall, primarily because one suspects the legendary singer-songwriter would have loved it. The show did not limit itself to her pop hits and signature ballads, as a lesser tribute would, but also reflected the experimental spirit and jazz leanings of much of her work from the mid-'70s on. Judy Collins closed the show with a vibrant, traditional version of "Both Sides Now." But earlier in the evening, Laurie Anderson turned the same song inside out, adding new riffs and loops, and singing in an other-worldly whisper. (http://ads.advance.net/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.nj.com/xml/story/star_ledger/em/emu/617161087/StoryAd/NJONLINE/TUSCANDAIRY01NJ07/TUSCANDAIRY-ST ORY-300x250-DELIVERYHTML.html/39386133363434383433653335346330?617161087) _Advertisement_ (http://ads.advance.net/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.nj.com/xml/story/star_ledger/em/emu/617161087/StoryAd/NJONLINE/TUSCANDAIRY01NJ07/TUSCANDA IRY-STORY-300x250-DELIVERYHTML.html/39386133363434383433653335346330?617161087 ) (http://www.nj.com/music/ledger/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-0/1138949301153880.xml&coll=1#continue) (http://ads.advance.net/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.nj.com/xml/story/star_ledger/em/emu/617161087/StoryAd/NJONLINE/TUSCANDAIRY01NJ07/TUSCANDAIRY-STORY-3 00x250-DELIVERYHTML.html/39386133363434383433653335346330?617161087) (http://ads.nj.com/RealMedia/ads/click_nx.ads/www.nj.com/xml/story/star_ledger/em/emu/@StoryAd?x) Richie Havens was sincere and meditative on "Woodstock," but Neil Sedaka, pounding his piano boogie-woogie style, made "Raised On Robbery" into a jolly pop song. Clarinetist Don Byron added some jazzy solos to Marc Cohn's version of "For Free." Jimmy Scott, 80, turned in an aching, melodramatic version of "At Last" -- the standard that Mitchell covered on her 2000 "Both Sides Now" album -- and received a standing ovation for it. Bettye LaVette brought a soul-stirring gospel flavor to "Last Chance Lost." Before a note was played, producer Michael Dorf delivered the bad news that Mitchell herself would not be there. (She was never scheduled to performed, but fans were hoping she would at least take a bow.) Dorf read a message from her, saying, among other things, that she was unable to travel away from her California home because her cat was seriously ill. Artists took the stage in quick succession, performing one song apiece. The only one who performed two was veteran folkie Tom Rush, who sang both "The Circle Game" and "Urge For Going" in a warm, conversational, utterly unhurried way. Few said anything about Mitchell or the music, letting the songs speak for themselves. Rush did, though, tell a memorable story about the demo cassette Mitchell sent him with "The Circle Game" (he recorded it before she did). She included an apologetic message on the cassette, saying she thought the song wasn't all that great. In a different vein, Sedaka recalled introducing himself to Mitchell on a plane, only to be told she wasn't sure who he was. Strikingly multicultural, the show featured Native American musician Joanne Shenandoah on "The Dawntreader," and Pharoah's Daughter, a group that draws on Middle Eastern folk sounds, on "God Must Be a Boogie Man." There were also tons of Mitchell-influenced singer-songwriters, including Shawn Colvin, who tackled the mysterious, Dylanesque "Turbulent Indigo," and Sonya Kitchell, who sounded remarkably like a young Mitchell on "Trouble Child." The outspoken, wickedly funny Nellie McKay sounded uncharacteristically sweet and demure on "Chelsea Morning." But most of the musicians stayed true to their usual onstage personalities. Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child belted out "Help Me" over a pumped-up beat. Jesse Malin turned "Carey" into fast, scruffy roots-rock. Cowboy Junkies singer Margo Timmins smoldered on "River." "Amelia," with lines like "I've spent my whole life in clouds at icy altitude," sounded like it was written for Suzanne Vega, who sang it at this show. "All I Want," performed by Eels, evoked Mitchell's playful side ("I want to wreck my stockings in some jukebox dive"), while "Rainy Night House," sung with great sensitivity by Dar Williams, captured the yearning, diary-like flavor of much of Mitchell's early work ("You sat up all the night and watched me, to see who in the world I might be"). The show was a benefit for Music For Youth, a New York-based organization that supports innovative music-education programs and grants scholarships. Some young musicians who have been helped by the organization participated in the show, backing Tom Rush on "The Circle Game." At the end of the evening, it was announced that Music For Youth will present another tribute, to another musician, on Nov. 2. No more details were offered. These were the songs performed at Wednesday's Joni Mitchell tribute concert at Carnegie Hall, and the artists who sang them: "The Dawntreader," Joanne Shenandoah "Rainy Night House," Dar Williams (http://ads.advance.net/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.nj.com/xml/story/star_ledger/em/emu/1460669506/StoryAd/NJONLINE/NJDEVILS01NJ02/devils_250x250-gen.ht ml/39386133363434383433653335353730?1460669506) _Advertisement_ (http://ads.advance.net/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.nj.com/xml/story/star_ledger/em/emu/1 460669506/StoryAd/NJONLINE/NJDEVILS01NJ02/devils_250x250-gen.html/393861333634 34383433653335353730?1460669506) (http://www.nj.com/music/ledger/index.ssf?/base/living-0/1138949617140530.xml&coll=1&thispage=1#continue) (http://ads.advance.net/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.nj.com/xml/story/star_ledger/em/emu/1460669506/StoryAd/NJONLINE/NJDEVILS01NJ02/devils_250x250-gen.ht ml/39386133363434383433653335353730?1460669506) (http://ads.nj.com/RealMedia/ads/click_nx.ads/www.nj.com/xml/story/star_ledger/em/emu/@StoryAd?x) "Raised on Robbery," Neil Sedaka "All I Want," Eels "Urge For Going," Tom Rush "Both Sides Now," Laurie Anderson "Cherokee Louise," Meshell Ndegeocello "Marcie," Martin Sexton "Black Crow," the Wood Brothers Amelia," Suzanne Vega "God Must Be a Boogie Man," Pharaoh's Daughter "Carey," Jesse Malin (http://ads.advance.net/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.nj.com/xml/story/star_ledger/em/emu/1449975681/StoryAd/NJONLINE/TUSCANDAIRY01NJ07/TUSCANDAIRY-STORY- 300x250-DELIVERYHTML.html/39386133363434383433653335353930?1449975681) _Advertisement_ (http://ads.advance.net/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.nj.com/xml/story/star_ledger/em/emu/1449975681/StoryAd/NJONLINE/TUSCANDAIRY01NJ07/TUSCANDAIR Y-STORY-300x250-DELIVERYHTML.html/39386133363434383433653335353930?1449975681) (http://www.nj.com/music/ledger/index.ssf?/base/living-0/1138949617140530.xml&coll=1&thispage=2#continue) (http://ads.advance.net/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.nj.com/xml/story/star_ledger/em/emu/1449975681/StoryAd/NJONLINE/TUSCANDAIRY01NJ07/TUSCANDAIRY-STORY- 300x250-DELIVERYHTML.html/39386133363434383433653335353930?1449975681) (http://ads.nj.com/RealMedia/ads/click_nx.ads/www.nj.com/xml/story/star_ledger/em/emu/@StoryAd?x) "Help Me," Michelle Williams "Big Yellow Taxi," Amy Grant "For Free," Marc Cohn, with Don Byron "The Circle Game," Tom Rush "Trouble Child," Sonya Kitchell, with Assembly of Dust "At Last," Jimmy Scott "Turbulent Indigo," Shawn Colvin "Last Chance Lost," Bettye LaVette "Chelsea Morning," Nellie McKay "River," Cowboy Junkies "Woodstock," Richie Havens "Both Sides Now," Judy Collins ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2006 08:22:21 -0500 (EST) From: "Gerald A. Notaro" Subject: NY Cabaret opportunity For those of you still in NY, and are not concerted or Joni-d out, tonight the legendary Joanne Beretta will be performing some of Joni's music (as well as Dylan and Weill) at Danny's Skylight Room. Daqnny's is a wonderful restaurant/cabaret that out very own David Lahm and his wife Judy perform. I saw Joanna at Reno Sweeney's before she quit performing and this is her long awaited return. If you go you will remember her voice for a very long time. Jerry ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2006 09:13:48 EST From: Bobsart48@aol.com Subject: Re: concert notes These were my notes in the aftermath. Everybody's got his own slightly different take on things, as we all know. I've graded them with traditional letter grades, just as an indicator of how they stacked up against one another for me. Overall, I certainly felt I got my money's worth - wouldn't have missed it even if ..........yes, and I love both my cats ;-) Laurie Anderson - Both Sides Now (B- trying for fine art, but not quite getting there). A tip of the cap to her stature in the world of avant garde art, that she would be allowed to do this song, given that JC would later close the show with it. Assembly of Dust featuring Sonya Kitchell - Trouble Child (Court and Spark) A- fine job by the band. The 16 year old still has a way to go as a singer, but she may get there. In the meantime, she did a very creditable job on this song. Don Byron - clarinet for Marc Cohn Marc Cohn - For Free B- I bit disappointing for me, given some advance hype I read (my fault) Bryon's clarinet may have been just a bit too jazzy for this piece, which is a simple song, musically. I'd be interested in David Lahm's opinion on this. Still, not bad. Judy Collins - BSN A- The best voice of the night. It made the Hall ring. Not a whole lot of heart, but quite good anyway. Shawn Colvin - Turbulent Indigo A- Very servicable effort on a very ambitious and difficult song to cover. She "squared up" the song's rhythm, to give herself a fighting chance. I'm starting to love this woman. Cowboy Junkies - River C I totally don't get it. eels - All I Want C Badly compromised by failure to sing correctly into the mike. Once he regurgitated it, and the sound man made 4 adjustments, the second half of the song was tolerable. Amy Grant - Big Yellow Taxi B What you'd expect. Some nice shoo-bops. Richie Havens - Woodstock B he's lost a couple of steps. Somewhat soulful, but lacking in his usual energy. Bettye LaVette - Last Chance Lost A+ The kind of performance (and intepretation) one comes to hear. Bravo ! Kudos to her guitarist, too !!! I forget his name - Paz, can you help ? Jesse Malin - Carey A A highlight of the evening. Energetic, and snappy. Good job ! Nellie McKay - Chelsea Morning - on piano - C Uninteresting, Boring, show-tuney version. Me'shell NdegiOcello - Cherokee Louise A (but net effect was A-, due to sound guy getting it a bit too soft - which the artist did her best to correct.). Quite a good performance and interpretation - she was a bit temperamental, complaining to the sound guy to raise the level of the guitar, which he failed to succeed in doing - she was correct. The guitarist was excellent. She played electric bass and sang. Pharaoh's Daughter - God Must Be a Boogie Man - A- Very good job on a very tough song by a 6 piece band of traditional instruments Tom Rush - Urge For Going and The Circle Game - B+ What you'd expect. Jimmy Scott - At Last (not really a Joni cover) B The crowd voted higher, giving this 80-year old (wheeled on, I think, but walked off - good for him) soul/blues singer a standing O. I hope I can play guitar 1/10 as well as he can sing when I'm 80. Neil Sedaka -Raised on Robbery B him on piano, plus a bass player. Rocked a little - should have rocked a lot. Martin Sexton - Marcie A- Beautifully delivered, sensitive take (guitar-only) on a very self conscious song (for a supposedly 3rd person lyric). Joanne Shenandoah - The Dawntreader C Pretty, traditional arrangement, including mandolin. The girl can't hold a tune, though. Suzanne Vega - Amelia C Accompanied only by electric bass, playing lead guitar-like chords and picking (ambitious attempt, but no variation from verse to verse). She only sang. Boring and monotonous - this song requires a kick in the pants to get it right. AS Lynn Skinner commented at dinner, the key verse starts "maybe I've never really loved, I guess that is the truth". I believe it. Dar Williams - Rainy Night House - C+ Only slightly better - I would have liked to hear some backup singers fill up the Hall like a choir at the key moment. Accompanied by pianist, she only sang (and her hands never left the mike stand). Michelle Williams (of Destiny's Child) - Help Me A. She's adorable - plus, a good singer. Good job. One of the better acts. No KD Lang, though. The Wood Brothers - Black Crow A- (net effect was B+, though, because miking was a bit too soft. Good version, acoustic bass and guitar - again, instruments were undermiked - could have been an A-, or even an A). I',m partial to this song - glad it was covered. Joni Mitchell - A+ for the music, which covered only 1/6 or so of her studio-recorded works. Unlike almost any of the other "iconic" songwriters, they could do at least a few other tribute shows just as good, without duplicating a single song. What a songwriter, recording artist and performing artist ...and you know there may be more! So tough to do justice to !! And, her sentiment - - hoping that this show would help encourage better music to made in the future - was spot on. Paraphrasing Lustig, it was a shame she didn't make it........................ Carnegie Hall - A+ The sound man did a fine job on all but two songs (no small feat, with 24 different performers). The 'old girl' sounded great with the relatively simple arrangements - and even the electric Carey came out just fine. I was in Row S - one of the best seats in the house (I think 5 rows closer would have been totally perfect). Those up front - and there were many JMDLers up there - may have suffered, cause the music can't disperse sufficiently before it reaches your ears. Patrick - is there some "legend" about the best seat in the house? Bobsart ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 03 Feb 2006 08:22:18 -0600 From: billdollinger Subject: Re: Nellie McKay, Chelsea Morning, and the Tribute Show Please note that I am not saying that Nellie's had a good performance. Obviously, I wasn't there but all accounts I have read have singled her out as a low point, and that is disappointing. I only wanted to point out that she is notorious for forgetting lyrics, even her own as she did when I saw her at the Birchmere recently. That said, I urge people to give her a try. I have not been this excited about a singer/songwriter in many, many years. If anyone is interested, I recommend her first CD "Get Away From Me." I would add that I have spent time with her as she does work for animal rights causes and she is one of the most down to earth people you would ever meet. Please keep the comments coming, I am thoroughly enjoying getting to read them. Bill On Feb 2, 2006, at 11:07 PM, djp wrote: > At 07:45 PM 2/2/2006, you wrote: >> Sounds like a great time. >> I would say on Nellie McKay's >> behalf, she is notorious for >> forgetting lyrics. > > It wasn't just the lyrics, she screwed up the melody, making it a > repetitive singsong. I haven't the musical chops to describe this > well, but where in the original there's some kind of modulation > (for example, on the word "owls" ["i will bring you incense owls by > night"]) she just sang it plain old chirpy major chord. > > Can any musician who was there describe this better? Or am I > making it up? > > djp > > ps: see, julius, I'm posting. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 03 Feb 2006 11:04:08 -0500 From: Jerry Notaro Subject: Re: Tribute Show Was sure she was going to do Night Ride Home. She often sings snippets of it in concert and it is gorgeous. So glad Jimmy sang At Last. You all experienced one of the most underrated, great singers of our lifetime. Jerry > ha! kewl, glad to hear SOMEONE did TI, odd little diamond in the > rough/lump of coal that it is. > thx for the report, happy to hear it was good. > Hope Joni's cat will be ok. > Em > > --- djp wrote: > >> At 06:56 AM 2/2/2006, Em wrote: >>> ay conyo.... >>> sorry.. >>> how was the rest??? >>> Em >> >> highlights for me: >> >> Laurie Anderson's simple and weird Both sides now >> Shawn Colvin's Turbulent Indigo - very straightforward, better (dare >> I say >> it) that Joni's >> Cowboy Junkies' gorgeous River >> Bettye LaVette's heart-wrenching Last Chance Lost >> Jimmy Scott's At Last >> A very very cute Wood Brother playing standup bass on Black Crow >> Carnegie Hall itself >> >> and: Joni's excise that she couldn't be there because she had to >> medicate >> her cat. >> >> Low lights: >> Nellie McKay not bothering to learn either the melody or lyrics to >> Chelsea >> Morning >> >> I had a blast. >> djp ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2006 12:01:55 EST From: Dflahm@aol.com Subject: razed & rubbery Stayed up past my usual bedtime Exceeded my usual blood alcohol parameters Transcended my usual, considerable, sense of well-being Reaffirmed my usual conviction that even within the special realm of music, the jmdl is a special princessipality gratitude, as opposed to obligation is a sweet feeling and that's my feeling about last night and you all DAVID LAHM ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2006 10:08:18 -0800 From: "Kate Bennett" Subject: Tribute Two Cents >This is the performance I'll remember years from now. Yes, much resonance. Felt like my heart was being ripped out. I've never liked or listened much to that song, but hearing it this way gave me new appreciation for Joni< thanks to everyone for the great reviews! Debra, this is why I love tributes so much- there is usually one or two performers that deliver a song in a way that makes you realize all over again that joni is a master songwriter... sometimes it takes listening to another version to get that aha moment... & kudos to shawn for her risk, she is the master of choosing & redoing covers imo ... a bit like emmylou ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2006 13:14:44 -0500 (EST) From: david sapp Subject: home from nyc We got home safely thurs. eve - what an amazing experience. The highlights for me - the JMDL reception and dinner party - i've been a lister for 6 yrs and had never met anyone. When I got to the reception I burst into tears of joy----what an absolute thrill. More to follow....... peace, david ________________________________________ PeoplePC Online A better way to Internet http://www.peoplepc.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 03 Feb 2006 13:37:08 -0500 From: "Bree Mcdonough" Subject: RE: Tribute Two Cents I'm listening to these great Joni Mitchell coverrs ..volume 73 today. (Thanks Bob! ) I've repeated Judy Collins singing .That Song About The Midway a good ten times. And you are right ..Kate...listening to Judy's version of TSATM makes me realize what a master Joni is at songwriting. Also...TSATM sounds like a very difficult song to sing....but I guess that would depend on one's range? I would love..LOVE to hear Shawn sing TI...did anyone have a recording device? On PBS perhaps? Thanks for the reviews. More to come..yeah...I hope Bree >This is the performance I'll remember years from now. >Yes, much resonance. Felt like my heart was being >ripped out. I've never liked or listened much to that >song, but hearing it this way gave me new appreciation >for Joni< > >thanks to everyone for the great reviews! Debra, this is why I love >tributes so much- there is usually one or two performers that deliver a >song >in a way that makes you realize all over again that joni is a master >songwriter... sometimes it takes listening to another version to get that >aha moment... & kudos to shawn for her risk, she is the master of choosing >& >redoing covers imo ... a bit like emmylou ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2006 13:49:54 EST From: RoseMJoy@aol.com Subject: and yet another Tribute review.... Joni Mitchell skips a dazzling tribute By Frank Scheck Fri Feb 3, 1:54 AM ET NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - The diversity and durability of _Joni Mitchell_ (http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news/?p=Joni+Mitchell) 's music was well demonstrated Wednesday at Carnegie Hall in a tribute concert that was a model of its kind. Shorn of the bombast and commercialism that mar so many of these events, "The Music of Joni Mitchell" featured a dazzling array of superb artists delivering passionate versions of some of pop's most challenging material. The evening also served a good cause, raising some $130,000 to benefit the Music for Youth Foundation, an organization dedicated to funding music education programs for underprivileged youth. Producer Michael Dorf created a fast-paced program that ran like clockwork, delivering some two dozen numbers in 2 1/2 hours. The guest of honor was unfortunately not present. In a note read by Dorf, Mitchell explained that she had to care for a "sick cat." The eclecticism of Mitchell's music was accentuated by the range of artists on display, from _Neil Sedaka_ (http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news/?p=Neil+Sedaka) and _Jimmy Scott_ (http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news/?p=Jimmy+Scott) to L_aurie Anderson_ (http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news/?p=Laurie+Anderson) and eels. Unrepentant folkies were rewarded by two highly appropriate surprise guests. Tom Rush, who first covered Mitchell's music on classic albums like "The Circle Game," delivered moving versions of that song and "Urge for Going," while Richie Havens sang a plaintive rendition of the classic "Woodstock." The evening included both faithful and iconoclastic takes on Mitchell's oeuvre. Examples of the former included Dar Williams' folksy "Rainy Nighthouse," American-Indian singer Joanne Shenandoah's moving "The Dawntreader," Suzanne Vega's hushed "Amelia," Amy Grant's chirpy "Big Yellow Taxi, _Shawn Colvin_ (http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news/?p=Shawn+Colvin) 's unadorned "Turbulent Indigo" and show closer Judy Collins reprising her landmark cover of "Both Sides Now." But there also were plenty of surprises. Sedaka delivered a rollicking "Raised on Robbery," featuring a heavy dose of boogie-woogie piano; eels provided a stark stylishness to "All I Want"; and Pharaoh's Daughter infused the challenging "God Must Be the Boogie Man" with Middle Eastern sounds. The Woods Brothers provided a jazzy take on "Black Crow," while _Jesse Malin_ (http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news/?p=Jesse+Malin) , formerly of D Generation, delivered "Carey" as a straight-ahead rocker. And the Cowboy Junkies' "River" featured the band's trademark blend of country, blues and rock. Anderson brought down the house with a spellbinding version of "Both Sides Now" in which her ethereal vocals were complemented by loads of electronic overlay. Bettye LaVette, joking that she had finally gotten to Carnegie Hall after 45 years of "practice, practice, practice," delivered a gorgeously soulful version of "Last Chance Lost." Destiny's Child singer Michelle Williams tried a similar approach with less success on an overblown "Help Me." The audience favorite was clearly veteran singer Jimmy Scott, who cheated a bit (not that anyone minded) by performing the standard "At Last," which Mitchell once recorded. Reuters/Hollywood Reporter ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2006 13:54:24 EST From: RoseMJoy@aol.com Subject: Daily News review A tribute in tune with Joni The salute saw Shawn Colvin soar. Tribute concerts are tricky things. With multiple performers tackling the sacred songs of an icon - often on short notice - it's easy for interpretations to end up imitative, perverse, literal-minded, indulgent or just plain dull. The land mines multiply when you're talking about saluting an artist like Joni Mitchell. Not only does her catalogue have few peers, the material features chord changes and melody lines that could daunt even the most seasoned star. Thankfully, the concert given in tribute to Mitchell at Carnegie Hall Wednesday kept the missteps to a minimum. And those artists who brought daring and dash to the songs more than made up for them. This particular tribute was more necessary than most. Since Mitchell says she'll no longer perform, record or write, it's up to others to keep her legacy alive. Not that she's showing much interest these days. While Mitchell appeared at past toasts to her talent, this time she had curator Michael Dorf read a note revealing the following excuse: "My cat is sick and I can't leave." Why not stick with "My dog ate it"? At least the night's proceeds benefited a worthy cause - Music for Youth, which provides lessons in the schools. Any serious music student could have learned plenty from Wednesday's show. With 24 artists taking on as many Mitchell songs, the show made fans marvel, again, at the breadth and musicality of her work. Genres included rockabilly (a campy take on "Raised on Robbery" from Neil Sedaka), folk (Judy Collins' sterling version of "Both Sides Now"), country-rock (Jesse Malin's wily interpretation of "Carey") and jazz (Meshell Ndegeocello's rubbery "Cherokee Louise"). Many artists fiddled with the songs' points of view: The alterna-rock band the Eels inverted "All I Want" from an expression of female need into an example of male withholding. Tom Rush turned Mitchell's tale of wanderlust ("Urge for Going") into a rumination on lost opportunities. Nellie McKay made "Chelsea Morning" plucky. No one selected Mitchell songs from the '80s - not bad considering her output then. While classics of the '60s and '70s dominated, two of the night's highlights came from 1994's "Turbulent Indigo." Shawn Colvin found a sturdier melody for the title track. And Bettye LaVette performed miracles by turning "Last Chance Lost" into a desperate soul shouter, contrasting its spare instrumentation with high drama. There were stumbles: Michelle Williams (of Destiny's Child, not "Brokeback Mountain") couldn't find the melody, or the rhythm, of "Help Me." And the Native American singer Joanne Shenandoah delivered "The Dawntreader" entirely flat. But the night's flaws faded in the face of performers like the Wood Brothers, who gave "Black Crow" a sexy new jazz groove. Or Richie Havens, who turned "Woodstock" into a tale of youthful possibilities squandered. Such moments made this tribute not a rote rehash, but a night adventurous enough to deserve Mitchell's difficult, hungry spirit. Originally published on February 3, 2006 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2006 11:22:24 -0800 (PST) From: Debra Shea Subject: Re: Some tribute notes - --- djp wrote: > At 01:53 PM 2/2/2006, Debra Shea wrote: > > > Sonya Kitchell ... it's a pleasure being able to listen in. > > Huh. She did nothing for me at all. > > > Richie Havens ... his performance never really took off. > > Huh again. I was entranced. I'll take those two Huhs and give you a Yep. I'm sticking to my story about what I heard. My seat in row A near the right side aisle was perfect for adoring Joni from, but not the best spot to hear the music. And I could see looks between artists and the sound guy at the right that perhaps other people couldn't. So, yes, Richie Havens and the cellist were trying to communicate with the sound guy to no effect, and the cello sounded way too loud (from where I was sitting), and it was as though the cellist and other guitarist were playing separately from what Richie Havens was playing. He seemed distracted by that, and kept giving little looks toward the sound guy. After a little while, he seemed to ignore them and just do his thing, and he did get into a trance-like almost prayerful, quietly beseeching, performance that wasn't what I expected but was still powerful. It was hard, though, for me to hear him through the cello sound, a beautiful sound, but too much for what Richie Havens was doing. And Sonya Kitchell seemed relaxed and comfortable in her skin, which is something rare for any 16-year old, much less one on the Carnegie Hall stage. Again, from my seat, I could see the interaction between her and the musicians to her left, and they were all having a very good time, which is a big help when getting the music across. She had some quirky ways of doing things, like singing out of the side of her mouth, and I thought how odd and how wonderful that she's not "manufactured" the way some artists are nowadays. The music, and her additions to Joni's song, just seemed to flow out of her with no effort. It's hard to separate out the "she's 16?!" from the performance, but I think even if she'd been much older I would still have been impressed. Debra Shea Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2006 11:35:23 -0800 (PST) From: Debra Shea Subject: Re: razed & rubbery - --- Dflahm@aol.com wrote: > Stayed up past my usual bedtime > Exceeded my usual blood alcohol parameters > Transcended my usual, considerable, sense of > well-being > Reaffirmed my usual conviction that even within the > special realm of music, > the jmdl is a special princessipality It was a wonderful night last night. Overwhelming. The performances, the camaraderie, the fun... yes, razed and rubbery is how I'm feeling too. I'll add dazed to that. Congratulations to Kay for getting last night's show together in such a short time. It's a massive undertaking to organize a 3 hour show even where's lots of time to do it in! It ran so smoothly, Bob Muller was great as the emcee, all the performances were memorable... that's where the dazed part comes in... I can't even pick my favorite performance. Thanks so much, Kay, and Bob and Michael Paz, who looks like a different person when he's playing music, and everyone who was there. It was all wonderful. Now it's back to real life and a trip to the dentist. Might be an easy visit now that I'm in this plesurable joni-fog. Debra Shea, in NYC Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2006 16:53:07 EST From: PassScribe@aol.com Subject: Ken's Story: Tribute Show & Rockwood Well, it's all over now and everyone's sending in their reviews and personal stories from the Wednesday night show at Carnegie Hall, the Friday morning JoniFest at the Rockwood as well as various individual experiences. I've decided not to read any of the others until I've finished my own account just so that it wouldn't be influenced by anyone elses. Obviously, I'm dying to read everyone elses' stories and am looking forward to discussing and reflecting on these events with you all as soon as I finish this note. I thought, by including my own time-line, some of you who weren't able to attend might get more of a feel for what it was like for me. DISCLAIMER: I did not take any notes at any time and my mind is pretty full of 62 years of other stuff so please forgive me for forgetting names (or mispelling them) or who sang what. Hopefully, someone else has posted a more accurate record of the actual people & performances, especially at the Rockwood. Wednesday, Feb. 1: 2:30 PM: Left work early, went home for a nap & got ready for the big night. 3:50 PM: Ro and I left home to catch the 4:16 LIRR train into Manhattan out of Hicksville (my friends from Sweden get a big kick out of taking the train into NYC from a town called HICKS-VILLE when they stay with us). 5:12 PM: Arrive at Penn Station and, along with about a dozen other people, try to walk OUT of the terminal while half of NYC is trying to get INTO it... I swear I must have bumped into ten thousand people before we walked ten blocks. Now I know what it feels like to be a salmon trying to swim upstream to spawn on the Columbia River. 5:45 PM: After a brisk, chilly 23 block walk (we avoided the subway since we both need the exercise) Ro & I arrived at Carnegie Hall. Before we got there, I could see the Park Central Hotel on the west side of Seventh Avenue; I remembered that many JMDL fans were staying there when I noticed the alter someone had built out front with the Statue of Joni on it and the lighted candles at the base. (heh-heh-heh... just kidding, guys)! We were able to enter the Citigroup Cafe where we met other early birds from the our site. I must commend Cassie (Queen of the Hot Glue Gun) for all the dedication and effort she put into the JMDL/Joni pinbacks; a very nice touch! I met Julius (who organized this pre-show gathering) and said "hi" to Bob (King of The Covers), as well as Paz, Donna, and everyone else I remembered from JoniFest 2003. I'll try to keep this brief by saying only that everyone who performed at the pre-show gathering did an admirable job. Sadly, there was no amplified mic (due, in large part, to the Hall requesting nearly $500. to set that up... greedy bastards!) but anyone standing close to the performers was rewarded with an intimate musical treat. The highlight of this pre-show spectacle for me was Kay Ashley's strong accapella rendition of Fiddle & The Drum... this girl is a "Nation Of Joni" National treasure! (More on Kay later...) Oh, I had one of those $5. "Gourmet Sandwiches"... you know, I never looked it up in the Thesaurus but I guess "gourmet" must be a synonym for "small." If my mouth was any bigger, I could have stuffed the whole thing in there at once... ;-) Anyway, the Yellowtail Shiraz was pretty tasty. I met lots of new people (that I hadn't met before) including a woman by the name of Nancy, wearing a genuine original 1974 Joni Tour jacket. I convinced her that she must attend the next Northeast JoniFest and she is looking forward to it. I also met Craig and his daughter Kierna (I KNOW that's wrong but I think it's close) who came all the way from Oregon. She had never seen Joni before and was hoping this would be the time. She was quite disappointed... as were many others of us who had never seen or heard Joni live. 8:00 PM: We were ushered into the hall and the show started fairly promptly. Our seats in the Dress Circle were pretty highband we were in the last row bbut close to center stage; they really weren't bad seats. There are some pillars that may have partially obstructed the view of some people in this ancient theater but, overall, it looks like a good place to see a show. I brought my binoculars along (just in case I might have gotten a glimpse of you-know-who) which helped me get a close-up view of the performers. Now, I know each artist likes to interpret a song in their own way. Personally, I usually like to hear something close to the original (after all, in most cases, I've been listening toband lovingbthe original for many years). And, I respect anyone's unique cover of a song as long as it's well done. Of course, I think we all are going to likebor dislikebvarious songs, based upon our own tastes. That said, I can'tbfor the life of mebimagine why Sonya Kitchell and Assembly of Dust would do such a wonderful, right-on rendition of "Trouble Child" and then add such a long & complex ending that simply didn't fit the rest of the song. And, could Richie Havens have done a s-l-o-w-e-r version of "Woodstock"? Hey, but that's only my opinion; I happened to love most of the other acts and was really impressed by Dar Williams' "Rainy Nighthouse" (one of my favorite Joni tunes... love those chord changes!), Martin Sexton's "Marcie", Marc Cohn's "For Free" (with Don Byron on clarinet), and Neil Sedaka rocking away on the piano for "Raised On Robbery" (I thought I was watching Jerry Lee Lewis up there!). The show stopper of the night had to be 80 year-old "Little" Jimmy Scott belting out a spectacular version of "At Last" (yes, I know Joni didn't write it but she covered it on that standards album so it was fair game). Now, overall, I thought the show was very good; I might even say great. But I can't help but feel let down at the way the event was produced. From the start, everyone was under the impression that Joni was going to be there. Okay, she wasn't and I can handle that; but right up until the announcer read the note saying she had to stay home and care for her very sick cat, I really thought she might show (and so did many others I talked to). Even half way through the show, I thought, "maybe the note about the cat was just a joke and she's going to walk out any minute now...." It was unfair on the part of the producers to not have this issue resolved beforehand. To add insult to injury, Rita Houston (who I love and listen to on WFUV all the time) was the MC and wasn't even there! Her introductions were all on tape! Very large lack of class on the part of the producers and the Hall. Rita has a great voice and the intros sounded fine except there was no spontaneity... no chance for her to say, "Wow! Wasn't that a great performance by so-and-so?" 10:33: Show ended... I can't remember ever attending a concert andbafter the last songbthe lights come on and everyone just walks out. No encore. No assembling the performers for a group sing-along. Very cut-and-dried. Oh, well... there was always the Rockwood to look forward to. I was going into work late the next day but Ro had to get early so we passed on Seppi's. I trust everyone who went over there had a grand time. I planned on getting the 12:18 train home but the Carnegie Hall show ended so early that we took the subway down to Penn Station and just made the 11:16. Got to Hicksville before midnight and home by a quarter after. Thursday, Feb. 2: 8:00 PM: Judged & critiqued a photo competition at the Great Neck Camera Club on Long Island. 9:30 PM: Meeting ended and I left to drive into Manhattan. No traffic to speak of and I was into the city by 10 o'clock. I figured I had plenty of time to kill as everyone was supposed to meet at the Rockwood for a midnight start. I drove over to Chinatown to get something to eat at Wo Hop (our favorite restaurant) and the owner told me I just missed the guys I used to work with who were in earlier. I got an order of pork Chow Fun to go and drove over toward the Rockwood to find a parking space. 10:30 PM: Found a good space six blocks from the Rockwood, parked and ate the Chow Fun while listening to the radio. Still too early so I tried to take a nap. 11:00 PM: Decided to check out the Rockwood in case anyone else was there early. I was amazed to see a group with instruments standing outside but, as I got closer, noticed it wasn't anyone I knew. Looked inside and was surprised how small the place was; didn't see anyone I knew so I walked back to the car. Decided to find a space closer to the venue; moved the car to within three blocks (not an easy feat, considering all the parking restrictions in NYC). 11:50 PM: Walked back to the Rockwood. Hooray! I found Kay and a few others standing outside. Kaye said the previous acts were running late so we wouldn't be in before 12:30. Paz and some others showed up; then some more Joniphiles... next thing you know, there were about forty people standing in front of the place. I don't know what time we finally got in but Paz and Kay quikly set up shop and they were ready to go. Cassie handed out more souvenirs: Joni refrigerator magnets she made. Again, I took no notes, so forgive me for any mistakes. I had never seen or heard Angela McKensie before but this girl can SING! She led off what proved to be at least a three-hour mini-JoniFest. As usual, Paz played bass, lead guitar and piano at various times, either solo or with other people... do you think God could reward me, for whatever good I've done in my life, by letting me play bass, guitar and piano as well as Michael if I get to heaven? And, Bob Muller played the part of mc for the night; you know, he has a great voice. I think they should have gotten him to emcee the Tribute Show at Carnegie... at least he was there in person! ;-) Alison (the DJ from Salt Lake City whom I met in 2003) sang "You Turn Me On (I'm A Radio)" and I thought that was pretty appropriate. There was a fellow named John Kelly who played guitar and sang wonderfully, but afterward did an acapella version of "Shadows and Light"... very impressive! And Gary Zack... another amazing voice! Simply awesome! I am so impressed by all you talented people and I so appriciate your excellent performances. BTW, who was the girl with the trombone? Before the fest ended, Kierna (the young girl from Oregon) played guitar & sand a Joni song before doing an original she had written which was quite good! Another young, newbie girl (name escapes me) ended the show with a fine vocal performance and Paz backing on bass. I could go on and on but this note is probably too long already; I'm sure other folks will write about the rest of the performers. Suffice to say we closed the place up and then some people left for home or their hotels while others walked around the corner to grab something to eat at 4:15 AM. I said "goodbye" to everyone and the last thing I remembered seeing was Les Irwin eating a slice of pizza with ham and pineapple on top. I was so glad to be able to meet and spend some time again with so many fine people. Donna, you are so fine and I'm so glad we had time to talk again. I hope you've enjoyed your stay in New Yawk and that you get home safely. Maybe you can write about this trip for the next issue of PASSIONS. Julius, Kay, Paz, and everyone else who performed or had a hand in aiding and abetting the crowd of Joniphiles: you are the best! 4:20 AM: I left the city to drive home. No traffic... well, this is NYC and you never know, do you? Played the double CD Tribute Album Paz produced back in 2000 on the way home... thanks, Michael! Great stuff! 5:00 AM: Home and in bed by half-past. Dreaming of the next JoniFest. Kenny B P.S. I have lots of photos I took from the Rockwood; where & how can I post them so everyone else can see them? ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2006 14:12:20 -0800 (PST) From: michael@thepazgroup.com Subject: View my photos Here are my pics from the tribute. I had some really good ones but there are some wierd ones as well. Hope you all enjoy them. Paz You're invited to view these photos online at Kodak Easyshare Gallery! Just click on View Photos to get started. http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=147velf0.u7k1psc&x=0&y=-mg5lob If you'd like to save this album, just sign in, or if you're new to the Gallery, create a free account. Once you've signed in, you'll be able to view this album whenever you want and order Kodak prints of your favorite photos. Enjoy! Instructions: Click view photos to begin. If you're an existing member you'll be asked to sign in. If not, you can join the Gallery for free. http://www.kodakgallery.com/Register.jsp Questions? Visit http://help.kodakgallery.com. - ------------------------------------------------ EASYSHARE Gallery Customer Service http://help.kodakgallery.com/support Phone: (800) 360-9098 Outside the US and Canada: (510) 985-9798 - ------------------------------------------------ If you cannot see the links above, copy and paste the following URL directly into your browser: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=147velf0.u7k1psc&x=0&y=-mg5lob ------------------------------ End of onlyJMDL Digest V2006 #36 ******************************** ------- Post messages to the list by clicking here: mailto:joni@smoe.org Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:onlyjoni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe ------- Siquomb, isn't she? (http://www.siquomb.com/siquomb.cfm)