From: owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org (onlyJMDL Digest) To: onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org Subject: onlyJMDL Digest V2006 #188 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 Sunday, July 2 2006 Volume 2006 : Number 188 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- The great quote battle ["Joe Jones" ] Re: A trip of a different colour ["Garret" ] Joni Covers #78 - Hotter Than July! [Bob Muller ] RE; Joni quotes battle [MINGSDANCE@aol.com] Re: Joni - essentially Canadian in Toronto Star [Catherine McKay Subject: The great quote battle "Time is an illusion, lunchtime doubly so" Douglas Adams - The Hitch Hikers Guide To The Galaxy Joe - St. Asaph. NP - Sailin Shoes - Little Feat - -- Joe Jones: 07771 625411 joejones@onetel.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2006 10:54:40 +0100 (BST) From: "Garret" Subject: Re: A trip of a different colour Looks great Paz. It reminds me of the Golden Girls! I'd certainly try to get myself there. GARRET ate: Thu, 29 Jun 2006 09:00:13 -0500 From: Michael Paz Subject: A trip of a different colour Hello All In my research to find alternate ways to get together with people I love to be with, I came across this place: http://www.clubmed.us/cm/Satellite?c=Page&pagename=ClubMedDev%2FVillage-Welc ome&cid=90000095811 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2006 04:29:04 -0700 (PDT) From: Bob Muller Subject: Joni Covers #78 - Hotter Than July! Seems like just yesterday I was tooting my horn about Volume 77, and that carousel of time has zipped right on to another month. Maybe if we ALL dragged our feet we could slow it down a little! Anyway, it's that time again - to let loose upon the world a new and exciting addition to what has become the most fabulous Rockumentation Project in the history of mankind, according to me. And as is usually the case, I didn't do it by myself, I got by with a little help from these friends: Monica C. in Holland (long-time supporter of the project!) Emiliano in Spain (the nutty professor) Paul M in NYC, my Big Apple bro Big big thanks to y'all - and now, here's a rundown of the tunes: 1. Rona Clarke - Carey 2. Rona Clarke - Big Yellow Taxi: First up are a couple of tunes from Rona's obscure LP, UK folk from the early 70's. Rona sticks pretty close to Joni's arrangements. But it is worth a mention that her BYT contains a high note that only dogs can hear. 3. Francine Blok - Willy: A very pretty interpretation from Ms. Blok, a Dutch jazz singer, with a lovely acoustic guitar picking out the backup. 4. Maria Pia De Vito, Danilo Rea, Enzo Pietropaoli, Aldo Romano - Amelia 5. Maria Pia De Vito, Danilo Rea, Enzo Pietropaoli, Aldo Romano - All I Want 6. Maria Pia De Vito, Danilo Rea, Enzo Pietropaoli, Aldo Romano - God Must Be A Boogie Man 7. Maria Pia De Vito, Danilo Rea, Enzo Pietropaoli, Aldo Romano - River 8. Maria Pia De Vito, Danilo Rea, Enzo Pietropaoli, Aldo Romano - Harlem In Havana 9. Maria Pia De Vito, Danilo Rea, Enzo Pietropaoli, Aldo Romano - Woodstock 10. Maria Pia De Vito, Danilo Rea, Enzo Pietropaoli, Aldo Romano - A Case Of You: This is a wonderful 7-song Joni cover suite and makes up about half of this disc in terms of time. All of these Italian Jazz performers (Maria's vocals backed by the classic piano, bass, and drums) are wonderful, and I love the fact that they pick some obscurities, but even the more familiar songs get a special treatment. 11. Last Call - Big Yellow Taxi: Well, what would a volume be without a college acapella cover of BYT? This one comes to us from Cornell University's all-male acapella group. (Wonder if Sue Mac put them up to it?) 12. Aafe van Summeren Trio - Black Crow: Great track, this combo (vocals, piano, standup bass) is from The Netherlands but is based in NYC. They do a great 7+ minute stretch-out with one of my favorite Joni songs, very loose and free, full of improvisation that never wanders too far from Joni's composition. 13. Yo La Tengo - River: An unreleased live track, they plug in and rock out with it. 14. Liz Wojtal - Big Yellow Taxi: Pronounced "voytal", NJ native Wojtal lists Joni as one of her inspirations - her version is pretty basic; voice, guitar, backing voices and follows Joni's blueprint closely. 15. Greg Lee - Both Sides Now: While his voice is sort of mumbly and nothing to write home about, this one has a really interesting arrangement that adds an additional dose of melancholy. 16. Josh Young - Both Sides Now: NYC Broadway/Cabaret performer Josh Young does BSN very much in that style, accompanied by piano and a nice cello. His voice has that clear stage tone to it - pretty and emotion-filled. 17. Montreal Jazz Club - Both Sides Now: I'm not sure where they're from (kidding) - they have also done "A Case Of You" which we released a couple months back. This is an instrumental version, nice and features piano and violin (or maybe viola) carrying the melodic line. Well, that brings us to the close of this enchanting collection - only 17 tracks, but still 78+ minutes of Joni cover joy. And one that can be enjoyed over & over, whether you're listening on headphones or flinging it to a pal in your backyard. You can hear it here: Part 1: http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=7D1BC41C5BA18B0F Part 2: http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=A356841900F5FCE5 And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off on vacation. Bob NP: Bruce Springsteen, "Racing In The Streets" Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2006 09:05:40 EDT From: MINGSDANCE@aol.com Subject: RE; Joni quotes battle Patti wrote: I used to watch it with my sweet grandmother in the 60s. Dear Nana. (I wonder what Joni's grandson calls her?) I remember reading Marlin calls her "Big Mamma" Peace Mingus (who is also JMOCD) ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2006 09:06:49 -0400 (EDT) From: Catherine McKay Subject: Re: Joni - essentially Canadian in Toronto Star - --- Catherine McKay wrote: > This morning's Toronto Star has a series of articles > on "What is essentially Canadian?" > Apologies for the fact that the accented words came out funny and the dashes came out as squares. That's one of the annoying things that happens when you copy and paste. Catherine Toronto - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 01 Jul 2006 12:01:12 -0400 From: Patti Witten Subject: Joni in recent Bob Lefsetz newsletter and podcast Maybe this has already been mentioned, but I thought you'd all find this interesting. Bob Lefsetz is a music biz pundit. He also hosts a show on XM radio. This is his website http://www.lefsetz.com/ Cheers, Patti - -- http://pattiwitten.com - ----- Forwarded message from Bob Lefsetz ----- I was stretching late last night and "California" came on my iPod. I have a ritual. Every time I cross the California border, I play this song. At least I used to, when I drove a 2002 with a "Blue" cassette riding shotgun in the passenger seat, ready for insertion. I always saw "California" as an optimistic song, one of hope and relief. But last night I heard a sadness. That's what great songs do. They evolve as you listen to them, new meanings are revealed and you fall in love with them all over again. In the middle of "California" last night I was no longer thinking of that park in Paris, France or the redneck on the Grecian isle. For right smack dab in the middle was this truth that resonated. "Oh it gets so lonely When you're walking And the streets are full of strangers" Loneliness is the curse of humanity. Maybe in some foreign culture it's embraced, but not in America, never has been. Whether back in the sixties or today. Watch MTV, all the shows are about drinking together. But if you're truly a member of a group, if you truly have a life, you're not watching these shows, you're out living it up. But most people are not living it up. Most people are looking to fit in, and wondering what they're going to do when the connections they have end, don't relationships always seem to end, at least fade out and not even radiate? People speak of the romance of travel. But if you've ever taken to the sea and sky alone you know the depths of mood you feel during moments of your excursion, they're depressing, sometimes terrifying. You're miles from your reference points. You can't get back to where you belong with a snap of your fingers. You've got to endure the pain. And that's what Joni Mitchell is speaking of here. Somehow in our fucked up world erudition and vocabulary pass for great writing. Whereas great writing is simple, it goes down like an ice cream cone, all smooth, all sensation. Great writing is not labored, it's just unadorned truth. Don Henley and Jackson Browne are masters. But they sit below Joni Mitchell. Hearing a Joni Mitchell record is like being in the same room with the woman. Like she knocked on your door and came in and is telling her story. You feel a connection lacking in the records of media stars. You feel no stardom, you just feel you're in the presence of a person. "Blue" is the apotheosis. Because of its naked simplicity. And numbers like "A Case Of You" and "The Last Time I Saw Richard". There's no unnecessary adornment, just naked truth. Unfortunately, it's "Court and Spark" that was the breakthrough. And casual listeners are not familiar with the intimacy Joni provided prior to that point. There's a sheen to "Court and Spark" that didn't exist earlier. Joni blew up. And then she was done. Commercially. But she released one of her greatest albums ever when no one was looking, "Hejira". I had the same experience listening to "Coyote" doing this podcast last week that I did hearing "California" last night. I heard something I never did before. "There's no comprehending Just how close to the bone and the skin and the eyes And the lips you can get And still feel so alone" Ain't that the truth. We're supposed to be impressed by the hit and runs of the celebrities, recounted in the tabloids, but how fulfilling do you think those relationships are? Between these people who frequently have nothing more in common than their fame. There's the vibration between being connected, yet alone. Hell, there's one more line after the ones above, "And still feel related". That's how it is in the best relationships. You're together, but you still feel so separate. But "Coyote" is only the introduction, it's far from the best track on "Hejira". That's "Song For Sharon". But you've got to listen to "Amelia". With the sound of flying alone embedded. Amelia Earhart was going somewhere, as Joni is in this song, they're on a mission, but around them is not people, but air. Ultimately life is a solo journey, yet you can't spend too much time contemplating this, it would freak you out. So, you continue on your path, hoping you get somewhere better, and the journey will deliver its own reward. It's the magical sound of "Amelia" that gets under your skin. Like Joni is playing just for you. Same deal with "Furry Sings The Blues". "Refuge Of The Roads" evidences both wariness and hope. If you go long enough, do you find fulfillment. Or do you just learn how insignificant you are in the universe. But it's "Song For Sharon" that makes "Hejira" so special, so great. It's got the feel of the Staten Island ferry that Joni is riding upon, it seems as if you're slowly bobbing up and down in the water. But it's the truth in the lyrics that resonates, that creeps you out. Joni is telling her story, but it's your story, our story. "A woman I knew just drowned herself The well was deep and muddy She was just shaking off futility Or punishing somebody My friends were calling up all day yesterday All emotions and abstractions It seems we all live so close to that line And so far from satisfaction" That's the truth of suicide. We can understand it. We don't WANT to understand it, but we've been there, when everything doesn't work. If only they spoke of this in all the anti-suicide discourse. How it's natural to wonder if it's worth it, and that in these moments only sheer perseverance will get you through. And you must get through. Because you have no idea what lies on the other side. You're truly the star of your own movie. You don't want to end it prematurely, do you? I don't know where the hell I'm going. Sometimes I don't even know if I'm steering, if it's even POSSIBLE to steer. Everybody's telling me what to do. Yet they don't seem to know who I am. And that's when I sing the final version of "Song For Sharon" to myself. "Sharon you've got a husband And a family and a farm I've got the apple of temptation And a diamond snake around my arm But you still have your music And I've still got my eyes on the land and the sky You sing for your friends and your family I'll walk green pastures by and by" I'm a bit embarrassed by this week's podcast. I've revealed a bit more than I even realized. But the explosions in my head somehow caused these words to come out. I don't really give a shit if you listen to me. Like I said, I'm embarrassed. But you should hear these songs. You need to hear these songs. For the human condition is in this record. And you're human. And if you can just slow down enough to stop trying to avoid the loneliness, "Hejira" will resonate. You can subscribe to the Rhinocast by searching on "lefsetz" in the iTunes Music Store. Or you can go directly to the Rhino site and listen/take it/download it there, http://rhino.com/rzine/rhinocasts/index.lasso, hold down the "control" key to download on a Mac. (My part of the Rhinocast begins at 8:26). - -- If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter, http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1 ------------------------------ End of onlyJMDL Digest V2006 #188 ********************************* ------- 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)