From: owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org (onlyJMDL Digest) To: onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org Subject: onlyJMDL Digest V2007 #131 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 Monday, April 30 2007 Volume 2007 : Number 131 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- SV: Tribute review ["Marion Leffler" ] Re: Tracking Reviews of the New JM Tribute CD [Mark-Leon Thorne ] Re: SV: Tribute review [Catherine McKay ] SV: SV: Tribute review ["Marion Leffler" ] Reviews of the Reviews [PassScribe@aol.com] Re: SV: SV: Tribute review [Catherine McKay ] Re: SV: SV: Tribute review ["rflynn@frontiernet.net" ] I Was Amelia Earhart by Jane Mendelsohn [Dflahm@aol.com] Joni's guitar tunings and question [Motitan@aol.com] Cactus Tree [Motitan@aol.com] SV: SV: SV: Tribute review ["Marion Leffler" ] Re: Cactus Tree [Em ] Tribute album: What happened to? ["Tortorici, Frank" ] SV: Cactus Tree ["Marion Leffler" ] Re: Tribute review ["Gerald A. Notaro" ] Re: I Was Amelia Earhart by Jane Mendelsohn [jeannie ] Re: Joni & Jaco [Wtking59@cs.com] Re: Black Crow Lemper [Bob.Muller@Fluor.com] Re: I Was Amelia Earhart by Jane Mendelsohn ["AJ" ] RE : Black Crow Lemper [Joseph Palis ] Re: Miles Beyond [Wtking59@cs.com] Re: Cactus Tree ["Michael O'Malley" ] Re: Joni & Jaco ["L. Bruce Vaughn" ] Re: Tribute review ["Jim L'Hommedieu" ] It MAY be time for more Joni Covers! (Or...more Joni Covers? May Day, May Day!!) [Bob Muller Subject: SV: Tribute review Yes, and as a reader of that review, you dont get much interested in the person whos being paid respect to. My guess is he didnt choose to do this review but was asked to by the paper he works for, or he is interested in the performing artists but not in Joni. So why am I moaning about this? Because it is not every day  or year, for that matter  that you get to read anything about Joni in a Swedish newspaper, and when you do, I would have hoped it to be just a little more informed. Most people buying the cd in Sweden will probably not be initial Joni-fans but hopefully get curious about her own recordings of the songs. So in the end, the review might be useful after all! Oh, and Monika, about your brother insisting Joni is a folksinger  I bet hes just teasing you:-). Marion _____ Fren: Motitan@aol.com [mailto:Motitan@aol.com] Skickat: den 30 april 2007 04:33 Till: marionleffler@telia.com; joni@smoe.org Dmne: Re: Tribute review A somewhat contradictory opinion, or so it seems to me. I get the feeling that the person reviewing couldn't make up his mind about the cd - is it good or not? And he does not seem to be a great fan of Joni's - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ----------- Well, so the question is can you like a tribute cd of an artist you don't originally like? I don't understand why you would get such a cd if you don't like the artist who is being paid respect to but....in this circumstance this is the guy's job to rate and review...... - -Monika _____ See what's free at AOL.com . ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 19:48:40 +1000 From: Mark-Leon Thorne Subject: Re: Tracking Reviews of the New JM Tribute CD Hi folks. Scouring the Australian press for a review of the tribute album, I found a these three reviews. The first is from the Sydney Morning Herald (a respected broadsheet newspaper). It was accompanied by a fabulous photograph of a barefoot Joni in possibly her garden. http://www.smh.com.au/news/cd-reviews/a-tribute-to-joni-mitchell/2007/ 04/20/1176697074993.html A Tribute to Joni Mitchell Bernard Zuel, reviewer April 20, 2007 Should a tribute album adhere closely to the original songs or should it be a radical reinterpretation? Joni Mitchell Artist Various artists Genre Folk/World, Pop Label Warner Should a tribute album adhere closely to the original songs or should it be a radical reinterpretation? There is no right answer, as is obvious with this attempt to pay respect to one of the great songwriters of our time. But I do think the key lies in making us believe that this song could be for you, or speak for you. The two best examples here do just that. Prince doesn't reconstruct A Case of You but he does reshape it into something between gospel and a slow soul seduction. Much more radical is what Bjork does to Boho Dance, almost inverting the original rhythm, stretching the phrasing and emphasising the words with her pronounced enunciation. The result posits the song very much in the realm of Bjork's vocal-only Medulla album but at the same time connects with the lyrical heart of Mitchell's original. I gained nothing from James Taylor's attractive take on River but even the perpetually nice Sarah McLachlan brings something to Blue. You may raise an eyebrow at Caetano Veloso's carnivale remodelling of Dreamland, though it feels quite natural quite quickly, just as you may nod with familiarity at k.d. lang's straightforward Help Me, though it too works because it feels close to her skin. But I doubt anyone will have any complaints about The Magdalene Laundries where that fine interpreter, Emmylou Harris, inhabits the pain and the dignity completely. I also found a brief review on the ABC's music site, "dig" with a YouTube clip of an early Joni performance of A Case of You. Here's the URL http://www.abc.net.au/dig/stories/s1901692.htm ":: A Tribute To Joni Mitchell - various artists Just about everybody has had one of these tribute albums dedicated to them - where a range of artists cover the material of one songwriter. It's amazing that it has taken this long to get to Joni Mitchell, one of the great female songwriters. There are plenty of fantastic Joni songs to be covered, and here the bunch of interpreters includes Sufjan Stevens, Cassandra Wilson, Emmylou Harris, Bjork, Elvis Costello, k.d. lang and Prince." The album was released in Australia on April 28. I found it for sale at Sanity (ex HMV) for $29.99. While JB HI-FI's release date is June 1 but their price is $23.99. Sanity's review will obviously be biased to sell the album but here is their review. A Tribute To Joni Mitchell features a strikingly eclectic roster of artists who share Mitchells fierce intelligence, musical sophistication and boundary-pushing experimentalism. They creatively interpret some of her best-known songs, along with some of her most challenging material, illustrating Mitchells breadth as a composer and lyricist while putting their own signatures on the songs theyve chosen. On A Tribute to Joni Mitchell, Sufjan Stevens, Bjvrk, Caetano Veloso, Brad Mehldau, Cassandra Wilson, Prince, Sarah McLachlan, Annie Lennox, Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello, k.d. lang, and James Taylor take Joni Mitchells music in wide-ranging directions. With such an impressive, genre-crossing roster of talent having worked on this album, A Tribute To Joni Mitchell will appeal to an equally wide-ranging, multigenerational audience, from longtime Mitchell fans to those just discovering the depth of her artistry now. I also found this article of Joni's upcoming album, Shine on ABC's web site. Joni returns to making music By Adele O'Hare. Posted: Sunday, April 22 2007 . Singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell is coming out of retirement, with a new album due out later this year. After leaving the music industry in 2002 and bitterly criticising what she saw as its fickle obsession with youth and the next money-making hit, Mitchell is now working on an album tentatively called Shine, full of new songs and a new version of 'Big Yellow Taxi'. Interviewer Paul Sexton finds Mitchell's latest work displays renewed energy and passion. "Pieces such as 'Shine' and 'If' (inspired by Rudyard Kipling) resonate with bruised but unbroken optimism, not to mention an absolute refusal to be classifiable: one moment she's jazz, the next classical, then occasionally pop." Mitchell has spent the last few years painting and collaborating on a Canadian ballet based on her songs. She remains an icon, with five Grammys under her belt and a reputation as her generation's most eloquent songwriter. But Mitchell tells Sexton that she's not considered a poet the way Bob Dylan and Jim Morrison are. She's not a fan of poetry anyway, quoting Nietzsche's observation that poets muddy the water so they might appear deep. Still, she's pleased that her lyrics continue to resonate with many: "This girl came up to me in the green room at the Grammys and said, 'Girl, you make me see pictures in my head.' To me, that's better than poetry." Mark in Sydney. Covering Australia for the JM community. NP Help Me (Messenger Mix) - Nina Simone ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 29 Apr 2007 23:31:36 -1000 From: Subject: hey les what about the CD tree????????cmon ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 07:43:03 -0400 (EDT) From: Catherine McKay Subject: Re: SV: Tribute review Also, I think if you were to read "genreless music" as "music that defies genre", then it comes across as very positive. - --- Marion Leffler wrote: > True, Bob, and I suppose I should be grateful the > reviewer didnt label her > a folk singerStill, he seemed to know more about > the artists doing the > tribute than about Joni. > > > _____ > > Fren: Bob Muller [mailto:scjoniguy@yahoo.com] > Skickat: den 30 april 2007 00:38 > Till: Marion Leffler; 'JMDL' > Dmne: Re: Tribute review > > unusually genreless > tribute to an unusually genreless artist, who never > has > been able to make > any other music than precisely her own.> > > > > He may not be a big Joni fan, but I really like this > sentence. Ultimately > when someone asks what kind of music Joni plays, > about all you can say is > "Joni music". > Catherine Toronto ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 16:16:43 +0200 From: "Marion Leffler" Subject: SV: SV: Tribute review I would agree with you, Catherine, were it not for the phrasing "..unusually genreless artist, who never has been able to make any other music than precisely her own". Has not been able to - as opposed to did not want to. That somehow to me negates the positive statement which is why I think the review is contradictory. - -----Ursprungligt meddelande----- Fren: owner-onlyjoni@smoe.org [mailto:owner-onlyjoni@smoe.org] Fvr Catherine McKay Skickat: den 30 april 2007 13:43 Till: Marion Leffler; 'Bob Muller'; 'JMDL' Dmne: Re: SV: Tribute review Also, I think if you were to read "genreless music" as "music that defies genre", then it comes across as very positive. - --- Marion Leffler wrote: > True, Bob, and I suppose I should be grateful the > reviewer didnt label her > a folk singerStill, he seemed to know more about > the artists doing the > tribute than about Joni. > > > _____ > > Fren: Bob Muller [mailto:scjoniguy@yahoo.com] > Skickat: den 30 april 2007 00:38 > Till: Marion Leffler; 'JMDL' > Dmne: Re: Tribute review > > unusually genreless > tribute to an unusually genreless artist, who never > has > been able to make > any other music than precisely her own.> > > > > He may not be a big Joni fan, but I really like this > sentence. Ultimately > when someone asks what kind of music Joni plays, > about all you can say is > "Joni music". > Catherine Toronto ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 10:37:36 EDT From: PassScribe@aol.com Subject: Reviews of the Reviews In a message dated 4/30/2007 3:05:23 AM Eastern Daylight Time, owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org writes: Her voice can't fly like Mitchell's in her heyday, I LOVE that line (in the NJ newspaper review of Tribute.) Kenny B ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 11:06:43 -0400 (EDT) From: Catherine McKay Subject: Re: SV: SV: Tribute review - --- Marion Leffler wrote: > I would agree with you, Catherine, were it not for > the phrasing "..unusually > genreless artist, who never has been able to make > any other music than > precisely her own". Has not been able to - as > opposed to did not want to. > That somehow to me negates the positive statement > which is why I think the > review is contradictory. > Just wondering whether it's one of those things that gets lost in translation. Without understanding a word of Swedish (I think you said the review was in Swedish?), I have occasionally tried to translate things from French to English and, even when I think I understand what the French is trying to say, I can't express it properly in English either. It never seems to sound right (and thus, I gave up on trying to be a translator, because you can get into arguments about what is the *right* word to use and, after a while, I just get tired of all the arguing). To me, if someone says that Joan "never has been able to make any other music than precisely her own", it could be that he is ambivalent about her, or it could be that he is giving her very high praise, that everything she writes is unique and that she's incapable of writing an ordinary song. In any case, the fact that he seems to be contradicting himself, or possibly damning Joni with faint praise probably means that either he's not a very good writer, or was taught by his parents, "If you can't say something good, then don't say anything at all," but was required by his editor to produce some sort of review and weasled his way out by writing ambiguously (which is, I think, what you said in the first place.) Catherine Toronto ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 11:22:03 -0400 From: "rflynn@frontiernet.net" Subject: Re: SV: SV: Tribute review If someone asked me to reveiw the tribute album, I would have to express mixed feelings about it. There's no reason to be wholly positive or wholly negative in reviewing anything. Quoting Catherine McKay : > --- Marion Leffler wrote: > >> I would agree with you, Catherine, were it not for >> the phrasing "..unusually >> genreless artist, who never has been able to make >> any other music than >> precisely her own". Has not been able to - as >> opposed to did not want to. >> That somehow to me negates the positive statement >> which is why I think the >> review is contradictory. >> > > Just wondering whether it's one of those things that > gets lost in translation. Without understanding a word > of Swedish (I think you said the review was in > Swedish?), I have occasionally tried to translate > things from French to English and, even when I think I > understand what the French is trying to say, I can't > express it properly in English either. It never seems > to sound right (and thus, I gave up on trying to be a > translator, because you can get into arguments about > what is the *right* word to use and, after a while, I > just get tired of all the arguing). > > To me, if someone says that Joan "never has been able > to make any other music than precisely her own", it > could be that he is ambivalent about her, or it could > be that he is giving her very high praise, that > everything she writes is unique and that she's > incapable of writing an ordinary song. > > In any case, the fact that he seems to be > contradicting himself, or possibly damning Joni with > faint praise probably means that either he's not a > very good writer, or was taught by his parents, "If > you can't say something good, then don't say anything > at all," but was required by his editor to produce > some sort of review and weasled his way out by writing > ambiguously (which is, I think, what you said in the > first place.) > > > Catherine > Toronto ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 17:32:51 +0200 From: "Marion Leffler" Subject: SV: SV: SV: Tribute review Yes, your right there, too, it's hard to translate and since I get this ambivalent feeling from the review, I might have misinterpreted it. So let's choose the positive alternative and conclude it was a glowing review! It makes me feel more at ease, so why not? (Or maybe I should email the guy and ask him what he actually did intend?) Anyway, three cheers to Joni for this celebration of her music! Marion - -----Ursprungligt meddelande----- Fren: owner-onlyjoni@smoe.org [mailto:owner-onlyjoni@smoe.org] Fvr Catherine McKay Skickat: den 30 april 2007 17:07 Till: Marion Leffler; 'Bob Muller'; 'JMDL' Dmne: Re: SV: SV: Tribute review - --- Marion Leffler wrote: > I would agree with you, Catherine, were it not for > the phrasing "..unusually > genreless artist, who never has been able to make > any other music than > precisely her own". Has not been able to - as > opposed to did not want to. > That somehow to me negates the positive statement > which is why I think the > review is contradictory. > Just wondering whether it's one of those things that gets lost in translation. Without understanding a word of Swedish (I think you said the review was in Swedish?), I have occasionally tried to translate things from French to English and, even when I think I understand what the French is trying to say, I can't express it properly in English either. It never seems to sound right (and thus, I gave up on trying to be a translator, because you can get into arguments about what is the *right* word to use and, after a while, I just get tired of all the arguing). To me, if someone says that Joan "never has been able to make any other music than precisely her own", it could be that he is ambivalent about her, or it could be that he is giving her very high praise, that everything she writes is unique and that she's incapable of writing an ordinary song. In any case, the fact that he seems to be contradicting himself, or possibly damning Joni with faint praise probably means that either he's not a very good writer, or was taught by his parents, "If you can't say something good, then don't say anything at all," but was required by his editor to produce some sort of review and weasled his way out by writing ambiguously (which is, I think, what you said in the first place.) Catherine Toronto ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 11:46:23 EDT From: Dflahm@aol.com Subject: I Was Amelia Earhart by Jane Mendelsohn This novel was published in 1996. Anyone read it? I WAS AMELIA EARHART by Jane Mendelsohn David Lahm ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 11:48:42 EDT From: Motitan@aol.com Subject: Joni's guitar tunings and question Lately I've been looking through different Joni songs and have been working on playing them (not singing but playing...as the singing will be a little more tough for me so I must choose very carefully what song/s to perform live in my sets and so forth). It's just crazy how many tunings she has used! I've been going through just about 4 or 5 different tuninggs so far (not counting dropped D or double dropped/D modal which I am already comfortable with from previous experience with those tunings) playing songs or parts of songs (parts I like and what not) to get more familiar with the sounds/melodies of these tunings. I want to be comfortable with a load of other tunings....maybe to the point of standard tuning, though that'll take a while but I've got time. Time is unlimited as far as I see it and music has no end. Now my question to the fellow musicians on this list, do you guys regularly use other tunings or still play more in standard? Are you as comfortable in different ones as you are in standard? Do you have a favorite tuning? Ok, that was more than one question. Sue me, will you? - -Monika ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 11:53:26 EDT From: Motitan@aol.com Subject: Cactus Tree What do you gys think of this song? I have a renewed affection for this song. I remember when I first got STAS I liked this song but wouldn't call it a favorite or didn't really think about it too much. It was good but nothing great I had thought. I changed my mind though. I saw a performance of this song by Joni of course real early on and got something more out of it. Ever since then, I've been listening to it more. So what's YOUR verdict? - -Monika ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 18:08:11 +0200 From: "Marion Leffler" Subject: SV: SV: SV: Tribute review Of course not, but there's nothing wrong with being unambiguous about it, is there? - -----Ursprungligt meddelande----- Fren: rflynn@frontiernet.net [mailto:rflynn@frontiernet.net] Skickat: den 30 april 2007 17:22 Till: Catherine McKay Kopia: Marion Leffler; 'Bob Muller'; 'JMDL' Dmne: Re: SV: SV: Tribute review If someone asked me to reveiw the tribute album, I would have to express mixed feelings about it. There's no reason to be wholly positive or wholly negative in reviewing anything. Quoting Catherine McKay : > --- Marion Leffler wrote: > >> I would agree with you, Catherine, were it not for >> the phrasing "..unusually >> genreless artist, who never has been able to make >> any other music than >> precisely her own". Has not been able to - as >> opposed to did not want to. >> That somehow to me negates the positive statement >> which is why I think the >> review is contradictory. >> > > Just wondering whether it's one of those things that > gets lost in translation. Without understanding a word > of Swedish (I think you said the review was in > Swedish?), I have occasionally tried to translate > things from French to English and, even when I think I > understand what the French is trying to say, I can't > express it properly in English either. It never seems > to sound right (and thus, I gave up on trying to be a > translator, because you can get into arguments about > what is the *right* word to use and, after a while, I > just get tired of all the arguing). > > To me, if someone says that Joan "never has been able > to make any other music than precisely her own", it > could be that he is ambivalent about her, or it could > be that he is giving her very high praise, that > everything she writes is unique and that she's > incapable of writing an ordinary song. > > In any case, the fact that he seems to be > contradicting himself, or possibly damning Joni with > faint praise probably means that either he's not a > very good writer, or was taught by his parents, "If > you can't say something good, then don't say anything > at all," but was required by his editor to produce > some sort of review and weasled his way out by writing > ambiguously (which is, I think, what you said in the > first place.) > > > Catherine > Toronto ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 09:03:52 -0700 (PDT) From: Em Subject: Re: Cactus Tree top notch! Em - --- Motitan@aol.com wrote: > What do you gys think of this song? I have a renewed affection for > this > song. I remember when I first got STAS I liked this song but > wouldn't call it a > favorite or didn't really think about it too much. It was good but > nothing > great I had thought. I changed my mind though. I saw a performance > of this > song by Joni of course real early on and got something more out of > it. Ever > since then, I've been listening to it more. > So what's YOUR verdict? > -Monika > > > > ************************************** See what's free at > http://www.aol.com. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 11:51:52 -0400 From: "Tortorici, Frank" Subject: Tribute album: What happened to? Saw the tracklist for the Joni tribute CD in Target yesterday. What happened to Lindsey Buckingham's Big Yellow Taxi, Duncan Sheik's Court and Spark and a few others? I guess since it was a decade in the making some artists fell off??? Frank Frank Tortorici Associate Director, Communications/Media Relations The Conference Board (212) 339-0231 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 09:28:02 -0700 (PDT) From: "Lama \(Jim L*Hommedieu\)" Subject: Re: Tribute review Huh? Like Joan Baez did a bunch of octave jumps? Naw, not often. Woody Guthrie & Bob Dylan & Richard Thompson did octave jumps? Not in my neighborhood they didn't. Minnie Ripperton, yes. Mariah Carey, yes. Bjork, yes. Those 3 don't define the category of folk singers, so, in my book Joni's beyond category. The next time your brother tries some reductionism like that, say, "Mend your speech a little, lest you mar your fortunes." Shakespeare usually stops 'em in their tracks. (Okay, maybe Sandy Denny did octave jumps; I don't know.) Jim L. "oh hear how she just goes and sings high out of nowhere like all those other folk singers." ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 18:35:47 +0200 From: "Marion Leffler" Subject: SV: Cactus Tree Cactus tree is one of the songs I repeat when playing STAS. It fascinated me right from the start. Ah, freedom! But - a heart that's full and hollow! All these guys pursuing her, and she only means to please them and keep her freedom at the same time - not an easy stance, certainly not in the sixties when Joni wrote the song. As she says on the WOHAM-dvd, there was no "free" love really in that revolutionary decade, "it came with all sorts of strings attached", for women, that is. When I first heard that song I felt some sort of relief, and I still feel encouraged by it to this day, even if it makes me a little sad as well. Marion - -----Ursprungligt meddelande----- Fren: owner-onlyjoni@smoe.org [mailto:owner-onlyjoni@smoe.org] Fvr Motitan@aol.com Skickat: den 30 april 2007 17:53 Till: joni@smoe.org Dmne: Cactus Tree What do you gys think of this song? I have a renewed affection for this song. I remember when I first got STAS I liked this song but wouldn't call it a favorite or didn't really think about it too much. It was good but nothing great I had thought. I changed my mind though. I saw a performance of this song by Joni of course real early on and got something more out of it. Ever since then, I've been listening to it more. So what's YOUR verdict? - -Monika ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 13:09:37 -0400 (EDT) From: "Gerald A. Notaro" Subject: Re: Tribute review Lama \(Jim L*Hommedieu\) wrote: > Huh? Like Joan Baez did a bunch of octave jumps? > Naw, not often. I don't agree, Jim. Both of her live versions at Woodstock and Live Aid of Swing Low Sweet Chariot jumped octaves thrillingly and she can still do it. Jerry ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 10:18:47 -0700 (PDT) From: jeannie Subject: Re: I Was Amelia Earhart by Jane Mendelsohn No, but I'll try to get a hold of a copy. Amelia Earhart and Jenny Lind were my first true heriones after Mother Mary (I went to a wonderful neighborhood catholic school with the best Belgian nuns and priests ever.) I was eight and nine years old fascinated with these women of heart and mind and courage and didn't get another heroine until Joni and that's why I'm here! Sincerely, Jean Dflahm@aol.com wrote:. This novel was published in 1996. Anyone read it? I WAS AMELIA EARHART by Jane Mendelsohn David Lahm ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. Dreaming Dreamland, Jeannie jjj . - --------------------------------- Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell? Check outnew cars at Yahoo! Autos. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 19:19:41 +0200 (CEST) From: Joseph Palis Subject: RE : Re: Tracking Reviews of the New JM Tribute CD Thanks for assiduously posting the reviews for Joni's Tribute album from the Australian press. I am co-teaching a class this semester where one of the requirements of the class is for students to scour the online newspapers of a particular region of the world and see how the US is depicted in their papers (www.watchingamerica.com being one of the interesting links). So naturally, reading reviews of the tribute album from Sweden to Australia and the US and Canada is a delightful read. While I don't want to lapse into a generalization where reviewers from different parts of the world has the tendency to say this and that while the reviewers from across the ocean say this and that, but I find it highly compelling when reviewers agree or disagree on something but with very different reasons. I have read mixed reviews about the performances of Sufjan Stevens and Bjork and k.d. lang but I have yet to hear pianist Brad Mehldau being singled out. And for some reason, I am more excited to hear his instrumental version than most vocals (most of which I already heard before) and how it coheres in the whole album. Is there a strong bias for vocals? Or is Mehldau's effort better served in an all-instrumental Joni tribute album? I would like to see an all-piano version (whether solo or piano-led) of Joni songs. That would be interesting -- Mehldau willnot be out of place alongside versions of David Lahm or Fred Simon. They can also include a classical pianist to see how Joni's songs hold up when rendered in the classical vein (Yves Thibaudet or Lang Lang or Emmanuel Ax would be great). I respect reviewers' points of view even if they differ from my own view especially if they say something novel in their discourse that will give me the impression they listened to the whole album more than once (and more than once a day). But given the way music reviewers are given an incredibly short time to review, some of the first impressions they may have might change in the future. I read this fascinating NYT article about a classical music reviewer who recommended that people should not be afraid to recant from their earlier reviews if they feel that the music revealed new nuances upon repeated listens. Sort of like what Maya Angelou counseled about not being afraid of taking a different path than what is conventional and if that path turned out to be not what you thought it was, to be unafraid to choose a new path and admit one's mistake. I know someone who writes reviews for allmusic.com and he told me that he takes an inordinately long time to process his thoughts before committing them to paper -- to the exasperation of some people who wanted him to turn in reviews by the deadline. He said that he wants the review to stand on its own and will hopefully be read again by people in years to come rather than a hastily assembled one that is equal parts appropriately mean and appropriately glowing. And some of the reviews I read I don't agree with like everyone else. I guess I bring my own subject position when I gauge something which is not the final word either. Sorry for rambling. Joseph in Chapel Hill (happy that the semester is drawing to a close) np: Keith Jarrett - Koln Concert, Part II b - --------------------------------- Dicouvrez une nouvelle fagon d'obtenir des riponses ` toutes vos questions ! Profitez des connaissances, des opinions et des expiriences des internautes sur Yahoo! Questions/Riponses. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 19:43:08 +0200 From: Moni Kellermann Subject: Re: I Was Amelia Earhart by Jane Mendelsohn Wie Dflahm@aol.com so vortrefflich formulierte: > This novel was published in 1996. Anyone read it? > I WAS AMELIA EARHART by Jane Mendelsohn I haven't read the book but after I read the synopsis I was sure I never will. I personally find the idea of a love story of A.E. and her navigator Fred Noonan a horrible one. And to have it narrated as first-person-singular - it makes me suffer just to think of it. As of books related to A.E., I happily recommend what I have already read: * Ric Gillespie, Finding Amelia: The True Story of the Earhart Disappearance http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/1591143195/ref=nosim/cagnlace00/ (more info on Gillespie at www.tighar.org) * Susan Butler, East to the Dawn: The Life of Amelia Earhart http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/0306808870/ref=nosim/cagnlace00/ * Amelia Earhart, Last Flight http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/0609800329/ref=nosim/cagnlace00/ And if you have a spare hour (or two or three...), check this: http://www.lib.purdue.edu/spcol/aearhart/ Cheerio! (as A.E. would have said here) moni k. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 18:31:37 +0100 From: "Gordon MacKie" Subject: Black Crow Lemper Greetings from Scotland y'all, The great Ute Lemper was performing in Edinburgh on Sunday evening and as part of her encore, sang Black Crow.( She was in Paris on Saturday...did you see her Laurent?) It was electric ! As a devotee of Diana Krall, I have to say Ute blew her version out of the water. Having see Krall do this live ( in Paris) , this was hard to beat. Mind you, that Mitchell wummin can sing it I hear. Me happy,...hope she records it one day...if you get a chance to see her, you should give her a try. She says she wont try to sing the 'American Songbook" ( i.e. Gershwin, Kern, Porter et al) as she 'has' to sing the "European Songbook" ( partly due to not been told about the Nazi period in Germany when she was growing up) . Lots of Brel, Brecht and Weil etc. Lemper is also a really interesting painter....for my money , better than....no I'm not going to say it....you can guess though Cheerio the noo Gordon x PS Waddayamean you've never herard of her. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 14:28:32 EDT From: Wtking59@cs.com Subject: Re: Joni & Jaco HEY, Monika Well, apart from her marriage to Klein--yet another bass player--you ARE aware that Jaco died relatively young, aren't you? Killed in a bar fight of some sort, if I'm not mistaken. I've forgotten the exact year, but it's been a while. XXXOOO, Billy NP: 'Strange Angels' (1989) by Laurie Anderson ======================================= Monika (Motitan@aol.com) asked: >>> My question is, why did they stop working/playing (is playing music working? Yes and no!) together? Is it because she moved out of the jazz swing for a bit or because of Larry Klein or because Jaco had other obligations or more likely a combination of various reasons? - - -Monika <<< ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 14:45:11 -0400 From: Bob.Muller@Fluor.com Subject: Re: Black Crow Lemper Of course I've heard of her - she performed at Wall 2 Wall in NYC and also recorded 'Moon At The Window' on her last album. She's a legend in my book. Bob NP: Joni, "Don't Go To Strangers" - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 14:00:35 -0500 From: "AJ" Subject: Re: I Was Amelia Earhart by Jane Mendelsohn - ----- Original Message ----- From: To: Sent: Monday, April 30, 2007 10:46 AM Subject: I Was Amelia Earhart by Jane Mendelsohn > This novel was published in 1996. Anyone read it? > > I WAS AMELIA EARHART by Jane Mendelsohn > > David Lahm Many people liked it, but I found it ordinary and basically popular fiction (nothing wrong with that) aspiring unsuccessfully to literary fiction. JMO. - --AJ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 21:12:35 +0200 (CEST) From: Joseph Palis Subject: RE : Black Crow Lemper I too Ute Lemper! This woman artist also acts, paints and writes. Immensely talented. She was recently in Palo Alto and performed in Stanford to a capacity audience who were all impressed by ver vocal versatility, her erudition of all things musical and literary. I heard her sing "Moon at the Window" from her recent album "Live at the Carlyle" -- an underrated album that should go beyond the cabaret circuits. And do check out her femme fatale role in "Fauves de Combat" as well as her naked cameo in Altman's"Pret-a-Porter". Joseph in Chapel Hill np: Tom Ze Com Defeito Fabricacao - --- Gordon MacKie a icrit : > Greetings from Scotland y'all, > > The great Ute Lemper was performing in Edinburgh on > Sunday evening and as part of her encore, sang Black > Crow.( She was in Paris on Saturday...did you see > her Laurent?) It was electric ! As a devotee of > Diana Krall, I have to say Ute blew her version out > of the water. Having see Krall do this live ( in > Paris) , this was hard to beat. Mind you, that > Mitchell wummin can sing it I hear. > > Me happy,...hope she records it one day...if you get > a chance to see her, you should give her a try. She > says she wont try to sing the 'American Songbook" ( > i.e. Gershwin, Kern, Porter et al) as she 'has' to > sing the "European Songbook" ( partly due to not > been told about the Nazi period in Germany when she > was growing up) . Lots of Brel, Brecht and Weil etc. > Lemper is also a really interesting painter....for > my money , better than....no I'm not going to say > it....you can guess though > > Cheerio the noo > > Gordon x > > PS Waddayamean you've never herard of her. > ___________________________________________________________________________ Dicouvrez une nouvelle fagon d'obtenir des riponses ` toutes vos questions ! Profitez des connaissances, des opinions et des expiriences des internautes sur Yahoo! Questions/Riponses http://fr.answers.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 16:40:00 EDT From: Wtking59@cs.com Subject: Re: Miles Beyond ABSOLUTELY, Stewart--I agree 100%. I think the slower, MOA version of "You Turn Me On..." is just sensational--particularly the back-and-forth wordless coda between the vocals and guitar. For me, that moment alone is faaaaar better than anything to be found on S&L. And I especially love "Rainy Night House" as well (along with all the 'Blue' tracks I mentioned previously). To me, they all sound as fresh and exciting as the day I first heard them. In fact, parts of THOSL sound much more dated to me than ANYTHING on C&S or MOA (particularly the comparatively lightweight sounding fluff of "Shades of Scarlett Conquering," the clichid and superficial "Harry's House," the downright hokey opener "In France They Kiss On Main Street," and that canned 'Farfisa' synth/organ on "Shadows and Light" to name a few). But on C&S and MOA Joni was mining a truly "international" sound that completely transcended any other "regional" genre of popular American music (East coast, West coast and anything in between) in vogue at the time. And those seminal, early albums--at least, from 'Blue' through 'Court and Spark'--were just as complex and innovative as anything that would follow. She was truly extraordinary! XXXOOO, Billy NP: 'Smile' (1976) by Laura Nyro =================================== Stewart (Stewart.Simon@sunlife.com) wrote: >>> Another vote of support for 'Miles of Aisles' here as well. I feel similar to the way Billy does about MOA. For me, "You Turn Me On, I'm a Radio" is an example of a song from MOA that surpasses the studio version, and the version of "Blue" is pretty fantastic as well. <<< Stewart ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 23:29:12 +0000 From: "Michael O'Malley" Subject: Re: Cactus Tree I have to chime in here. Cactus Tree is one of my all-time desert island Joni tunes. Why? The voice is so beautiful (deep and confident, alternating with light and soaring), the dissonance in the chording thrills me every time I hear it. Moreover, I think this is the first time Joni presents us with the theme that will run throughout her music for several decades - the consequences of wrestling with the need for love and the need for freedom. A heart full and hollow. Michael in Quebec Monika wrote: What do you gys think of this song? I have a renewed affection for this song. I remember when I first got STAS I liked this song but wouldn't call it a favorite or didn't really think about it too much. It was good but nothing great I had thought. I changed my mind though. I saw a performance of this song by Joni of course real early on and got something more out of it. Ever since then, I've been listening to it more. So what's YOUR verdict? - - -Monika _________________________________________________________________ Get the Kung Fu Bunny Theme pack free! http://www.imagine-windowslive.com/Themes/Messenger/Reward/Default.aspx?Locale=en-CA# ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 16:46:48 -0700 From: "L. Bruce Vaughn" Subject: Re: Joni & Jaco Billy, You are correct. Jaco died from injuries (declared brain dead after lapsing into a coma) sustained in a heated disagreement with a bouncer in an extablishment that he'd been refused entrance to. His date of death, I believe was September of 1987 which would have made him about 35 or so. I suspect he and Joni parted ways due to Jaco's health (manic depression) and substance problems which from what I've read made him quite unpredictable and somewhat "black flagged" in the music world. I wouldn't know, but I suspect Joni is the type that when she's recording would be blistingly angry when she had a head full of ideas and her bass player ended up MIA. WTRF was probably considered more of a happy album for any number of reasons. I've heard that it was supposed to be more of a rock styled album (not sure I'd call it that) but it was something different and fresh from what she had been doing. Klein was probably the largest influence on her mood at the time but WTRF was also her first release for a new record label and she might have had high hopes that they would treat her better than recent years with Asylum and it reunited her with David Geffen who was behind her more commercial successes, FTR, MOA, and CAS. Might have been a very optimistic Joni at that time. Bruce in Tucson >HEY, Monika > >Well, apart from her marriage to Klein--yet another bass player--you ARE >aware that Jaco died relatively young, aren't you? Killed in a bar fight of some >sort, if I'm not mistaken. I've forgotten the exact year, but it's been a >while. > > >XXXOOO, >Billy > >NP: 'Strange Angels' (1989) by Laurie Anderson > > ======================================= >Monika (Motitan@aol.com) asked: > > > >>>>My question is, why did they stop working/playing (is playing music >>>> >>>> >working? Yes and no!) together? Is it because she moved out of the jazz swing for a >bit or because of Larry Klein or because Jaco had other obligations or more >likely a combination of various reasons? > >- -Monika <<< ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 21:31:38 -0400 From: "Jim L'Hommedieu" Subject: Re: Tribute review Okay then. I stand corrected. Never mind. Jim L. From: "Gerald A. Notaro" To: "Lama (Jim L*Hommedieu)" Cc: "JMDL" Sent: Monday, April 30, 2007 1:09 PM Subject: Re: Tribute review > Lama \(Jim L*Hommedieu\) wrote: >> Huh? Like Joan Baez did a bunch of octave jumps? >> Naw, not often. > > I don't agree, Jim. Both of her live versions at Woodstock and Live Aid of > Swing Low Sweet Chariot jumped octaves thrillingly and she can still do > it. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 18:37:52 -0700 (PDT) From: Bob Muller Subject: It MAY be time for more Joni Covers! (Or...more Joni Covers? May Day, May Day!!) Welcome to the merry merry month of May, y'all. Here we go with another update of one of the longest running shows going. The Producers may have closed, but Joni Covers are going strong. And herein is another fine bunch, from all around the globe and spanning the decades 9though most are new & fresh) and just ripe for picking. Go get it here in its lossy & tinny glory: http://tinyurl.com/ynl6px OK, got it? Listening? Well then, let's get right into it - 1. Norma Winstone with The NDR Bigband - Big Yellow Taxi: Thankfully NO comparison to the Counting Crows version - or any other BYT cover for that matter. This 5-minute romp is a true original, done more in a big band jazz styling with some strong horn soloing. Definitely one to hear if you're burned out on straight up duplications of BYT, it actually puts me in the mind of the soundtrack from West Side Story. Two thumbs WAY up and we're off to good start. 2. Jin Uruyama - Both Sides Now: A really weird beginning, the vocal is buried deep in the mix, which is probably not a bad idea given the vocal which is very Sino-operatic (a new word that I just made up). After the first verse/chorus, the voice comes at you a bit stronger and it's actually quite lovely. I do like the keyboard arrangement and playing too. New rule, though - if you can't pronounce an R, don't sing this song. 3. Pamela Shane - Song For Sharon: Vocal & band, and Pam's voice is a strong one, reminding me somewhat of Suzanne Vega. She does it pretty much Joni-style, which is OK because her band adds lots and lots of unique colorings and build and builds as the song progresses. Plus, it's not like there is an overrun of SFS covers out there. 4. Nika Rejto - Twisted: Nika is a flutist, so you get another unique entry, a flute-led instrumental version. And while the flute is excellent, all the players in the trio supporting her are fine as well. 5. White Flag - Both Sides Now: Whoa! No napping during this revved-up power pop cover of the franchise, just released last year by these punk-poppers from Los Angeles. 6. Vinegar Brain - Little Green: A lively pop cover of Joni's bittersweet song, from a UK group. Another very different arrangement, which I like a lot. Strong vocals with solid harmonies, swirling keyboards and a steady rhythm section. This happy & psychedelica version almost takes all of the sad out. 7. Julian Davies - Big Yellow Taxi: The answer to the question 'What if England Dan and John Ford Coley (was that their names?) had done a Joni cover? Hints of Paul Simon too, and thankfully none of the Counting Crows stylings. Actually not too shabby. 8. Ute Jeutter - Goodbye Pork Pie Hat: From Germany, I believe. Can't say that I'm too nutty about her voice. Blue notes are one thing - flat notes are a whole 'nuther matter and she offers up a lot of them, to my ears anyway. At least the combo playing behind her is strong. One thing you have to say about her, she is pretty brave and confident. Right or wrong, she's going for it. 9. Ute Jeutter - The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines: Pretty much the same meat on a different set of bones. Really nice keyboards though. 10. Rosendal.Earle.Templeton - Both Sides Now: Very very nice Denmark jazz trio version from last year, I love it. All three players (piano/bass/drums) mix quite well and play off each other perfectly, each getting their chance to turn in fine solos. 11. Ellen Robinson - The Fiddle and The Drum: Here's a nice modern cover of this one, starting acapella but featuring some sparse instrumentation, most notably the marching off to war sound of the snare drum at the end. Very nice effect. 12. The Tindalls - Big Yellow Taxi 13. The Tindalls - Chelsea Morning: A modern day Partridge family, from the UK. A very sweet and handsome family Paula & Stuart and their two daughters, and they do straightforward covers of two Joni standards here. 14. Bjorn Skifs - Jag Ser Med Andra Ogon Nu: It's BSN done sweetly and Swede-ly. 15. Lane Wintermute - The Circle Game: Too much vibrato in his voice for my tastes, it gives it sort of a creepy feeling. Nothin special about this one. 16. Luv Handles - Big Yellow Taxi/Absolutely Right: The Luv Handles are basically a party band, they have a pretty fun sound. Here they merge Joni's standard with a cover of Absolutely Right by the Five-Man Electrical Band. 17. Stephen Fearing - Beguiling Eyes/Both Sides Now: This one is last because it is mostly the former song and just a brief interlude of the Joni, so it's added as kind of a bonus track, but if you're like me you'll find it quite lovely all the same. Reminds me of Luka Bloom. And there you have it - another CD full of Charming charms, waiting to leap into your open arms - and ears. See you in a couple weeks for another re-run and in a month for another brand-new batch. Bob NP: Stephen Fearing, "Beguiling Eyes/Both Sides Now" - --------------------------------- Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell? Check outnew cars at Yahoo! Autos. ------------------------------ End of onlyJMDL Digest V2007 #131 ********************************* ------- 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)