From: owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org (onlyJMDL Digest) To: onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org Subject: onlyJMDL Digest V2008 #261 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, December 12 2008 Volume 2008 : Number 261 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- Re: Live At The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion [Mark-Leon Thorne ] Re: Top 10 Singers [do9eatdo9@yahoo.com] West Palm Beach - Joni Tribute show coming up [Bob.Muller@Fluor.com] Re: West Palm Beach - Joni Tribute show coming up [Jerry Notaro ] Re: Joni Wordle - guess the song! ["Mark Angelo" ] Re: Joni Wordle - guess the song! ["Mark Angelo" ] Re: Joni Wordle - guess the song! ["Mark Angelo" ] Re: Your top 10 singers ["Mark Scott" ] Re: Your top 10 singers ["Mark Scott" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:29:46 +1100 From: Mark-Leon Thorne Subject: Re: Live At The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion So glad you're enjoying this performance, Gordon. How do you like the covers? Mags in Winnipeg reckons all the straight boys will love the show of Joni on the front. I love designing CD covers and Joni is my biggest inspiration so, It's always a treat to hear something I haven't heard before. I really like this period and Tom Scott et al's addition to it. Everytime Joni tells her Arbutus story, it's different. I love when she rambles on and goes off on tangents. I also love the addition of the "streaking" line. There's more to come. Mark in Sydney PS Hope you're keeping warm in Glasgow. It's unseasonably cold here in Sydney for Summer. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:30:54 -0800 From: "Randy Remote" Subject: Re: Top 10 Singers From: "Monika Bogdanowicz" > -Shirley Manson: Happy Home (Her work with Garbage is good. The main > reason I > even listen to Garbage is because of her voice.) Count me as a long-time Garbage fan, too. Bought their first one as a lark and been into them ever since. Also have her earlier CD with Angelfish but it's not as good. RR npimh I'm Only Happy When It Rains ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:34:53 +0700 From: do9eatdo9@yahoo.com Subject: Re: Top 10 Singers Monika wrote: Shirley Manson: Happy Home +++ Glad somebody mentioned Shirley Manson. I love Garbage because I love Shirley M. Specially her work on the album Version 2.0 (I Think I'm Paranoid, Push It, Special, etc) and The World Is Not Enough. She's a bit scary though... A darker version of Fiona Apple. Fiona is sullen, Shirley is more than that. Anyway, what surprised me, there are so many names mentioned that i haven't heard of. Yes. Even their names. Rian NP- Janis Ian - At 17 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 09:52:43 -0500 From: Bob.Muller@Fluor.com Subject: West Palm Beach - Joni Tribute show coming up Start the new year Joni-style! Blue: A Tribute To Joni Mitchell: Kravis Center, West Palm Beach, 7:30 p.m., Friday and Sunday; 2 and 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 2-4. $35. More info: http://tinyurl.com/5n5u4c Bob NP: Elvis Costello, "No Hiding Place" - ------------------------------------------------------------ The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain proprietary, business-confidential and/or privileged material. If you are not the intended recipient of this message you are hereby notified that any use, review, retransmission, dissemination, distribution, reproduction or any action taken in reliance upon this message is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender and may not necessarily reflect the views of the company. - ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:21:39 -0500 From: Jerry Notaro Subject: Re: West Palm Beach - Joni Tribute show coming up Thanks, Bob. The last time I saw Joni live was in West Palm Beach. I think I'm going to plan a Road Trip to see this. If there are any others around who want to go let's keep in touch. Jerry > From: Bob Muller > Reply-To: Bob Muller > Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 09:52:43 -0500 > To: Joni List > Subject: West Palm Beach - Joni Tribute show coming up > > Start the new year Joni-style! > > Blue: A Tribute To Joni Mitchell: Kravis Center, West Palm Beach, 7:30 > p.m., Friday and Sunday; 2 and 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 2-4. $35. > > More info: > http://tinyurl.com/5n5u4c > > Bob > > NP: Elvis Costello, "No Hiding Place" > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------ > The information transmitted is intended only for the person > or entity to which it is addressed and may contain > proprietary, business-confidential and/or privileged material. > If you are not the intended recipient of this message you are > hereby notified that any use, review, retransmission, dissemination, > distribution, reproduction or any action taken in reliance upon > this message is prohibited. If you received this in error, please > contact the sender and delete the material from any computer. > > Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual > sender and may not necessarily reflect the views of the company. > ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:49:09 -0500 From: Bob.Muller@Fluor.com Subject: Re: West Palm Beach - Joni Tribute show coming up I don't know the venue but it looks to be pretty nice. If you went to the link you'll see that they will be performing songs from the "early phase of Joni's career" - OH SURPRISE SURPRISE!! One of these days I'm going to see a Joni tribute that focuses on "The Geffen Years" and pee my pants. Plus I cringed a bit when I saw the phrase "one of the most important and influential ***female*** recording artists of our time." But I can't hold it against them for being typical - matter of fact Allegiant might have a cheapo flight to West Palm Beach, maybe I'll join ya. Bob NP: The Hold Steady, "Constructive Summer" - ------------------------------------------------------------ The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain proprietary, business-confidential and/or privileged material. If you are not the intended recipient of this message you are hereby notified that any use, review, retransmission, dissemination, distribution, reproduction or any action taken in reliance upon this message is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender and may not necessarily reflect the views of the company. - ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:07:36 -0800 (PST) From: Bob Muller Subject: Joni Wordle - guess the song! http://tinyurl.com/58gzze First one to guess has to do another one. Bob NP: 10CC, "People In Love" ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:36:28 -0500 From: "Mark Angelo" Subject: Re: Joni Wordle - guess the song! Lucky Girl - -- - -Mark in Florida On Thu, Dec 11, 2008 at 10:07 PM, Bob Muller wrote: > http://tinyurl.com/58gzze > > First one to guess has to do another one. > > Bob > > NP: 10CC, "People In Love" ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:47:22 -0500 From: "Mark Angelo" Subject: Re: Joni Wordle - guess the song! Um...I didn't see the part where you had to create another joni wordle - "give me some time" ... and anyone else please feel free to volunteer. Meanwhile I found this music video to share with all: "Hamster On A Piano". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRzTfgds0UI On Thu, Dec 11, 2008 at 10:36 PM, Mark Angelo wrote: > Lucky Girl > > -- > -Mark in Florida > > > On Thu, Dec 11, 2008 at 10:07 PM, Bob Muller wrote: > >> http://tinyurl.com/58gzze >> >> First one to guess has to do another one. >> >> Bob >> >> NP: 10CC, "People In Love" >> > > > > > - -- - -Mark in Florida ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 23:10:16 -0500 From: "Mark Angelo" Subject: Re: Joni Wordle - guess the song! Here's the next Joni Wordle song - I had a difficult time finding one that does not contain the song title within the lyrics (this is a hint in itself). Person to guess gets to create the next Joni Wordle Challenge! - -- - -Mark in Florida On Thu, Dec 11, 2008 at 10:36 PM, Mark Angelo wrote: > >> Lucky Girl >> >> -- >> -Mark in Florida >> >> On Thu, Dec 11, 2008 at 10:07 PM, Bob Muller wrote: >> >>> http://tinyurl.com/58gzze >>> >>> First one to guess has to do another one. >>> >>> Bob >>> >>> NP: 10CC, "People In Love" >>> >> >> >> >> >> > > > -- > -Mark in Florida > - -- - -Mark in Florida ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:38:02 -0800 From: "Mark Scott" Subject: Re: Your top 10 singers - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Monika Bogdanowicz" I want to give you a chance to make your own list of top 10 > singers. I won't say make it the top 10 greatest (in ability) or > top 10 > favorite (as there can be a difference) just the top 10. Interpret > it as you > wish. Make the list as you wish. I started to do this on the weekend but something went haywire with the computer and it started typing sixes uncontrollably and when I finally got it to stop, the email I had started disappeared into the ether. Interpret that anyway you like. I don't pay much attention to Rolling Stone 'Top 100' or whatever lists anymore. I really do prefer to read what you all have to say when it comes to your favorites and who you think are the exceptional musicians. Plus, I like to make lists of my own. With commentary. Looking at the length of this monster, I think it might be wise to break it up into 2 separate emails. Anyway, in my usual, verbose way (those of you who start to scream with boredom when I get to this point can stop reading and delete now if you haven't already), here is my list starting with 1-5: 1. Billie Holiday - She didn't have a big vocal range. Some might say she had an odd sounding, raspy voice. Both of those considerations miss the point of this most remarkable of interpretive singers. On the other hand, those who might say she had no technique are wide of the mark as well. Her sense of rhythm, pitch and phrasing were flawless. Add to that a delivery that somehow managed to find some deep emotion or basic truth in even the tritest of lyrics and you have Greatness with a capital 'G', pure and simple. 'I Cover the Waterfront' will softly lull you into a melancholy place that nonetheless, somehow has a center of comfort (comfort in melancholy, to quote my number 2 choice). 'A Fine Romance' from her Verve sessions shows the humor, swing and pure joy she could also project into her singing. Her voice is ingrained in my soul. 2. Joni Mitchell - I guess all of these singers' voices are ingrained in my soul. Joni's certainly is. She is a master story-teller and a singer with one of the finest honed senses of timing and drama of anyone out there. Her halcyon days showcased the amazing range and clarity of her soprano voice. Although the range has diminished and the tone has darkened, her more recent recordings show her digging deeper and deeper into herself to continue to amaze us. A natural talent, her compositional genius developed organically while she refined her performing skills to a high level of professionalism. Listen to her 2 studio versions of 'The Dawntreader'. The first was recorded for her debut album in 1968 and is a haunting and beautiful melody with a poetic, finely crafted lyric sung with just the accompaniment of Joni's acoustic guitar. The 2nd version was recorded for the 2002 'Travelogue'. It has a rich, evocative, full orchestration that beautifully enhances Joni's mature, sensual vocal. In 2000 she revisited her most famous song, 'Both Sides Now', with a maturity and poignancy that showed a deeper, more profound understanding of her own creation. It gets me where I live every time I hear it. 3. Rickie Lee Jones - Eccentric, impressionistic, visceral and always exploring the edges. I took a long and round-about path to come to her but once I did, I fell hard. Her artistic choices when she covers someone else's material are often not the easiest ones and I admire her tremendously for her courage. Her singing is never anything but honest. She often seems to be walking a high, high wire with no net but she never falls. I have seen her live 3 times and she has moved me to the core of my being every time. I don't even know how to describe the way she sings. She has also written some of the most original and moving songs that I know of. 'Last Chance Texaco' from her first eponymous album is a piece of pure genius in both its conception and execution. 'We Belong Together' and 'Living It Up' from her 2nd album are fine examples of the broad range of emotion she can convey. Then there is the quiet beauty of the title track of 'Evening of My Best Day'. It's a good life from now on, since I came 'round to you, Rickie Lee. 4. Dusty Springfield - Another singer it took me far too many years to discover. She imported the Atlantic and Motown sounds from across the pond to swingin' 60s England and brought them back again when she made 'Dusty in Memphis'. The journey took her from emoter of teen epics like 'Stay Awhile' and 'You Don't Own Me' to a sophisticated sound that could seduce the hardest heart. Her version of 'Anyone Who Had a Heart' is a near perfect pop ballad that builds from a quiet ache to a full-out torch song plea. Dusty's cover of another Bacharach/David classic, 'The Look of Love' has to be one of the sexiest songs ever recorded, as intimate as a between-the-sheets whisper from one lover to another. 'In the Land of Make Believe' is another example of how she could use those hushed tones to weave a spell of longing and ache. And I love her cover of 'I Don't Want to Hear It Anymore' as well. 5. Emmylou Harris - Undeniably a singer possessed of a fine instrument, she has managed to defy categorization and earn the respect of just about every musician in the business. Although her singing style has undeniable elements of country, she has recorded everything from Beatles songs (I love her slow, unbearably sad version of 'For No One') to Jimi Hendrix to her own finely crafted material. Daniel Lanois produced 'Wrecking Ball' for her and gave her an aural backdrop that provided an ideal setting for her haunting voice. 'I Can't Remember If We Said Goodbye' is so devastatingly sad I can hardly stand to listen to it. She wrote her own material and used a similar sound on her follow-up album 'Red Dirt Girl'. 'Michaelangelo', 'The Pearl' and the title track, 'Red Dirt Girl' all are stellar examples of fine writing and singing that will stay embedded in my spirit for a long, long time. Well that's the 1st 5. The 2nd are close on their heels. Mark in Seattle ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:48:03 -0800 From: "Mark Scott" Subject: Re: Your top 10 singers Here's the rest, if anyone is still reading or interested: 6. Judy Garland - One can't talk about this woman without using the word legend. As an all round entertainer she has, nor has she ever had, any peer, as far as I'm concerned. And she is one of the greatest singers on record. 'Judy at Carnegie Hall' is a lasting testament to that statement. She threw her entire being into her art when she was on a stage singing. Her voice could be by turns, brassy and big and then soft as velvet. At the very end of the 'Judy at Carnegie Hall' performance she has run the orchestra out of arrangements and the audience is still roaring their adulation. Her last song of the concert, (Do your really want more, aren't you tired? Well, we've got one more. We'll do 'Chicago') has as much energy and is as note for note perfect as every other song from this phenomenal concert. But Judy was first imprinted on my psyche when I first heard her sing 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' the first time I saw 'The Wizard of Oz' when I was a kid. Few things in life are as beautiful or as perfect as that version of that song. 7. Grace Slick - Grace was the siren of my wild-child days. Her piercing blue eyes seemed to cut into me in the same way that her razor-sharp voice cut into a lyric like 'Don't change before the Empire - fall - all - all - alls/you'll laugh so hard you'll CRACK the walls'. I was born a bit too late to be a flower-child or to really have the experience that produced the Airplane's socio-political anthems. Somehow they struck a chord, though. But for me, Grace was the main attraction. Her voice packed a wallop of power into the throbbing rhythm of 'Somebody to Love', perfectly complimented by the Kaukonen/Cassidy electric guitar and bass super- combo. And then again, she could sing with quiet subtlety (on the rare occasion) as on her cover of David Crosby's song 'Triad'. The vocal on 'White Rabbit' with it's backdrop of bolero-style drumming starts at a level of red heat and builds to a white-hot intensity by the time she intones 'Feed you head!'. And feed my head I did, in more ways than one. Grace's totally original, unique outlook on life opened my mind to more things than chemical stimulation. As a back up vocalist, she could add just the right flourish to make your ears perk up as on 'Martha'. She could engage in battles of vocal pyrotechnics with Marty Balin as on the live version of '3/5ths of a Mile in 10 Seconds' from 'Bless Its Pointed Little Head' or sing a sweet harmony to Marty's choir-boy tenor on 'Today'. But my favorite is the eerie wail that is mixed behind Paul and Marty singing 'Go ride the music - Go ride' at the end of the Airplane's version of 'Wooden Ships'. I used to put headphones on, crank that one up and wail along with Grace. I was usually alone when I did this. Otherwise people would leave the room. Or the building. 8. Judy Collins - At one time I thought Judy Collins was just another pretty voice. When I really started digging into her catalogue, I discovered how wrong I was. This is a singer blessed with a beautiful voice, often described as liquid silver. She is also more than capable of using that voice to get to the meat of great material. For me, her takes on some of Leonard Cohen's songs are the best out there. She gets to the gritty, grungy marrow of 'Dress Rehearsal Rag' and creates a fog of resignation on 'A Thousand Kisses Deep'. Many of her self-penned songs hold their own as well. 'Albatross' is a remarkable creation that I interpret as a metaphorical exploration into the depths of her own soul. She also does justice to Mr. Dylan as shown on her version of 'Tom Thumb's Blues'. On the lighter side, I love Judy's cover of 'Someday Soon'. Nothing very profound about the song. I just like the melody and the way Judy sings it. I also love her cover of Sandy Denny's 'Who Knows Where the Time Goes'. 9. Patsy Cline - There have been many singers who have been dubbed the Queen or King of this or that. I think at the end of 'Coal Miner's Daughter' Loretta Lynn is announced as the Queen of Country Music before walking out on a stage. Well, Patsy was gone by then (and gone much too soon, I might add) or Loretta wouldn't have stood a chance at that title. But then Patsy really could have sung the phone book and made it sound like gold by the time she had perfected her style. 'I Fall to Pieces', 'Crazy', 'Back in Baby's Arms', 'Heartaches' - I could go on and on. One of the great voices of the 20th century, period. And she always made you believe every word she sang. For me that is the true test of a great singer. 10. k. d. lang - Maybe not Patsy's re-incarnation but k. d.'s talent is just as big. From her country/punk days through her brief stint in Nashville and on to chanteuse and beyond, this woman has given us singing of incomparable power and grace. I can't say that I am overly fond of 'Ingenue' or 'All You Can Eat'. But 'Nowhere To Stand' from 'Absolute Torch and Twang' is a first-rate piece of writing that is also heart- wrenching in how it is sung. 'My Old Addiction' from 'Drag' is a restrained performance that, nevertheless, manages to be devastating. One of my favorites is 'Busy Being Blue' from the record that she made with the legendary Nashville producer Owen Bradley. Also the title track from that one, 'Shadowland' and the opener 'Western Stars' are beautiful songs, masterfully sung by a great singer. The fact that Tony Bennett recorded a whole cd with her, to me, speaks volumes about her talent. As you can no doubt tell, I am partial to female singers. I feel like I should at least give honorable mention to: Nat King Cole Johnny Hartman Marty Balin Jon Anderson Plus I don't know how you can make a list of great singers without mentioning Janis Joplin, the greatest rock and roll singer of all time, imo. 'Piece of My Heart' is my favorite Joplin tune. I also love Maddy Prior. 'The Weaver and the Factory Maid' from Steeleye Span's 'Parcel of Rogues' is a thing of extraordinary beauty. And her Christmas cds with The Carnival Band are among the best traditional Christmas recordings you could ask for. And for my money, Barbra Streisand is another of the great singers of our time. 'Being Alive' from 'The Broadway Album' and 'When the Sun Comes Out' prove my point. Other honorable mentions: Annie Lennox Julie Andrews Stevie Nicks Christine McVie Joan Baez And you know there are many more and 10 is just not enough. Mark in Seattle ------------------------------ End of onlyJMDL Digest V2008 #261 ********************************* ------- Post messages to the list by clicking here: mailto:joni@smoe.org Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:onlyjoni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe