From: owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org (onlyJMDL Digest) To: onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org Subject: onlyJMDL Digest V2010 #276 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, October 4 2010 Volume 2010 : Number 276 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- Re: Joni and Harry Nilsson [Anita G ] Re: Songbook! ["Gary Z." ] my report of Dave and Robin's wonderful concert [Lieve Reckers ] New article: NEEDLING IT: Music Notes from Judy [TheStaff@JoniMitchell.c] A Joni-ism on Proj. Runway ["Lindsay Moon" ] New article: Mariposa Folkfest to Roll [TheStaff@JoniMitchell.com] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 3 Oct 2010 11:30:15 +0100 From: Anita G Subject: Re: Joni and Harry Nilsson Hi Bene I really hope you are able to find some reporting time soon. I would really would love to hear all about the gig that Dave and Robin I think were doing with Christina and Henning in Copenhagen. I personally am very well and I hope you are too! Love Anita > I'd like to report on here....Once I find the time! > > Hope all are well! > > Best > > Bene ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 03 Oct 2010 06:57:23 -0400 From: "Gary Z." Subject: Re: Songbook! *Hi Terra, Yes, the "Court and Spark" songbook had a detachable poster, which was a black and white drawing of Joni located at the front of the songbook. It was not drawn by her, but by someone whose name appears to say "Anthony Hudson '73." The first songbook, "The Music of Joni Mitchell" (with the unreleased songs) also had a detachable color photo poster of Joni (as I recall) at the back of the songbook. It can be pretty hard to find these still intact in most used songbooks. I have the songbook with the "Court and Spark" poster but my used "The Music of Joni Mitchell" songbook's poster had already been removed when I purchased it. :-( I can see the remainder strip where it was detached. Best regards, Gary Z. * T Peckham wrote: > My *Court & Spark* is in slightly better condition. I'm trying to remember > (since I don't have my albums here so I could check)--didn't the songbook > come with a big detachable poster, or was that the album? I can't even > recall whether it was a photo of Joni or perhaps a reproduction of her > watercolor for the album cover?? I know I had it up on various walls for a > while, and I hope I still have it somewhere. Anyone? ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 3 Oct 2010 16:03:06 +0100 (BST) From: Lieve Reckers Subject: my report of Dave and Robin's wonderful concert OK, this is the morning after a great night. In fact the afternoon, already. I've taken Dave and Robin to the nearest Underground station, and by now they should have reached Heathrow. I hope they still feel the glow too, all the way on their long flight back. It was such a good gig, it was such great weekend. Let me try to tell the story. Yesterday I mentioned in my NJC message that these 2 great musicians were sitting at my table, rehearsing. That by itself was a privilege for me to experience. The house was softly humming, as the Moody Blues once sang. Earlier on that day, we had had a walking tour of Greenwich, through the park, through the crafts market, and alongside the Thames path past the Old Naval College, where currently the latest Pirates of the Caribbean is being filmed. The sun had been kind enough to come out for us, while the rest of the day it would rain. Then in the evening we went into the centre of Greenwich, had a nice Chinese noodle meal, and then went to Oliver's music Bar to set up the sound equipment. Apparently the "high" part of club's the speakers had blown (the name of course escapes me!), and Dave was at first a bit worried about the sound, but I don't think it turned out to be a problem. The club is quite small, I would guess that the part where the music is played can take roughly about 40 people. Then there is the bar and another room where you can sit without listening to the music. We saw that one large table (in the part where we were) was reserved for 15 people, so almost half the capacity in one go. We were wondering who that group would be, and whether they were Joni fans. I doubted that, because Oliver had only hung up the information about Robin and Dave just a few days earlier, so I was wondering if anybody knew who they were coming to see, except the people who had been alerted by Dave or myself. I was expecting about 10 friends and neighbours, they all turned up and we sat together, close to the stage. One of them was Jamie Zubairi from our list, it was great to see him again and to be able to admire his really talented paintings (stored, miraculously,on his i-phone!). Jamie, I hope you will post about the gig too, because I am sure you are much better than me at remembering certain musical details. I just deeply enjoy each number, but by the end it all merges into one warm gushy memory of a great night. So I will just continue with my side of the story, just a few anecdotes that I hope will give you an idea. I was really pleased to see that some old friends of Dave's, one even from Brighton, had made it to the club in good time, so they had plenty of time to chat before the gig started. I should also mention that several people who came in were huddled in dripping scarves or were shaking the water off their umbrellas, because it had started raining really heavily. They must have been really determined to make it! So then, the gig started. Anybody who has heard Robin and Dave before knows what a treat it is. They at once make Joni's songs their own, AND manage to make Joni's presence deeply felt. The audience was appreciative, except for that "reserved" table in the far corner, where, after the 2nd or 3rd song, one guy interrupted Robin as she was introducing her next song by trying to tell people how Joni had evolved from folk to jazz. He shouted something like: "Let's have something more upbeat here. This is London. Give us something funky." I felt like I wanted to go and strangle him, but Robin completely kept her cool and said: "Something funky - OK" and she and Dave launched into the Dry Cleaner from Des Moisnes. They even made the guy clap his hands in appreciation at the end, though he and a few of his mates slipped away after the next number, when Robin, again in a perfect way, had told us that "After this funky number, we're going to go back to some other Joni material, because that is why we are here" (applause from the rest of the audience) "and after all, Joni Mitchell has earned the respect of so many great jazz musicians and has played with some of the best jazz musicians, so we feel this is a deserved repertoire to be playing here". By then several new people had filled the abandoned chairs, and others kept trickling in, so the place was absolutely packed to capacity. I was getting several comments from the people around me how surprised and delighted they were with the professionality of Robin and Dave. Though dressed beautifully in black, Robin shone and sparkled with so much inner fire and light, as she sang her heart out. And Dave, I really marvelled at times how much richness and complexity of sound he managed to get out of one guitar. It was pure magic. I can't apologise enough for being so forgetful about most of the numbers, but I do have one nice story to tell that makes me remember at least 3 of the songs. Sitting to the right of me was my good friend Richard, who is a Joni fan in as much as that he has Blue in his music collection and could sing along with Coyote word by word, but when Robin sang Both Sides Now he said to me: "Oh I thought that was Judy Collins's song". Then when Robin and Dave announced they were going to sing Woodstock, Richard again whispered in my ear: "Really? Joni wrote that? Well I never, I thought that was Crosby Stills Nash and Young!". But then, when Dave goes into his brilliant bit of Pinball Wizzard in the middle of Woodstock (as we remembered him doing at Idyllwild and on the marvellous CD), Richard again wildly gestured to me: "Don't tell me she wrote Pinball Wizzard too!". I misunderstood first and thought he just wanted to say: "Don't tell me they're paying Pinball Wizzard now!" so I enthusiastically nodded yes, but then I realised what he had said and had a good laugh, of course. No, Joni Mitchell wrote more hit songs than people realise, but not Pinball Wizzard! Well I will try to keep it short now. By the end of the evening, the room was going mad. We had "do wopped" along with Big Yellow Taxi, we had even been treated to the Stylistics' "Betcha by Golly Wow" and made a grand sing-a-long finale with Bob Marley's "Stir it Up", but it remained firmly a Joni Mitchell evening. And it really was Dave and Robin's evening. The stand-in manager (as Oliver was away in France) told them they could come back any time. People queued up to buy the CD, even those who were left from the old "noisy corner", and one of my neighbours asked me to please include her again if there was ever another Joni Mitchell evening. We managed to give and organise lifts for most people, because the rain was still pouring. It was pretty late, 1pm as we got back. But we were all so happy and fired up, and chatted a bit longer over a glass of wine. Then we went to sleep, and this morning, after breakfast, Dave and Robin still managed to squeeze in a quick visit to the Royal Greenwich Observatory here in the park. By now, they have probably boarded their plane. I wish them a safe, smooth flight, and I feel so happy and grateful of this most enjoyable weekend. I also really get a kick out of the thought of how much all those people who bought a CD, are going to enjoy their purchase, and what an unexpected bonus surprise the full sound of the Mutts of the Planet is going to be! Lieve in London ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 03 Oct 2010 18:02:22 +0200 From: Moni Kellermann Subject: Joni mention in NYT article on translation SJC http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/03/opinion/03cunningham.html?pagewanted=all "We will all feel differently about a movie or a play or a painting or a song, but we have all undeniably seen or heard the same movie, play, painting or song. They are physical entities. A painting by VelC!zquez is purely and simply itself, as is bBlueb by Joni Mitchell. If you walk into the appropriate gallery in the Prado Museum, or if someone puts a Joni Mitchell disc on, you will see the painting or hear the music. You have no choice." mb:ni k. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 3 Oct 2010 17:32:11 +0100 From: Anita G Subject: Re: my report of Dave and Robin's wonderful concert Lieve, I have been keeping an eye out all day for a report on the Greenwich gig and it sounds like it lived up to everything you could have hoped for. Even the 'difficult' bits (the reserved table) sound like they were handled with great professionalism. I think the words you have found to describe Robin (shining, sparkling, inner fire, light) and Dave's rich and complex playing and sound are most apt. If the manager of a London club says they are welcome back any time, then they must have done a great job. It's been wonderful to have them grace this side of the pond. I hope it won't be too long before they return and wish them a safe and happy landing, Anita x PS Jamie, I too look forward to your take on the evening. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 3 Oct 2010 10:53:02 -0700 From: "Mark" Subject: Re: Joni mention in NYT article on translation SJC Thanks for posting this Moni. I really enjoyed reading it. I have to disagree with Cunningham's assertion that literature is somehow different from music, especially in Joni's case, in that "We will all feel differently about a movie or a play or a painting or a song, but we have all undeniably seen or heard the same movie, play........if someone puts a Joni Mitchell disc on, you will........hear the music. You have no choice." He goes on to say: "WRITING, however, does not exist without an active, consenting reader. Writing requires a different level of participation. Words on paper are abstractions, and everyone who reads words on paper brings to them a different set of associations and images. I have vivid mental pictures of Don Quixote, Anna Karenina and Huckleberry Finn, but I feel confident they are not identical to the images carried in the mind of anyone else. " His point about literature seems to me to be that everyone who reads a given story or book takes away their own interpretation of the meaning or mental image of the various aspects of the work (physical settings, how the characters look, talk, move, etc.). The quotes above seem to imply that this is not the case with other artistic media. But everyone who reads the book or story or poem reads the same words printed on the page, do they not? Even if the words are 'abstractions' and "everyone who reads words on paper brings to them a different set of associations and images" they are still the same words in the same sequence. I think it has been proven time and again on the JMDL that each of us takes away our own pictures and interpretations from Joni's songs. While it is true that the recordings will always play back the same chord progressions, musical phrases and lyrics each time we put a Joni Mitchell disc on, we do not all hear the music and certainly do not all perceive the meanings in the words in the same way. We don't even necessarily take away the same thoughts and feelings from one listen to the next. I think most of us who love Joni's songs are "active, consenting" listeners. The songs create a different microcosm in each of our minds. And Joni probably faces the same problem that Cunningham describes facing as an author in that she can never quite get the exact vision she starts out with into the finished song. In the same way, the same series of words, phrases, paragraphs, etc. appear to us as they do to anyone else who reads the same book (ruling out dyslexia or any other reading disorder that could conceivably change what we actually see when we read a book). But we each create a somewhat different world out of that book. Aside from the obvious connection to Viginia Woolf in 'The Hours', it is clear to me that Cunningham has read a lot of and is very much influenced by Woolf. I recently read a collection of Woolf's essays on literature and many of Cunningham's thoughts about writing and reading are similar to hers. I couldn't help but marvel at the superb craftsmanship that Woolf put into her critical writing. Every sentence is constructed clearly yet with a finely tuned sense for the 'inner ear' as Cunningham put it: "The sentences should have rhythm and cadence, they should engage and delight the inner ear." In one of her letters, Woolf wrote something to the effect that "one writes for the ear, after all". At their best, Joni Mitchell's lyrics "have rhythm and cadence" and "engage and delight the inner ear" as well as our physical hearing. There is also the added dimension of the music in Joni's songs and the miraculous way she so often fits the music and the words together that enhances the pleasure we get from her work even more. Finally I can link Joni Mitchell and Virginia Woolf, if only tangentially, in one of my posts! Mark in Seattle - -------------------------------------------------- From: "Moni Kellermann" Sent: Sunday, October 03, 2010 9:02 AM To: "list" Subject: Joni mention in NYT article on translation SJC > http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/03/opinion/03cunningham.html?pagewanted=all > > "We will all feel differently about a movie or a play or a painting or a > song, but we have all undeniably seen or heard the same movie, play, > painting or song. They are physical entities. A painting by VelC!zquez is > purely and simply itself, as is bBlueb by Joni Mitchell. If you walk > into the appropriate gallery in the Prado Museum, or if someone puts a > Joni Mitchell disc on, you will see the painting or hear the music. You > have no choice." > > > mb:ni k. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 03 Oct 2010 17:16:25 -0400 From: simon@icu.com Subject: Nick Drake for the JMDL every now and then a TV commercial comes along that uses unexpected music in an interesting way. occasionally it's even an inspired use of that music. that was the case in the spring of 2000 when Nick Drake's song PINK MOON was used for a Volkswagen commercial. VW 'Cabrio' Commercial Featured Song: "PINK MOON" by Nick Drake a rare and inspired combination of an interesting visual accompanied by the music of an exceptional, unappreciated musical voice. unusual for a television commercial. a lot of people wondered about THAT song. Who IS that? Where can I get a copy? the answer lead to an increase in the sales of Nick Drake CDs. - - - - - - earlier this year, A T & T featured another song by Nick Drake in a new commercial. AT&T 'Rethink Possible' Blanket Commercial Featured Song: "FROM THE MORNING" by Nick Drake another personal favorite. - - - - - - while it's true that we, the members of the JMDL, share a common interest in the music of Joni Mitchell; it doesn't necessarily follow that all of us will appreciate the music of any other particular singer/songwriter. However, I DO think that Nick Drake just might be an exception. perhaps you'd like to check him out for yourself. a short while ago, I uploaded -3- songs via YouSentIt. 1. Pink Moon 2. From The Morning 3. Cello Song if you are satisfied with the quality of an mp3, you can download these songs at if you'd like the Real Deal  16 bit/44k aiff, CD Quality; that file can be downloaded at Nick left a legacy of just three albums  issued between 1969-72. They were: FIVE LEAVES LEFT (1969), BRYTER LAYTER (1970), and PINK MOON (1972). ALL are recommended. as a starting point ... there is a 4th CD, a compilation, that I'd recommend as your first purchase: WAY TO BLUE: An Introduction To NICK DRAKE and then I'd proceed in chronological order. - - - - - - "and now we rise  and we are everywhere" s i m o n ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 03 Oct 2010 17:40:18 -0400 From: simon@icu.com Subject: Harry Nilsson, pictured w/ Joni B Lux writes > Subject: Joni and Harry Nilsson > > Hey folks, > a few months ago I asked if any of you had ever heard of > any collaborations between Joni and Harry Nilsson. No-one > could confirm, but at least today I came across this image > of the two of them at some award ceremony. It's from the > new documentary about Harry, "Who is Harry Nilsson". the photograph in question was taken at the 12th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony on March 11, 1970. Harry and Joni each received a Grammy Award for recorded musical performances released in 1969. HARRY NILSSON: Best contemporary vocal performance, male for his performance of the song EVERYBODY's TALKIN' JONI MITCHELL: Best folk performance for the Album Album CLOUDS. two color photos of Joni, from the same date, were recently uploaded to the following URL: andmoreagain, - - - - - - - - - - s i m o n http://jonimitchell.com/chronology/complete.cfm http://jonimitchell.com/music/miscrecordings.cfm http://jonimitchell.com/music/songsaboutjoni.cfm http://jonimitchell.com/music/inspiredbyjoni_songs.cfm http://jonimitchell.com/music/inspiredbyjoni_albums.cfm ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 3 Oct 2010 16:46:33 -0700 (PDT) From: Catherine McKay Subject: Re: Nick Drake for the JMDL Nick Drake is wonderful. He used some unusual guitar tunings, somewhat like our Joan, and he was a wonderful guitar player as well as songwriter. I don't remember where I first heard about him, but it was probably here on the jmdl, although I probably also heard him years ago on the FM radio, back when the FM radio played interesting and innovative music, including entire albums, rather than the same Top 40 stuff everyone seems to play now (with a few exceptions that is.) Alas, he died too young. Not too long ago, our dear companion Paul Castle shared a BBC TV tribute to Nick Drake and shared some of the highlights on Youtube as well. A particular favourite of mine is Lisa Hannigan's version of Black-Eyed Dog. In case you missed it, you can see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvaqqk3pHLw As well, I was listening not too long ago to an interview that I downloaded, with the late John Martyn on BBC in 2006. He and Nick Drake were friends and the interviewer asked him about Nick Drake. I transcribed what I could hear below. I took out some of the redundant words. There was a great deal of laughing throughout and some words were hard to hear and John Martyn had such a mumbly slurry voice that it's sometimes hard to understand what he's saying (In fact, my son heard it and asked what language he was speaking! And directly after the questions about Nick Drake, the interviewer goes on to ask him about his slurry way of speaking and singing.) Don't know if this adds much, but here you go: Interviewer: What was Nick Drake like, because the Nick Drake industry has grown. Knowing Nick Drake as you did, how would he regard the way he's held now, in sort of high esteem as this sort of hip name to drop by almost everybody? John Martyn: He would howl with laughter Int: Was he good fun to be with, because he comes out as almost a ghostly presence. No one seems to know much about him and what we do know seems to be quite serious and withdrawn JM: (there is lots of laughter throughout this part) He was withdrawn towards the end. And he was withdrawn towards the middle... and the beginning. But he was very funny, very witty and very sharp - ----- Original Message ---- > From: "simon@icu.com" > To: joni@smoe.org > Sent: Sun, October 3, 2010 5:16:25 PM > Subject: Nick Drake for the JMDL > > ... > while it's true that we, the members of the JMDL, share a common > interest in the music of Joni Mitchell; it doesn't necessarily follow > that all of us will appreciate the music of any other particular > singer/songwriter. > > However, I DO think that Nick Drake just might be an exception. > > perhaps you'd like to check him out for yourself. > > a short while ago, I uploaded -3- songs via YouSentIt. > > 1. Pink Moon > 2. From The Morning > 3. Cello Song > > if you are satisfied with the quality of an mp3, > you can download these songs at > > if you'd like the Real Deal 16 bit/44k aiff, CD Quality; > that file can be downloaded at > > > Nick left a legacy of just three albums issued between 1969-72. > They were: FIVE LEAVES LEFT (1969), BRYTER LAYTER (1970), and PINK MOON > (1972). > > ALL are recommended. as a starting point ... > > there is a 4th CD, a compilation, that I'd recommend as your first purchase: > > WAY TO BLUE: An Introduction To NICK DRAKE > > and then I'd proceed in chronological order. > - - - - - ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 3 Oct 2010 19:47:02 -0600 (MDT) From: TheStaff@JoniMitchell.com Subject: New article: NEEDLING IT: Music Notes from Judy A new article has been added to the Library at JoniMitchell.com: Title: NEEDLING IT: Music Notes from Judy Publication: Rona Barrett's Hollywood Date: 1970.08.0 Read it here: http://jonimitchell.com/library/view.cfm?id=2274 ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 3 Oct 2010 17:46:54 -0700 From: "Lindsay Moon" Subject: A Joni-ism on Proj. Runway Leave it to designer Michael Kors to comment on someone's garment: "At least it wasn't a ladies of the canyon flowy moment." Lindsay ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 3 Oct 2010 20:33:03 -0600 (MDT) From: TheStaff@JoniMitchell.com Subject: New article: Mariposa Folkfest to Roll A new article has been added to the Library at JoniMitchell.com: Title: Mariposa Folkfest to Roll Publication: Billboard Date: 1967.07.15 Read it here: http://jonimitchell.com/library/view.cfm?id=2275 ------------------------------ End of onlyJMDL Digest V2010 #276 ********************************* ------- Post messages to the list by clicking here: mailto:joni@smoe.org Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:onlyjoni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe