From: owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org (onlyJMDL Digest) To: onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org Subject: onlyJMDL Digest V2012 #154 Reply-To: joni@smoe.org Sender: owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk Website:http://www.jonimitchell.com Unsubscribe:mailto:onlyjoni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe onlyJMDL Digest Friday, May 25 2012 Volume 2012 : Number 154 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- Re: PP, SS, Robin, Dave & The Mutts [Robin Adler ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 24 May 2012 14:39:45 -0700 From: Robin Adler Subject: Re: PP, SS, Robin, Dave & The Mutts Hi Ken, Thanks for the encouragement. Most of my time these days is spent taking care of my 90 year old mother and learning new Joni tunes. Maybe the key to starting a song is to think short and not epic. Someday we'll make it to the East coast. I'd love to meet some of you Easterly Joni fans. Robin On May 24, 2012, at 5:34 AM, Ken wrote: > Interesting reading about Robin, Dave & The Mutts. I have the DVDs and CDs but > I'm still waiting for the day I get to see these people live (like, is there > EVER going to be an East Coast tour?) Or, do I have to go back out to > California? > > > As for Robin saying: > > I could be happy the rest of my > musical life just performing her songs - they effect me so much. > Unfortunately > it is also probably why I will never write songs of my own. How could I? > I would think there would be some very strong desire to write ONE song, at > least, even if just to prove you could (to yourself), or as some kind of > tribute. I know, when I first started taking piano lessons (at age 57) I felt > good that I finally accomplished something I'd been wanting to do my whole > life, but by writing a short song of my own, I felt even more fulfilled > knowing that I COULD. > > > Kenny B > > > > I've tried so many times to sit down and write to the list about performing > the albums of Blue and Court and Spark. Anita had posed some questions > shortly after the release of our DVD about my experience and I was in the > midst of a major post-partum funk following the concert asking myself "is > that > all there is?" I just could not complete the post. It was one of the most > profound and humbling musical experiences of my career. I knew these albums > were great but having experienced them on a physical and emotional level I > was > totally blown away by their brilliance. Nothing about Joni's music is easy if > you want to do them justice. Nothing is more interesting, beautiful, > challenging, stimulating etc. than her songs. I could be happy the rest of > my > musical life just performing her songs - they effect me so much. > Unfortunately > it is also probably why I will never write songs of my own. How could I? > > We chose, for this concert, to stay as close to the original arrangements as > possible so that the audience members could relive, if you will, how they > felt > when they first heard these songs. For us as a band that was exciting. To > emulate Car on a Hill, Down to You and Trouble Child was a great > accomplishment. Our drummer Danny Campbell bought special drum heads to get > the John Guerin sound. Our multi talented Dave Curtis played those > incredible > harmonic guitar parts on Trouble Child to simulate the waves breaking at > Malibu. He also played most of the orchestrated parts in Down to You. Dave > Blackburn (my hubby) borrowed a 12 string guitar for People's Parties to add > to the quiver of other guitars he used. For my part I was laser-focused, for > about 3 months solid, on memorizing, practicing and trying to get inside each > tune. I watched my diet and did yoga every day, and oh, did I mention > practice? I wonder how much Joni had to prepare for those sessions, but then > again she wasn't 59 years old when she made those records. It takes a bit > more prep the older you get. > > On the night of the concert I was ready, and from the start of All I Want to > the last line of Twisted it was like a magic carpet ride. The time and > practice paid off. My voice came through for me and hit those notes meant > only for the young. I floated in the clouds for about a week following the > concert- then looking down on everything I crashed into the ground. The > continents in my mind shifted, and without exaggeration I have to say that > I've changed. I can't tell you honestly if it's for the better; all I can > say > is that I haven't returned to how I was. Everything seemed so perfectly > aligned when I was preparing for the concert, and now it's not. > > So, Bob this post isn't specifically about PP and SS. I love them both and > was happy I was able to make the tricky segue between those two songs (three > 5/4 bars and one 4/4 - oh that Joni!) All I can say is that I just can > relate > to them. How about you? > > Love, > Robin thanks, Robin - ------------------------------------------------- New CD available now! "Safaris to the Heart: The Songs of Joni Mitchell" by Robin Adler & Mutts of the Planet. To listen or learn more: http://www.reverbnation.com/robinadlermuttsoftheplanet To purchase: http://www.robinadler.com/products.html ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 May 2012 11:37:29 -0700 From: Robin Adler Subject: Re: People's Parties / Same Situation > Well, not being a theoretically musical person, I would not have known > about the time change segue - is that trickier for a singer or for a > musician, or equally as tricky? As far as the theoretical aspect of the segue between PP and SS goes, I think it might be a bit trickier for a singer because if you are not counting correctly and you come in with the lyric at the wrong place you can cause a train wreck with the other musicians, especially when changing time signatures. The musicians and the singer are then left scrambling to get back in the groove so to speak. Because Joni accompanied herself on piano and guitar it offered her more freedom and spontaneity to move wherever and whenever she wanted regardless of form. In conversations with Max Bennett he said that her music was really different than anything he had ever played. She had everything clearly mapped out in her head and on cassette tape but then the musicians would have to write out their own charts to make sense of it. > > > Bob I understand that not having a theoretical musical background and talking about time signatures etc. may be foreign to some, but, they are a big part of the performance. Joni not only had her own internal genius but had an uncanny ability for observation and absorbing what she saw and heard from others. That segue between PP and SS may have been her noodling in 5/4 before going into a time signature that fit her lyrics better. When trying to recreate her music and follow her arrangements closely it takes some technical ability (i.e. memorization, having the words groove with the music etc.) I like to move through that phase as quickly as possible to what appears to be the effortless phase. That's when you can get into the story and the emotion. So when all that technical stuff is under my belt I can actually be at that party feeling insecure or isolated all of those things we can collectively relate too. Everything Bob described so well. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 May 2012 14:51:13 -0400 From: Stewart.Simon@sunlife.com Subject: People's Parties / Same Situation One of Mitchell's exes, Dave Naylor, told Sheila Weller in Girls Like US that the "Court and Spark" song, "Same Situation," is about Warren Beatty. And "People's Parties," the song that precedes it, is about Mitchell's brief adventure with Beatty in his life of "Shampoo"-era socializing up on Mulholland Drive with Jack Nicholson and pals. Below is an excerpt of Joni's comments (and the link to the article) related to Same Situation which seems to support Naylors comment. THE SAME SITUATION (1973) I don't want to name names or kiss and tell, but basically it is a portrait of a Hollywood bachelor and the parade of women through his life, ... how he toys with yet another one. So many women have been in this position, ... being vulnerable at a time when you need affection or are searching for love, and you fall into the company of a Don Juan. http://jonimitchell.com/library/view.cfm?id=144&from=search - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- This e-mail message (including attachments, if any) is intended for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, proprietary , confidential and exempt from disclosure. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender and erase this e-mail message immediately. - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 May 2012 19:10:59 -0600 From: Les Irvin Subject: New addition to Articles Library Title: The Rockologist: On hippie chicks, and sweet Joni Mitchellbs jazz period Publication: Something Else Date: 2012-5-24 http://jonimitchell.com/library/view.cfm?id=2498 ------------------------------ End of onlyJMDL Digest V2012 #154 ********************************* ------- Post messages to the list by clicking here:mailto:joni@smoe.org Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:onlyjoni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe