From: owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org (onlyJMDL Digest) To: onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org Subject: onlyJMDL Digest V2013 #216 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, June 14 2013 Volume 2013 : Number 216 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- RE: onlyJMDL Digest V2013 #214 [Michel BYRNE ] Re: The Interview/ drawing dog houses [Catherine McKay Subject: RE: onlyJMDL Digest V2013 #214 Many thanks for the links to this fantastic interview, and for the very interesting comments from everybody. Just a few thoughts for all they're worth. - - I wonder if Joni's reticence about her music as opposed to her painting, that 'divine dissatisfaction', is something intrinsic to genius. She is a good painter, even a very good painter (though not of hands...), but no way would she ever be described as a genius painter-- and that must be a much more comfortable, much more comprehensible place to be than in her music where something well beyond her conscious control has produced great art: that kind of gift that hasn't come from hard graft and craft (e.g. learning music theory, practising scales, etc) but an incredible instinctive talent that must have been pretty scary and also posed a constant challenge to her as she moved from one project to the next, not really knowing what might have made one song/album great and another not quite as great. - - I didn't have time to go back and check, but my memory is that Joni didn't say people 'hated' Blue, but were 'horrified' by its candour. While that must relate to a few male comments made at the time (Kristofferson, etc), I wonder if what she's getting at is the way Blue subsequently emerged as THE quintessential JM album in so many people's eyes. So, not so much claiming critics hated it, but just that there was no sense at the time, even with all the favourable reviews, that this would be judged as the pinnacle which she could never again equal. If this is the album that speaks to most people, over the last forty years, does that make it 'the best'? There's an argument for saying yes (even though Blue has never been my favourite JM album, and still wouldn't be in my top 5), but that kind of judgement must be incomprehensible from the artist's point of view. - - Joni's discussion of her peers is always a bit baffling, but I think because her angle is not the one assumed by most interviewers. I don't think she sees herself as discussing 'who's better than who', but who's on the same wavelength or comparable in the nature of their art. So not 'I'm better than Dylan and Leonard, and as great as Duke Ellington', but 'I don't recognise any affinity between my music and Bob and Leonard's (even though I admire some of their work), whereas I click with the restlessness and innovation in Ellington's music or Picasso's art'. When she's unable to cite one contemporary peer, seems to me it's because she's thinking about musicians who have inspired her in her work, not musicians that she might enjoy listening to. I was very happy to see her set the record straight about the 2010 Dylan comments, but I still squirm at her suggestion that Paul Simon's wordiness was somehow an imitation of her own... the man was a great songwriter before she'd even started! - - Great sort-of-news about the Mingus sessions! Then can we hope for the Dog Eat Dog demos?... ;) Thanks again Michel ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Jun 2013 06:12:13 -0700 (PDT) From: Catherine McKay Subject: Re: The Interview/ drawing dog houses I completely agree with what you've said. And I am thrilled to hear that she's writing her memoir. She finally bought a computer for that! >________________________________ > From: Ange T >To: joni@smoe.org >Sent: Friday, June 14, 2013 1:40:58 AM >Subject: Re: The Interview/ drawing dog houses > > > >I agree that it's sad to think she'll never sing in public again. But it >would be much sadder to watch her struggle to reach unachievable notes on >stage. I think it's beautiful that she doesn't feel the need to hang on to >that side of herself. She's so much more than a singer. I just wish we >could hear her words of wisdom more often. > >I look forward to reading her memoir!!! > >Ange in Oz >www.angetakats.com.au ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Jun 2013 06:44:55 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Flaherty Subject: Re: The Interview/ drawing dog houses >I agree that it's sad to think she'll never sing in public again. But it would be much sadder to watch her struggle to reach unachievable notes on stage. I think it's beautiful that she doesn't feel the need to hang on to that side of herself. I couldn't agree more. Joni has obviously lived her life in such a way that she's able to live very comfortably without doing endless oldies tours. It's frightening to think how many millions some of her contemporaries have gone through. Michael F. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Jun 2013 17:02:18 -0700 From: kbhla@fastmail.fm Subject: Re: JMDL Digest V2013 #687 Hi Marianne, Someone else who listened to it on radio mentioned the same to me. I think it is good to watch the video to get a better impression. I found that when I just tuned out the questioner, I enjoyed it a lot more. I'm not there for him but to see what Joni has to say. There is a lot added when you see her gestures and facial reactions. I felt she may have been a bit annoyed with him at first but she regained her ground and held her own and in the end was smiling and looking radiant ;-) This interview touched me in so many ways that are hard to articulate. Kakki > Hi beautiful people, > There are a lot of good things to say about the interview. > I have just started to digest it . . . as I listened (underline > "listened") to it today. > I did not watch it, only listened so far. > > But . . . one thing that I noticed is the interviewer interrupted joni a > lot and he tried to phrase things for her. > > I did not like his way of interviewing her. > I personally would have liked it if he was more into listening. > > I sensed that joni was frustrated (not sure if that is the word) at times > with his lead ins and his presuppositions . . . And he cut her of at > times. > I just do not think that she appreciated that he attempted to interpret > the things she was saying. > If you listen to her voice with out looking you might be able to pick up > on it. > > Was the interview satisfying to her? I would think not. > She was perhaps not understood as she could have been . . > > Joni was great, however. > > Thank you everyone who helped sending links and all! > > lOve, > Marianne ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Jun 2013 18:52:57 +0100 From: Anita G Subject: Re: Toronto Star interview with Joni tomorrow and/or Wednesday Hi Cath - link not showing up here - but maybe it's only your side of the pond. As for the part where it says: Mitchell reveals ........ > the >>knowledge that her life is >>inevitably drawing to a close, online > Tuesday at thestar.com and in print on >>Wednesday." My heart feels very heavy, but hope it's more of a comment about the nature of existence rather than fact. Joni has been so 'around' the past months, I have wondered about her health. I hope you'll do double cheers - one being for me, Lots of love Anita On 10/06/2013, Catherine McKay wrote: > Here's the link. It has finally shown up online (or, I've finally been able > to > find it.) > http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/2013/06/10/exclusive_chat_with_jon > i_mitchell.htm > > > > > >>________________________________ >> From: Catherine McKay > >>To: JONIMITCHELL DISCUSSION LIST >>Sent: Monday, June 10, 2013 11:47:50 AM >>Subject: Toronto Star interview with > Joni tomorrow and/or Wednesday >> >> >>I'm told that in today's Toronto Star, > there is a small piece announcing "The >>Star's exclusive chat with Joni > Mitchell". And that: 'In an exclusive print >>interview, the Star's Richard > Ouzounian sits down >>with Canadian >>singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell in her > Bel Air home in advance of her >>appearance and tribute at the Luminato > Festival. Mitchell reveals the painful >>struggle to finally reconcile with her > long-lost >>birth child, her battle with >>a crippling little-known disease and > the >>knowledge that her life is >>inevitably drawing to a close, online > Tuesday at thestar.com and in print on >>Wednesday." ------------------------------ End of onlyJMDL Digest V2013 #216 ********************************* ------- Post messages to the list by clicking here:mailto:joni@smoe.org Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:onlyjoni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe