From: owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org (onlyJMDL Digest) To: onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org Subject: onlyJMDL Digest V2014 #440 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 Thursday, December 25 2014 Volume 2014 : Number 440 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- Re: Happy Holidays, Gratitude, Joni and You [Dave Blackburn Subject: Re: Happy Holidays, Gratitude, Joni and You Merry Christmas everyone! Ibm tagging on to Lauriebs elegant post as Ibd echo many of its sentiments. This list, which I joined the day after our first gig as a band playing Jonibs music nine years ago, has been a font of knowledge, friendships - many, actual ones at this point, and many more to be made actual - and support. Because of it we heard about, and got to attend, Jonifests in England, L.A, New Orleans and got to host our own in the mountains of Idyllwild in 2009. Because of this list I decided to take the plunge and release a CD of Jonibs music, as interpreted by my amazing band - Safaris to the Heart, in 2010 - and because of this list it passed the break even point years ago! This year, I took the risk again and we put out Hejira Live, largely to mark what a level Mutts of the Planet have reached and of course because it is Hejira - what engineer/producer wouldnbt want to bmakeb his favorite record? Reviews of both have been glowing, but as Laurie said, there are a few reactions fron Joe Public that show that, for some, Joni is a sacred cow to be worshipped and never attempted by mere mortals. Fair enough, but in that case the music becomes a museum piece. We prefer it to be vital, reshaped, and represented to a whole new set of ears as well as for the boomers who loved it all along. As I have written before, we are entitled to consider certain music the new Classical music of our era; Joni qualifies for this. bCoveringb music is a pop-rock term, loaded with the inference that it is a pale imitation, but no one calls a string quartet playing Beethoven a cover band. They are honoring the work of a great composer and keeping it live and relevant, more than just the notes Ludwig wrote, if the quartet is good and no doubt different from the way he heard it. Jonibs namebs in the news, everything is first class. The new box set is garnering much respect and attention, perhaps to her surprise. She doesnbt play anymore or care to, so we can maybe conclude that THIS is her final offering (unless the vast four hour ballet of it can be pulled off.) Itbs been an incredible career, just shy of fifty years, and her work has been a beacon, a refuge, a holy book, a mirror, and a sanctuary for generations of people worldwide. Looking ahead, 2015 holds the promise of the Lincoln University Joni symposium in the UK, Bobbs Jonifest and more - the Mutts are booked to play Mingus again at the Idyllwild Jazz festival in August and our first presentation of that concert just ranked #9 in a best of 2014 list of jazz concerts in San Diego, Americabs sixth largest city. Jack M - the recording is in the pipeline. love and friendship to all of you, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Dave > On Dec 25, 2014, at 6:19 AM, Laurie Antonioli wrote: > > Dear JMDL crowd - > > Wow. What a year. I don't know about you, but, mine has been filled with > some high highs and some low lows. A dynamic year, let's just say! One of > the highlights for me has been the support and friendship (via email, but I > expect to meet some of you one day) in this group. > > I think it was the initial support from this group that allowed me to stop > holding my breath. Taking on Joni's music was on the one hand the easiest > project I've ever done - since her music is truly a part of me - yet - I > think oddly one of the most risky. To do it right, to do her justice, to > stand up and take the hits (mostly from silly online folks, but, I'm > sensitive and mildly naive - a trait that is charming when young and plain > silly when you get older) -- what happened is this: we had a beautiful > run. I won't list it all here, but, we made 5 of the "Best of 2014" lists > in the jazz world. I heard from people all over the planet. There are > things that journalists said to me in private, which I'll keep private, > that I kind of wish they'd said publicly that was even more supportive than > what they wrote (they have other musicians they need to keep relationships > with) all to say - this was a very well-received record. Beyond that, I > LOVE this album. Most musicians, at least the ones I know, don't like to > or can't listen to their own music - I find it too frustrating (yikes, out > of tune note, ick, why did I phrase that like that, oh no, you can't hear > the soprano sax there) but, this one settles in for me - and - we put in > many, many hours getting it as good as the budget would allow! (Note: the > Counting Crows were recording in the studio next to us when we were doing > the Joni record. We did 13 songs in 2.5 days. They, from what we could > hear - we were eavesdropping - worked on 2 songs, maybe, that whole time. > To be honest, I think it was just one but, we also didn't put in the hours > they did, they were still there when we'd go home!) Point: they can > live in the studio for as long as it takes - most "Indie" artists don't > have this luxury. > > Back to you. What a great collection of people. I enjoy the non-Joni > posts as much as the Joni posts. Don't chime in as often as I should but > always read just about everything. You'all are an intelligent, spirited > group. I wish you peace, internally and externally, through the holidays > and all next year. > > And finally. Joni. As I said before, I'm thrilled to see her out and > about, doing interviews and promoting her latest. Long may she run. > > Joni's music is so elegant. We are going to record again at the end of the > year. I think, dear Joni fans, that to find repertoire as compelling as > Joni's is going to be impossible. Even our original stuff. Even Neil > Young's music (we've got a little grouping of his songs in the works) -- > everything pales when compared to Joni's - and you know I am going to > compare because as artists, that's what we do. Measure, calculate, change, > explore, change again, adjust, throw away, start over....it's the creative > process. I'm not sure we'd ever do another Joni record - maybe in 5 years > - but not now - too soon. Though, there's a couple songs I'd like to > include in the next batch as a medley if I can get the band to agree - > perhaps we'll always give a nod to Joni on each recording. Why not? All > to say, since we're not a Joni cover band, we will move into some different > territory on the next outing. > > I'm writing to you from Los Angeles. I'm with my daughter and not only has > she recently married but I'm going to be a grandmother. This is what I'll > be "doing" for a lot of the next year. That, and, I continue to run the > vocal program at the California Jazz Conservatory. > > My final note: I officially added Joni's music into the "Great American > Songbook" our conservatory acknowledges as being "legit." Her music > belongs there and it was time to update the "Songbook." She lives next to > Ellington, Cole Porter, Richard Rogers, Irving Berlin, Dorothy Fields, > Leonard Bernstein, Lorenz Hart, Johnny Mercer and so on. I've also added > Stevie Wonder. I think Carole King and James Taylor are next. Joni is > the first, though!! I hope the students dig in. You know, I had only one > student in my freshman class that knew Joni's music - his parents listened > to her. In order to do my job, I fully intend to make sure the students > hear her. I played "Blue" one day in class and they were stunned. > Silent. Didn't even know what to say. One girl said "I've never heard > anyone sing like that before...." and I said, "I know, and she's the > "source" for many of the pop/folk/singer-songwriters that you *have* heard, > but, this is the "undiluted" version." > > Of course. You all understand. "Blue" is genius. As is Joni. We love > her, so. > > With warmest regards, > > Laurie ------------------------------ End of onlyJMDL Digest V2014 #440 ********************************* ------- Post messages to the list by clicking here:mailto:joni@smoe.org Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:onlyjoni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe