From: owner-onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org (onlyJMDL Digest) To: onlyjoni-digest@smoe.org Subject: onlyJMDL Digest V2014 #445 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 445 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- Re: Happy Holidays, Gratitude, Joni and You [Gerald Kent Subject: Re: Happy Holidays, Gratitude, Joni and You Beautiful narrative Laurie. I really enjoyed reading. Sent from my iPad > On Dec 25, 2014, at 9:19 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 #445 ********************************* ------- Post messages to the list by clicking here:mailto:joni@smoe.org Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:onlyjoni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe