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Editorial Review:
This Amazon.com exclusive version of River: The Joni Letters includes two bonus tracks, "All I Want" featuring Sonya Kitchell and "A Case of You."
The legendary pianist and innovator Herbie Hancock explores the words and music of another musical pioneer, Joni Mitchell, on his first new studio recording for Verve since 1998's GRAMMY® award-winning Gershwin's World.
Inspired in equal parts by Mitchell's poetic lyrics and unique melodies, Hancock and saxophone giant Wayne Shorter play with a restraint and elegance that achieves a perfect balance between the adventurous aesthetics of jazz improvisation and the emotional directness of the finest Adult Pop music.
Hancock builds upon his (and Shorter's) previous collaborations with Ms. Mitchell to create a sound that will appeal not only to fans of both artists, but to the listener familiar with the work of Norah Jones, Corinne Bailey Rae and the other brilliant guest vocalists featured on this session. River: The Joni Letters is the perfect CD for the music fan looking for something new that's based in the familiar.
On paper, River sounds like a match made in several versions of heaven. Legendary pianist Herbie Hancock re-imagines Joni Mitchell with his hand-picked, star-studded band--including saxophonist Wayne Shorter--in tow. Luminary guests lend vocals to a song apiece: Norah Jones ("Court and Spark"), Tina Turner ("Edith and the Kingpin"), Corinne Bailey Rae ("River"), Luciana Souza ("Amelia"), Leonard Cohen (with an unsettlingly sanguine version of "The Jungle Line"), even Mitchell herself ("Tea Leaf Prophecy"). In the event, though, a few fundamental elements go awry. Hancock plays with almost saccharine understatement throughout, and even Shorter's seminal "Nefertiti" and Duke Ellington's "Solitude" fall into the album's presiding, somnolent surface, though to a lesser degree does the instrumental version of Mitchell's "Sweet Bird." But girding, and in some measure, saving, the proceedings, the lyrics here testify to a subtler wisdom guiding Hancock's set list. The mix includes a continuum from intrepid classics to dusty, fans-only fare, but a distinct reverence for Joni Mitchell the Poet threads them together, and, in the end, this album works best as a sleepy window into one fan's giddy and particular love affair with his source material. Fans of Hancock win out. --Jason Kirk
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Not my type of music and yet I still love it:
I saw Herbie Hancock perform two songs on Live From Abby Road and I was simply amazed at how great they were. I have never considered myself a jazz fan, I have never owned or listed to a Herbie Hancock cd and Joni Mitchell does not live in my cd collection of over a 1000 cds. But when I heard the Herbie and Connie Rae Bailey do the River I knew that i had to own the most beautiful song of all time. I bought the album and every song is easy to listen to and comes across as fresh and new even though Herbie is... more info
River-Herbie Hancock:
It won the Grammy, a well deserved honor. Listen to the excerpts because this is not your typical Herbie Hancock, but some great interpretive performances. interesting... charming... worth the purchase:
If you like Joni Mitchell you MIGHT like this album. If you like Herbie Hancock and if you like jazz you WILL like this album. Well done, not overplayed... sensitive, pensive, deep. Each song is a seperate world unto itself... a pearl in a string necklace of songs that comprise the whole album. The rotating cameos of vocalists keep each song fresh and surprising. A good record to have. Well recorded. Best interpretation of Joni Mitchell songs:
Herbie Hancock takes classic Joni Mitchell tunes and makes them his own. Who knew that it would work so well? My favorite track is Court and Spark featuring Norah Jones on vocals. This is spell-binding. I heard this track on a plane, and immediately ordered the album. The rest of it is not quite as breath-taking, but well worth it, especially if you like jazz, and grew up on Joni Mitchell. Tracks:
Court and Spark featuring Norah Jones Edith and the Kingpin featuring Tina Turner Both Sides Now River featuring Corinne Bailey Rae Sweet Bird Tea Leaf Prophecy featuring Joni Mitchell Solitude Amelia featuring Luciana Souza Nefertiti The Jungle Line featuring Leonard Cohen All I Want featuring Sonya Kitchell (Exclusive Bonus Track) A Case of You (Exclusive Bonus Track)
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