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Music : River: The Joni Letters (with Bonus Tracks) - Amazon.com Exclusive
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River: The Joni Letters (with Bonus Tracks) - Amazon.com Exclusive by: Herbie Hancock List Price: $18.98 CD-Charts Price: $12.99 You Save: $5.99 (32%)Prices subject to change. |
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Binding: Audio CD EAN: 0602517477544 Format: Special Edition Label: Verve Manufacturer: Verve Number Of Discs: 1 Publisher: Verve Release Date: September 25, 2007 Studio: Verve Sales Rank: 252 Disc 1:
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Editorial Review: Album Description: 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. Amazon.com: 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
Average Rating:
 Rating: - A classy tribute to a great American SongwriterTo tell the truth ,I wasn't expecting that much from this album. To me, Joni Mitchell's songs in the original form are hard to top. I haven't even been very impressed with her own recent covers of her classic work. So I put off getting this until recently. I am happy to report that for the most part this CD exceeded my expectations. First of all, I love the downtime mood of the proceedings. Herbie was creating an album, not just a collection of tunes. The pacing and order was well thought out, as was the choice of tunes, covering some of her more well known compositions, yet sprinkling in a few more obscure offerings. The arrangements are creative, often adding unexpected harmonic twists that place the album further into jazz territory than ... Read More: Rating:  - Herbie and Joni - InspiredRiver: The Joni Letters is a surprising album for me. As more of a fan of Herbie's older works, I am very happy to hear some of the musical directions that were chosen here. In some regards, this is both a return to Herbie's core strengths as well as an exploration of something new. When it comes to Mr. Hancock, why should any of us be surprised by that. There are some Joni Mitchel purists who may not appreciate or enjoy all of the choices made by Herbie. For my part, I am willing to accept that different artists can approach material differently and both approaches may have value. For those who have a love for modern jazz and have limited familiarity with Joni's songs, this is really the perfect way to be introduced ... Read More: Rating:  - Too much Hollywood Hip Eco-CoolGrew up impressed with Herbie Hancock. Grew up loving Joni Mitchell. Was fascinated by the concept of this but sadly disappointed with the result. Too much dominance of LA music studio in the sound track; too much self-absorbed ennui in the vocals. Maybe I've just gotten old, or the '60's have finally caught up with me (in a good way), but this CD just schmoozes too much of what I have to coin, Hollywood Hip Eco-Cool. Rating: - words from MeSuper CD I will be using it in my Arts and Humanities class this fall. Rating: - Awesome!!! Awesome!!! Awesome!!!Herbie Hancock is a genius. The sound engineer who did this CD is a genius. Together, they created something that sounds like they are in my listening room. They are simply there! The music is perfect, chords like nowhere else. |
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