Herbie Hancock - River The Joni Letters with Bonus Tracks Amazoncom Exclusive (12 tracks) +Album Reviews

In a Series of Tributes, Hancock Delivers

Shannon Freeman | Tennessee | 09/28/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Joni Mitchell has enjoyed a year of industry fans paying tribute to her, those whom she considers her "true peers", the artists who recognize the genuis of her work. Herbie Hancock has assembled a cast of players fit for the high bill of interpreting songs from an artist whose career has been a fluid exploration, much as Hancock employs a fluid sensibility to his arrangements on many of these classics.

Norah Jones opens the show with her rendition of " Court and Spark". It is a fine song in its own right; the only complaint may be that the immediacy of Joni's version is lost here. Composed in Canada, as a response to an actual experience, this song may have been better left off the list. When Mitchell speaks in first person, it's almost an impossible task for another to come in and half way rival the intense delivery, the plumbing of the depths that must occur when Mitchell sings the lyrics she has clearly lived.

Tina Turner purrs through "Edith and the Kingpin", making it the cover that it ought to be. This song demands either the original interpretation or an alternative that gets to the grit of the subject matter by sheer quality of voice. Turner was a perfect choice for this song.

Corrine Baily Rae is another highlight, singing " River" in a way that puts her stamp on the song, yet maintains the integrity of Joni's original release. Perhaps there is a bias on my part, with this being one of my all-time favorite Mitchell songs, but as noted in my review of this year's earlier Tribute, the version on that disc sounded reworked to the point that there were no longer vestigages of Joni left, although it sounded just like a James Taylor original would, leaving it a good song. However, on a tribute, that's far from the point. CBR does a much better job of synthesizing her sound with Joni's, making this the best cover of "River" I've heard.

The inclusion of some of Mitchell's favorite songs from other artists is an inspired choice. "Nefertiti" is always mentioned in interviews where Mitchell cites works that have moved her, so Wayne Shorter stepping in to lend this song, forty years after he helped bring it to life with Miles Davis himself, is a real treat. It is worth noting that the play list is heavily tilted toward material from " Hissing of Summer Lawns", a fact that is probably not coincidental. That was a work that deserved way more positive press than it received; with Hancock being a fellow innovator, it makes sense that he would enjoy giving some added exposure to those overlooked experiements. Leonard Cohen reading " The Jungle Line" is a bit bizarre, however, with him sounding like Vincent Price reciting a monologue. Again, this is a song that may have been better left untouched, or if included, having a reworking that retained the ethnic vibe of the original, as that was part of its charm.

Herbie Hancock is a kindred spirit with Joni Mitchell; they are both restless musicians, always in search of a new direction, inspired by beauty and truth. It is clear that he had the superior vision for a tribute to one of our most cherished talents. The continuity of the disc is a welcome departure from the one released earlier in the year, with the likely explanation being the stewardship of Hancock from conception to birth of this effort. Excellent tribute, with a cameo appearance by Joni herself on " The Tea Leaf Prophecy", an inclusion that carries extra poignancy with the passing of her mother this year, her muse for the song."

Stay a while

J. Anderson | Monterey, CA USA | 10/30/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A perfect disc. Tina Turner's take on Edith and the Kingpin moves right into legend. Herbie applies his Mind to Joni Mitchell and mind to mind, art to art, something extraordinary quickens. Call the disc subdued, the better to raise an art. Here are two artists not led by their public, which is to say by fame. What happens therefore is something that reaches, and something worthwhile. Hancock takes Tea Leaf Prophecy and leads Joni back to her jazz self. Very cool. His playing throughout is musically mature, free, unafraid, especially in a redefining 'Both Sides Now' and a ravishing take on Mitchell's musically ebullient 'I Had a King', the two lengthiest tracks on the disc. In the end, and even inbetween, this is Herbie Hancock at peace, and he paints Joni Mitchell with master strokes. &check out T Turner's brilliant turn on Edith! It's a time-stopping bit of pure art that defines the reason for the record. Take your hat off, and your shoes.

2/10: CONGRATS Herbie! An Album of the Year Grammy for River! Like I said, it's a perfect disc."

The jazz-piano icon turns choice Joni Mitchell songs into a

modern jazz | 07/10/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"On his latest album "River: The Joni Letters", the phenomenal jazz pianist and composer reinterprets the soulful poetry of Joni Mitchell's lyrics.The good news is that his homage to Joni Mitchell digs deeper, with the help of cameo appearances from Norah Jones, Tina Turner, Corinne Bailey Rae, Leonard Cohen and Mitchell herself

With some starry guest vocalists, Hancock pastes a selection of Mitchell tunes, plus standards, on to a high-octane ensemble (including Wayne Shorter, bassist Dave Holland, on-his-way guitarist Lionel Loueke and Vinnie Colaiuta, the drummer who grew up in Fayette County), that aspires to the zeniths of the mid-1960s Miles Davis quintet.

Sublime stuff, but you can't help feeling that it subsumes Mitchell's musical signature.

The best tracks are those where the vocal performances are strong enough to balance out the improvisation: Tina Turner steals the show with her magisterial "Edith and the Kingpin", but all the other guests sit comfortably alongside the pianist and the band : Joni Mitchell's own "Tea Leaf Prophecy"; Leonard Cohen's weird but brilliant recitation of "The Jungle Line", accompanied by Hancock's peerless acoustic piano, Corinne Bailey Rae, who sings the title track "River", Brazilian jazz singer Luciana Sousa's elegant "Amelia".

In many ways, this album of mostly Joni Mitchell songs embodies what jazz is all about. Great personnel, songs and interpretations make this album a delight.

He may have one of the most distinguished Curriculum Vitae in jazz, yet there has been a jarring tone to some of Herbie Hancock's outings: not so much music-making as upmarket product placement.

The best vocal numbers show how much there is to be gained from the union of improv and intelligent pop.

Herbie Hancock provides strikingly fine piano work, but does it without insisting on showing virtuoso bits of flash. If fact, his support to saxophonist Wayne Shorter on "Court and Spark" perhaps shows his genius more than anything. He also gets great credit for his interpretations of these songs, which take Mitchell's pop classics and turn them into solid jazz numbers.

His version of "Both Sides Now" shows only harmonic ties to the familiar song but is a great display of the instrumental musicians. Just to add a different touch, the band also does a great version of Shorter's "Nefertiti" and Duke Ellington's "Solitude"."

Herbie Hancocks Latest Masterpiece

Juan Mobili | Valley Cottage, NY USA | 02/11/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Herbie Hancock mining musical forms outside the Jazz canon should not be either a surprise nor source for concern among traditionalists. Whether exploring Electronica harder and more boldly that most of his contemporaries in the Seventies--except, of course, for Miles--or getting involved with Hip-Hop or nodding to Pop, Hancock's work may not always be of everyone's liking but it can always claim honesty and quality.

With Joni Letters, this is confirmed ... more yet, this is taken to another level of excellence. Having worked with Mitchell already in her album dedicated to Charles Mingus tunes, Herbie returns to Joni's songbook to reinterpret it, to sculpt new possibilities out of her poems--to call them lyrics might leave you with a limited impressions of the beauty and depth of her words.

The arrangements are bold yet always faithful to the originals. Edith and The Kingpin--probably the best track in an album full of gems--turned into a dark Jazz ballad and sung remarkably well by Tina Turner, Leonard Cohen reading The Jungle Line with a sense of sinisterness that those lyrics may not have revealed before, or his treatment of Both Sides Now are sufficient proof of it.

In addition to these tracks there's plenty more to bow to. Luciana Souza's rendition of Amelia is impeccable and soulful as well as River sung by Corinne Bailey Rae--although my nod for best version still goes to Madeline Peyroux and kd lang.

Last but definitely not least, there's Wayne Shorter sounding as lyrical and fierce in all the right places, and master Hancock himself. Herbie's playing is truly stunning throughout the record, confirming yet again his place among the greatest pianists of any genre.

If you are into Jazz but not Joni, this is where you'd want to come in. Even if the opposite is so for you, again, this is the right door to open. Welcome to the work of two geniuses."

Herbie keeps on Exploring

Peter Hodgins | London UK | 11/18/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Lovers of jazz will need no introduction to Herbie Hancock. Maverick pianist from the days of the Miles Davis quintet, preferred keyboardist of the Davis fusion years and central energy of the seminal funk-jazz crossover album Head Hunters. Herbie Hancock has never been afraid to experiment with forms and genres, to explore the possibilities inherent in different musics. However fans of Joni Mitchell may not be so well acquainted with his work. Though Joni has never been an artist to shy away from incorporating elements of jazz into her folk and rock idiom she has never quite made the step from those idioms to jazz.. All of which makes the new Herbie Hancock recording, River: The Joni Letters an intriguing listen.

For this album Herbie Hancock has assembled an eclectic mix of musicians. Saxophonist Wayne Shorter, his fellow traveller from the fusion years, bassist Dave Holland, drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, and west-African guitarist Lionel Loueke. There are also appearances by a number of leading luminaries, Tina Turner, Corinne Bailey Rae, Luciana Souza, Norah Jones and Leonard Cohen. Mitchell herself guests on a track.

Projects like this can go astray, fall between the contrasting drives of their respective genres. Yet it is to Hancock's credit that this album delivers. It manages an adroit balance between accessibly and improvisation without sacrificing musical integrity. It plays with Hancock's jazzier instincts and the limitations of the rock and folk idiom. It elaborates on the subtlety of Joni Mitchell's melodies and provides a sophisticated setting for her often quite excellent lyrics. It manages to be neither a Joni Mitchell album nor a Herbie Hancock album. Instead it occupies a space somewhere between the two.

That is not to say it is without flaws. The title track, 'The River', comes over a little too sweet. Punching under its weight. Corrine Bailey Rae's vocals sound to my ears somewhat girlish, smothering the ironical longing of the lyrics; Also, Norah Jones's vocals on the opening track, 'Court and the Spark', appear at times to get lost, to sink below the music. And the final track, one of two bonus tracks, 'A Case of You', while infectious and cross referencing Afro-Pop, folk and R&B could be considered superfluous.

Stand-out tracks are 'Nefertiti', (a classic Wayne Shorter piece), Luciana Souza's reading of 'Amelia', (melancholy, rich and warm all at once), 'All I Want', (performed as a true jazz-spiritual), 'Edith and the Kingpin', (Tina Turner on a song that lets her voice show its range and capabilities), and Joni Mitchell herself on 'The Tea-Leaf Prophecy'. Special mention should be made of Leonard Cohen's reading the of 'The Jungle Line'. I approached this with trepidation having read that Cohen did not sing but recite the lyrics. However, despite his gravely, melancholy delivery, this track works very well. Just voice and piano, the piano returning again and again to the lower registers in an almost delta blues manner, and the voice, as would befit a man who is a published poet, ringing the nuances and levels of meaning from of the words.

This is not a jazz album in the purist sense. Neither is it a rock or folk album. What it is, is an album of contemporary adult music. Performed skilfully, with elegance and in a spirit of exploration. Those who criticise Herbie Hancock's flirtations with popular music should consider that in many ways he is being true to the roots of jazz. A music that, (before it entered the universities and museums) was a popular music and never denied its relationship with popular forms of self-expression.

This is an interesting and successful recording. It begs the question what further such projects could produce. A collaboration with Tina Turner, Luciana Souza or even Leonard Cohen?

River: The Joni Letters, is well worth having. A enjoyable addition to any collection for those who love music.

"

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