Joni 75 - A Birthday Celebration

Reviewed: 2018-04-03
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: This is a recording of a live concert tribute to Joni Mitchell, & contains several arresting, occasionally straight-up but mostly fascinating reinterpretations of Mitchell’s songs, performed by guest singers and an all-star house band. The best performances here take the song in a new direction and transmute it with sheer force of personality and there are several gems here
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
**1/ Dreamland (6:07) – (applause) long pause> acapella vocal starts> uptempo percussion & song with chorus with African vibe> quick stop
*2/ Help Me (4:43) – drums/percussion starts> midtempo song with chorus> crescendo end
3/ Amelia (7:05) – piano starts> slow song> piano solo> slow song> fade
**4/ All I Want (3:46) – percussion/piano starts> uptempo jam & song> quick fade
*5/ Coyote (6:35) – synth/bass starts> uptempo song swells in volume & subsides several times> extended crescendo & fade
6/ River (3:29) – guitar starts> slow song> fade
7/ Both Sides Now (6:03) – piano starts> slow song with soaring vocals> crescendo & fade
*8/ Our House (3:30) – piano starts> midtempo song> audience sings chorus> fade
9/ A Case of You (4:46) - vocal starts> slow song builds in volume> crescendo end
*10/ Down To You (5:50) – piano starts> slow song builds to midtempo> instrumental break> midtempo song> fade
11/ Blue (3:34) – piano starts> slow song> slow fade
12/ Court And Spark (3:17) – piano starts> slow song swings uptempo> quick fade
**13/ Nothing Can Be Done (5:02) – synth/percussion starts> uptempo song> slow fade
*14/ The Magdalene Laundries (4:25) – trumpet/synth starts> slow song swells in volume> quick fade
*15/ Woodstock (4:39) – piano starts> slow song swells in volume with chorus> fade
***16/ Big Yellow Taxi (2:50) - guitar starts> uptempo song with chorus> crescendo end