River: The Joni Letters

It’s unfair to start off an album that features guest artists with a cut that stars Norah Jones. Personally, I’m a hopeless sucker for what she sells. Here, on "Court And Spark" the butterscotch of her first phrase strikes such a contrast to the atonal introduction of Hancock’s keyboard that it seems like lowering yourself into a warm spa on a cold winter’s morning. The tune continues its soothing mood until later when Wayne Shorter recalls the introduction by use of his squeaky sax during the bridge. Again, Jones is tasked with sanding the burrs off his tone as she continues the familiar lyrics and as a whole, this interpretation of the iconic Joni classic is a very satisfying one. On track two, when Tina Turner steps up to the mike, I expected something completely different than what I heard. Although I was only vaguely familiar with the song, I was mesmerized by the jazz sensitivity she displayed and immediately concluded that an entire album of Tina Turner singing jazz would be a classic keeper indeed. For her to shelve her iconic hard rocking soul in order to channel the sweetness of Joni gave me an entirely new appreciation for the woman’s art. A fantastic cut, backed by musicians that complement both Joni and Tina perfectly. "Both Sides Now," is a foray into what Jazz means to Hancock. Known for his interpretations that often leave just a single thin thread connecting the playing to the original composition, here, he takes the well-known Mitchell classic so far afield that it, for me, is virtually lost. Were I to have heard it untitled, though, I must admit that I would have liked it very well indeed. His band cooperates seamlessly to deliver an appealing tune. It’s just not "Both Sides Now" to me. The titular cut featuring Corinne Bailey Rae is stunning! Long a fan of her singing, this track brings the memory of times when this song played on cheap car radio dash speakers as we “cruised” through our post pubescent youth, and yet here it is back; modernized, jazzed up, and yet very true to the original. The all instrumental "Sweet Bird" totally belongs to Wayne Shorter. I have not generally been a huge fan of his playing preferring, rather, Houston Person for instance, to Shorter’s often more jagged and staccato sax playing. Yet, here, he excels! His “noodling” near the end of the track produces un-earthly saxophone tones that cannot help but be respected, produced by a virtuoso sax player and adding another dimension to the instrument. Hancock uses his piano as if he were literally teasing and pulling the notes out of him and their collaboration is seamless. To have Joni Mitchell show up to sing "Tea Leaf Prophecy" plants such an anchor into the middle of this album as to re-center us, the listeners, in a poured concrete reminder of why we are here in the first place. This IS, after all, a Joni Mitchell album, and by God, here she is to set the standard. I believe that every other artist featured on this album raised their performance a notch knowing that Joni was in the house. Like Tina Turner here, Joni Mitchell proves her immutable talent at crossing over to jazz as seamlessly as if she had been doing it all her life. After such a stunning line up so far, the producers must have felt that we needed a little breather, a respite from the giants, so they threw in “Solitude” to let the mind relax for five minutes before they make Luciana Souza stretch it to its limits with "Amelia." I think that Souza’s interpretation of this more obscure Mitchell work is better than the original. Maybe it’s the sensitive interjection of Shorter’s sax accompaniment that interplays with Souza’s voice as in a vocal duet, or maybe it’s that she just carries the tune and the tone in such a powerful manner that you can’t take your ears away from it. The engineers mixed the track so skillfully as to make it appear that Souza and Shorter are occupying the same space at the same time. Masterful. The next two cuts, "Nefertiti" and "The Jungle Line" don’t do it for me. I don’t think they belong on this, otherwise, classic and mostly lyrical album. I know jazz listeners are supposed to keep an open mind and be willing to stretch their comfortable envelope, but I’d be happier to do that on a different album at another time, not in the middle of an otherwise solid Joni Mitchell vibe. Cohen is a respectable artist in his own right and I respect his work. It’s the producers that I disagree with here, placing his narrative musings into this album. This is where the original 2007 release would end, but thankfully, this 2017 re-issue includes four more tracks, two of which are exceptional gems. When Hancock returns to Joni Mitchell with his instrumental version of one of my favorite songs, "A Case Of You," the album returns to its mission. This track might be his most sensitive piano of the whole album. He doesn’t take the melody to Mars or try to impress us with unrelated ramblings. He just provides us with some solid jazz playing that never lets us forget the essence of the classic tune we came here to hear. Even Shorter is reserved and plays the tune with plenty of interpretation, and although he approaches the ceiling a couple of times, he keeps it in the room. This is a superb classic instrumental jazz cover. The next track, "All I Want," continues the album with an upbeat vibe that makes you just want to take a road trip in a fast car with a good stereo down to Mexico. Sonya Kitchell does her own thing here but never forgets Joni with her phrasing and intonation. Another solid winning track. The album ends with two more instrumentals, each over 8 minutes long, during which Hancock and Shorter lead the band through some more of the Hancock signature playing. Lots of “noodling” some squeaking and a few atonal chords, but Hancock fans will find them generally appealing, I think. Sure, Joni Mitchell originally penned "I Had A King," but this melody is as estranged from the original as Joni was from the ex-husband the here absent lyrics are about. This is one of the most satisfying jazz albums I have ever heard. It is well mixed and engineered and the recording is clean and “present.” Never mind that it was one of only two jazz albums that ever won the “Album of the Year” overall Grammy. That’s no small potatoes.

It's no wonder this album is a Grammy winner, but the bonus tracks really shine too. I bought it for the Tina Turner track, but loved all of the 14 tracks. Highly recommended. Get this 2 CD version, the extra tracks are essential.

tWhat a wecome to th world of jazz for a Noob. I am enjoy every nuance of the feel of this cd. Knew the people who know that style admired it, so I went down the rabbit hole to find the mystery. A most enjoyable expierence. This set is a welcome to my collection that will provide hours of hearing new things every round. Lovely.

Herbie Hancock is great as usual on piano and is joined by some other top notch musicsions, and the various vocalist are also top notch. If you are a Herbie Hancock fan and also into Joni Mitchell 's music, I say buy it; you won't regret it.

But I really enjoy it over and over.

Absolutely marvelous combination of familiar folk tunes with great jazz, I wish there were more competent combinations like this, but there arent too many Joni Mitchell's and Herbie Hancock's in the world, just glad they were able to get "married" in such a delightful way. Corinne is just amazing and Wayne Shorter retrieves his notes from a deep place. Herbie plays an instrument with which I am not familiar, I think it is a piano, but a celestial version of it. A shining gem.

Very good cd

Special to share the planet with Herbie Hancock, a historically significant pianist, composer. As far as I can tell all cuts are original, and features various artists of distinction. I know I'll love it, but really haven't had it very long and only listened less than five times.

J’adore ce cd avec plein d’artistes magnifiques telle Joni Mitchell, Norah Jones, Tina Turner, et bien d’autres.... Rythmique extra, c’est bien emballé et fluide. Et Herbie Handcok vous accompagne de sa musique envoûtante, j’adore....

Herbir Hancock - River: The Joni Letter.Album de l'année et le prix du meilleur album de jazz contemporain 50e Grammy Awards le 10 février 2008 Je voulais la version plus longue 2 disques CD sorti en 2017! Wow

Il disco alterna brani strumentali nel solco del post-bop del II quintetto di Davis a forte impronta shorteriana ad un jazz vocale moderno che parte dalla musica pop trasfigurandola, ma senza mai rinnegarla, anzi, facendola brillare di luce nuova nella declinazione jazzistica di altissimo livello degli arrangiamenti. Hancock e Shorter toccano vette pari o superiori a quelle del jazz espresso con Davis, Holland al contrabasso una roccia, Colaiuta una meravigliosa e setola scoperta ai tamburi, lontano dai tecnicismi carichi di groove e punch a cui ci ha abituato, Loeke alla chitarra, elettrica ed acustica, la ciliegina su una torta perfettamente riuscita. Grande musica ed ottima registrazione.