Joni Mitchell and all that jazz(men)
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Le très attendu “Volume 4” des “Joni Mitchell Archives” couvrant la période allant de 1976 à 1980 et qui devait sortir au printemps 2025 sera finalement disponible dès le 4 octobre.
Par Fred Goaty
Séances studio inédites, versions alternatives, enregistrements live, raretés et livre de 36 pages avec de nouvelles photos plus le long entretien désormais rituel entre Joni et le cinéaste (et ex-rock critic) Cameron Crowe : le rêve de fan continue ! “Joni Mitchell Archives, Volume 4 : The Asylum Years (1976-1980)” couvre la période durant laquelle sont successivement sortis “Hejira” (1976), “Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter” (1977), “Mingus” (1979) et “Shadows And Light” (1980). Mais ce ne sont donc pas ces chefs-d’œuvre déjà disponibles par ailleurs que l’on retrouvera dans ce coffret, mais des titres de la même période, enregistrés en studio ou immortalisés live lors de diverses tournées ou de festivals (tel le Bread & Roses Festival où Joni Mitchell s’était produite en duo avec Herbie Hancock au piano). La mémorable tournée de 1979 (avec Michael Brecker, Pat Metheny, Lyle Mays, Jaco Pastorius et Don Alias) est également à l’honneur.
La liste complète des musiciens n’a pas encore été révélée, mais outre ceux qui avaient participé à la tournée 1979, la présence dans l’impressionnant track listing des six CD (que nous vous révélons ci-dessous) d’inédits extraits de séances d’“Hejira”, “Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter” ou “Mingus” suggèrent que non seulement de Jaco Pastorius, Herbie Hancock, Larry Carlton ou Wayne Shorter sont de la partie, mais aussi, sans doute, les saxophonistes Phil Woods et Gerry Mulligan, les contrebassistes Eddie Gomez et Stanley Clarke, les batteurs Dannie Richmond et Tony Williams, le guitariste John McLaughlin ou encore le claviériste Jan Hammer. Sans oublier le pianiste Victor Feldman, le guitariste Robben Ford ou le batteur John Guerin, qui accompagnaient Joni Mitchell lors des concerts de 1976. Encore un peu de patience avant la révélation de la liste officielle des musiciens !
CD ou LP “Joni Mitchell Archives, Volume 4 : The Asylum Years (1976-1980)” (Rhino Records) sera disponible le 4 octobre en version 6 CD (intégrale) ou 4 LP (sélection des morceaux préférés de Joni Mitchell).
LE TRACK LISTING COMPLET :
CD 1
Rolling Thunder Revue, Live In Niagara Falls, Convention Center, Niagara Falls, NY, November 15, 1975
Jericho
Live at Harvard Square Theater, Cambridge, MA, November 20, 1975
- Introduction – Bob Neuwirth
- Edith and the Kingpin
- Don’t Interrupt The Sorrow
Live at Music Hall, Boston, MA, November 21, 1975
- Introduction – Bob Neuwirth
- Harry’s House
Live in Bangor, Bangor, ME, November 27, 1975
- A Case of You
Gordon Lightfoot’s House, Toronto, ON, Canada, November 30, 1975
- Woman of Heart and Mind
Live At Montreal Forum, Montreal, QC, Canada, December 4, 1975
- Introduction – Bob Neuwirth
- Intro to Coyote
- Coyote
1976 Tour of the United States, Recorded by Stanley Johnston from PA mixes by Brian Jonathan
(Courtesy of the estate of Stanley Tajima Johnston)
Live In Madison, Dane County Coliseum, Madison, WI, February 29, 1976
- Help Me
Live At Music Hall, Boston, MA, February 19, 1976
- Love or Money
- Free Man in Paris
- For The Roses
- Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire
- Big Yellow Taxi
- Shades of Scarlett Conquering
Live at Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY, February 20, 1976
- For Free
CD 2
Live At Music Hall, Boston, MA, February 19, 1976
- Intro to Coyote / Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter
- Coyote / Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter
Live in Madison, Dane County Coliseum, Madison, WI, February 29, 1976
- Just Like This Train
Live at Music Hall, Boston, MA, February 19, 1976
- Shadows and Light
- In France They Kiss On Main Street
Live at Duke University, Cameron Stadium, Durham, NC, February 7, 1976
- Traveling (Hejira)
Live at Music Hall, Boston, MA, February 19, 1976
- Edith and the Kingpin
- Talk To Me
- Harry’s House/Centerpiece
- Intro to Furry Sings the Blues
- Furry Sings The Blues
- Trouble Child
- Rainy Night House
Live at Duke University, Cameron Stadium, Durham, NC, February 7, 1976
- Don’t Interrupt The Sorrow
Live at Music Hall, Boston, MA, February 19, 1976
- Raised on Robbery
- The Jungle Line
- Twisted
CD 3
“Hejira”Demos, A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA, March 1976
- Furry Sings The Blues
- Traveling (Hejira)
- Dreamland
- Talk To Me
- Coyote / Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter
- Black Crow
- Amelia
- Blue Motel Room
- A Strange Boy
Rolling Thunder Revue, Tarrant County Convention Center, Fort Worth, TX, May 16, 1976
- Black Cow
- Intro to Song For Sharon
- Song For Sharon
“Hejira” Sessions, A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA, Summer 1976
- Refuge of the Roads (Early Mix with Horns)
- Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter (Early Rough Mix)
CD 4
“Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter”Sessions, A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA
- “Save Magic” (Paprika Plains Embryonic Version)
- Otis and Marlena (Early Rough Mix)
“Mingus” Sessions, Electric Lady Studios, New York, NY
- Sweet Sucker Dance (Vocals & Drums Version – Take 5)
- A Chair in the Sky (Early Alternate Version – Take 6)
- Sweet Sucker Dance (Early Alternate Version)
Live At Bread & Roses Festival , Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA, September 2 & 3, 1978
- Introduction
- The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines
- Intro to A Chair In The Sky
- A Chair In The Sky
- Intro to Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
- Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
- Intro to The Wolf That Lives In Lindsey
- The Wolf That Lives In Lindsey
“Mingus” Sessions, Electric Lady Studios, New York, NY and A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA, 1978 & 1979
- A Good Suit and A Good Haircut
- God Must Be A Boogie Man
- Solo for Old Fat Girl’s Soul
- The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines
CD 5
- Sue And The Holy River
“Mingus”Sessions, A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA, 1979
- The Wolf That Lives In Lindsey
Live At May 6 Coalition Rally Against Nuclear Power, National Mall, Washington, D.C., May 6, 1979
- Introduction – Graham Nash
- Big Yellow Taxi
1979 Tour Rehearsals, SIR Rehearsal Studios, Los Angeles, CA
- Jericho
- Help Me
1979 Tour of the United States, Live at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens, NY, August 25, 1979
- Big Yellow Taxi
- Just Like This Train
- In France They Kiss On Main Street
- Coyote
- Edith and The Kingpin
- Free Man In Paris
- Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
- Jaco’s Solo/ Third Stone From The Sun
- The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines
CD 6
- Amelia
- Pat’s Solo
- Hejira
- Don’s Solo
- Dreamland
- Black Crow
- Furry Sings The Blues
- Intro to God Must Be A Boogie Man
- God Must Be A Boogie Man
- Raised On Robbery
- Shadows and Light
- The Last Time I Saw Richard
- Why Do Fools Fall In Love
Live in Philadelphia, Robin Hood Dell West, Philadelphia, PA, August 28, 1979
- Woodstock
Live at Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, September 13, 1979
- Intro to A Chair In The Sky
- A Chair In The Sky