Yes, it's time for "March Madness"...no, I'm not talking about the NCAA, I'm talking about another slamdunk of Joni covers! And March comes in like a lion, with another collection of eclectic (& sometimes pathetic) versions of Joni tunes. Fresh off of it's "World Premiere" in Athens, GA, here's the rundown:
1. Nick DeCaro - All I Want: The "Love Boat lounge" version. 2. Catfish Hodge - For Free: This one's an odd duck. Bob "Catfish" Hodge worked with a lot of mostly southern R & B Artists, and put out a couple of solo records. This cover of For Free is a tough listen at first, but I find it very soulful. 3. Don Randi - Both Sides Now: Ho Hum. 4. Percy Faith - Big Yellow Taxi: Once you get past the "turkey in the straw" barnyard intro, this one is also pretty dull. From the "Black Magic Woman" LP...(somehow I can't imagine Percy with a black magic woman.) 5. Roger Cardwell - The Circle Game: Australia's answer to Roger Whitaker. 6. Lill Lindfors - Gladigen (Carey in Swedish): I don't speak Swedish, but I think she's basically rewritten this song with a different subject. It's awfully pretty though. 7. Barry Miles - Woodstock: A nice funky early 70's jazz workout. Shaft-like. 8. Jimmy Winchell - Free Man In Paris: I used to wish I could sing. Now I wish HE could. SO bad, it should have won a grammy! ;~) 9. Turid - Jag Vet En Prins (I Had A King/Swedish) Turid is/was a 60's/70's folksinger with a Joni-like beautiful voice. Listen to the piano intro here and tell me that it doesn't have a Court & Spark feel to it. And this was recorded in '73 before C&S! 10. Ray Charles Singers - Both Sides Now: Ho Hum. Nothing to do with THE Ray Charles... 11. Leslie Ritter/Scott Petito - Woodstock: This is from their CD released last year called "Circles In Sand". It's a great CD, very new age but more down to earth. This is one of my favorite versions of Woodstock. 12. Ken Watters Group - Both Sides Now: Also from 2001, this is a great jazz interpretation with Ken on trumpet & flugelhorn with a fine quartet. 13. Peter White - River: Featuring Kenny Lattimore on the vocal, sounds great, very soulful, perhaps just a tad too sanitized for my tastes, but I'm sure it would be a popular favorite. 14. Hanne Boel - How Do You Stop: A pleasant enough vocal on this song which I know isn't REALLY a Joni cover. 15. Bernie Steinberg/Tina Malia - The Circle Game: Off of a CD called "Folk Music For Kids", this is a duet sung by 2 children, which raises the question of whether it makes sense to have kids singing a song about watching kids grow up. They do a fine job with it though. 16. Davy Graham - Both Sides Now: Here's the medallion-piece of this CD to me...mostly because this one is hard to find, and well worth the hunt! Anything BUT ho hum. About 7 minutes long, with a "Cotton Ave" like guitar intro, in a raga mode, then Davy breaks into a guitar lick EXACTLY like what Joni did in "In France They Kiss On Main Street" (this song was recorded in 1968) then the tempo picks up and it's an acoustic roller-coaster ride. Boy is it great!! There you have it, another fine entry into the never-ending saga that is the JMDL covers project. Coming up: how you can get a copy for your very own! Bob NP: Shawn Colvin, "Round Of Blues"
