I've been enjoying David's wonderful Arkadia CD "More Jazz Takes on Joni Mitchell",
and wanted to write a detailed review about it.
Firstly if you haven't gotten this disc, you should, for a couple of reasons:
1- It's totally freakin' excellent!
2- It's 2/3 Joni music, and you're a Joni fan, right?
3- David's one of us, and I'm a firm believer in supporting a fellow JMDL'er!
First, my overall thoughts...David's assembled an all-star band here, I mean these
guys are all great and have the resumes and the chops to prove it. Where the original
"Jazz Takes" featured a variety of players, this one leans more towards a "band"
approach. I liked "Jazz Takes" but find that with a consistent lineup the musicians
are communicating better and really catch a groove that they ride throughout the whole
CD. Seven jazz interpretations of Joni and four Lahm originals.
Track-by-track:
1. Woodstock - I know that Arkadia's sequencing was not what David wanted, but this
one seems the perfect start to me. The melody is instantly recognizable and
establishes the players right off the bat. My first observation is the drums, good
golly but this Ron Vincent is all over the place, injecting every rhythm known to man
and at the same time anchoring the rhythm along with Ratso Harris. What an outstanding
rhythm section! On this song, as on most of them, the horns and woodwinds carry the
melodic parts. Vincent Herring & Roger Rosenberg do some wonderful alto/tenor sax
harmonies.
2. Don Juan's Reckless Daughter - Same players, but Brecker switches to Flugelhorn and
has a great solo. Lahm's piano anchors the band melodically and this one's a great
surprise as I wouldn't necessarily think of DJRD as a candidate for this treatment.
3. San Diego Holiday - The first of David's numbers, and the most successful, maybe
it's the subliminal title but there's a really cool west coast/tropical feel to this
track. Very catchy melodic hook.
4. Off Night Backstreet - Again, another DJRD song that is a surprise in this setting,
and there's a unique sound that takes the lead - Rosenberg on the deep-sounding
baritone sax. This is a great choice from an instrument arrangement standpoint and
gives the song the late-night after-hours back-alley sinister sound that suits it.
Harris also turns in some outstanding solo acoustic bass work.
5. Walk This Way - This one allows drummer Ron Vincent to flex his muscles a bit, and
Randy Brecker complements him on trumpet.
6. Silky Veils of Ardor - This one is the least successful of the DJRD songs. The
melodic line is not overly distinct to begin with, and when the players start soloing
and taking the melody off the path, it becomes somewhat unrecognizable. If you didn't
know it, you'd be hard pressed to figure out that this was "Silky Veils", which isn't
to take anything away from the fine performances. Vincent Herring on flute is
featured, and as always the supporting players are excellent. But it would have been
better as a solo piano piece. (See Ladies of The Canyon)
7. In France They Kiss On Main Street - The whole band gets to kick in and really
swing this one, which feels like it's more suited to the setup of these players. Ratso
Harris switches to electric bass from acoustic, and really adds a distinctive oomph by
doing so.
8. Ladies of the Canyon - If I have a complaint with this record (and believe me, I
don't) it's that I don't hear enough David Lahm. Anyone who has heard him knows that
the guy is an amazing player, a fine improviser and also a band leader. But I would
like to hear him step up more and be heard, and on LOTC I certainly get my wish as
this one is a solo number, with David checking in with the melody as you know it, then
adding just the right tweaks here and there to make it sound like a long-lost jazz
standard. Really sweet!
9. Black Crow - The band returns, with Lahm/Harris/Vincent providing the rythmic and
melodic foundation, while Herring & Rosenberg take off on alto and tenor saxes. Really
awesome, because they seem to seamlessly and simultaneously complement and harmonize
with other, yet at the same time they solo, so the effect is like two crows flying two
seperate patterns and criss-crossing each other from time to time.
10. Wayne Swirled
11. Vibeca - these two Lahm originals are not quite as melodic as San Diego Holiday,
but they're certainly easy on the ear. I suppose since the melodies are not as
familiar to me as the Joni melodies, it's not really a fair call. I'm sure that after
several more months of playing time these will be enjoyed as much as the Joni takes.
12. Woodstock (radio version) - a 5:00 edit of the first track, which runs slightly
less than 8:00. I like the longer one better, natch, but if this gets David on the
radio, so much the better.
Bottom Line - this CD should be in your collection, you'll enjoy it for a long time to
come. David's really put a lot of love and hard work into this release, and you can
also feel the energy from the band, the respect for the melody, and the joy they
derive from playing these songs with each other.
>From a packaging perspective, the insert unfolds into a nice mini-poster that details
>the songs and performers, and also has great pics and David's own liner notes about
>the transformation of these songs from their original framework into jazz pieces.
>Very interesting without being SO technical as to lose an ignoramus like me.
Thanks David, and in the "Wayne Swirled/Wayne's World" tradition, I can picture Wayne
& Garth in the basement, saying:
"David Lahm!
Joni Jazz!
Excellent!!
Excellent!!"
Bob
NP: Stanley Brothers, "Feast Here Tonight"
