> Just my dos pesos. Of course, if you mean Joni
> doesn't need someone like a Lerner needed Lowe, Rogers
> needed Hammerstein etc. -- I'd agree! ;-)
>
> Don Rowe
That's what I meant. I don't think there has been a downward slide in
her writing and she doesn't need anyone to help her with it.
Of course the contributions of musicians like Jaco & Charles Mingus
have been vital to some of Joni's records. I do recall reading that
Joni came up with most of the arrangements for Court & Spark and
pretty much insisted that the musicians stick to what she gave them.
But undoubtedly Tom Scott and the other players contributed something
of themselves to the project. Joni hasn't yet made a record where
she's the sole performer and I'm not sure I would like it if she did.
But I'm just curious enough & enough in awe of her talent that I won't
say I hope she never does. But I do agree that she has to have
learned from & been enriched by the musicians she's worked with.
Particularly the musicians that have the kind of presence that Mingus,
Jaco, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter & Brian Blade have. Of course
there are many others.
But I do think that 'Mingus' was not an easy record for her to make &
I don't think that collaborating with a composer or lyricist comes
naturally to her. I do agree with Bob, that there was probably some
emotional baggage that came with the recording of the albums that
Klein was a major player on. But I still refuse to believe that she
would allow him to significantly affect or alter her artistic vision
for those records. Like them or not, they are Joni Mitchell
recordings. Ultimately she was responsible for what went on them.
Mark in Seattle
