They open with the album with “Help Me,” a song from Joni Mitchell’s 1974 record Court And Spark, a good choice, particularly as that album contains jazz elements. This rendition begins with some gorgeous solo work from Greg Ward on saxophone. Approximately a minute into the track, the rest of the musicians come in, and, interestingly, the drum work has something of the feel of a march, giving a sense of urgency to the song. Janiece Jaffe adds her own spin to the vocal work, for example giving the word “crazy” special emphasis in the early line “When I get that crazy feeling I know I’m in trouble again.” We get the sense she really believes the feeling is a bit crazy, which is wonderful. And a line like “It’s got me hoping for the future” had special significance in the crazy time of the pandemic, when things were uncertain, even more uncertain than normal. The jam in the middle features some really nice work on drums and some vocal riffing, along with incredibly expressive and exciting work on saxophone. The piano work has warmth, and it is in that instrument that we hear especially that hope for the future. At the end, when Janiece calls out, “Help me, help me, help me,” it seems that she is truly asking.
“Both Sides Now” is one of Joni Mitchell’s best songs. I still find it hard to keep from crying when I hear it, sometimes in joy, sometimes in sorrow. We hear the life of the song in Janiece Jaffe’s delivery. For example, when she sings, “So many things I would have done,” it seems she is recalling specific things. There is something light in this rendition, in the drum work, and in the way the piano and saxophone seem to lift up into the air, particularly in the instrumental sections between verses, not tied down by the weight of things. This song comes from Clouds, the first Joni Mitchell album I ever bought, and still my favorite. Also from Clouds comes “I Think I Understand.” This version begins with a solid bass line, and for a moment it is just that instrument supporting Janiece’s voice. The drum work, again with the feel of a march at the start, also sets this version apart from what we know of this song. This rendition goes into some interesting, compelling musical territory between verses. I am particularly taken with the work on saxophone, but everyone is really delivering here. There is some fantastic stuff on drums. Some of the tension is then released before the next verse, “Now the way leads to the hills/Above the steeple’s chime.” The way Janiece delivers the phrase “sinking sand” the second time is captivating. And on this track, Carolyn Dutton joins the group on violin, providing some absolutely wonderful work in the second half.
“River” is another of Joni Mitchell’s most beloved songs, and it is one of the best songs to get airplay every Christmas season. It comes from Blue, released in 1971. Carolyn Dutton is again on violin, and the violin and piano support the vocals for the first fifty seconds of the song before the bass and drums come in. The piano work is especially good. Then listen to the way Janiece sings, “I made my baby cry.” So moving. The violin takes over after that line, which is perfect. And there is a cry in Janiece’s voice when she delivers the next line, “He tried so hard to help me.” As the song is reaching its climax, the piano and violin once again take over. Beautiful.
From Joni Mitchell’s 1975 record The Hissing Of Summer Lawns, Janiece Jaffe and Monika Herzig choose to cover three songs. This makes sense as this album contains jazz elements. The first of those is “Don’t Interrupt The Sorrow.” Janiece Jaffe’s vocal approach is fascinating. There is a bit of a spoken word vibe to some of it, and there is an intensity, an anger to her delivery, heard in lines like “Truth goes up in vapors/The steeples lean/Winds of change/Patriarchs snug in your bible belt dreams.” This is fantastic. And I love that saxophone work, while the bass maintains the strong pulse of the song. This song is particularly striking, especially in light of how women’s rights are currently being destroyed by the Republican Party. That’s followed by “My Old Man,” a song from Blue. There is a wonderful fondness in Janiece’s voice as she sings those opening lines, “My old man, he’s a singer in the park/He’s a walker in the rain, and a dancer in the dark.” And she sounds happy, even relieved, to relate that “My old man, keeping away my blues.” There is that turn then, when she sings of the blues arriving when he’s gone, and I love the change in her voice. But largely this track has a delightful vibe, and it features a great lead on bass, plus a saxophone lead that seems to sing. I appreciate the joy of this number, and Janiece even delivers some scat toward the end.
Then we get back to material from The Hissing Of Summer Lawns, with that album’s title track. These lines stand out to me: “He put up a barbed wire fence/To keep out the unknown/And on every metal thorn/Just a little blood of his own.” And I love Janiece’s wild calling of “Darkness!” as the track momentarily descends into chaos. That is an exciting moment. A gentle vibe emerges from that, and the track features some beautiful work on piano. It then builds from there, eventually getting wild again. This is a really interesting rendition, with some great work on drums. That’s followed by “Sweet Bird,” the third and final song chosen from The Hissing Of Summer Lawns. This one is about aging, the fading of beauty and power, about the brevity of youth, and the track contains some excellent work on piano, along with wonderful stuff on saxophone.
The album concludes with another of my favorite Joni
Mitchell songs, “The Circle Game,” another song of hers that sometimes brings
tears to my eyes. I think the first version I heard was that by Buffy
Sainte-Marie, for it was featured during the opening credits of the film of The Strawberry Statement (it’s a really
good movie, but an even better book). Janiece Jaffe’s vocal approach captures
the excitement of youth in those first lines. She changes some words later on,
going from “must appease him” and “his dreams” to “must appease them” and “their
dreams,” which is jarring because she was talking about a single person
(from what I understand, that person is Neil Young). The piano work after those
lines has a magical carousel feel, a nice touch. Janiece does it again in the
final verse, singing, “and now you know
they’re twenty” instead of “and now
the boy is twenty.” Those changes don’t work, but it’s still a good version,
and the track features a nice lead on bass. That is Peter Kienle on bass.
CD Track List
- Help Me
- Both Sides Now
- I Think I Understand
- River
- Don’t Interrupt The Sorrow
- My Old Man
- The Hissing Of Summer Lawns
- Sweet Bird
- The Circle Game
Both Sides Of Joni was released on March 31, 2023.
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