With the end of summer comes different weather, different colors, and the need to unwind, relax and do things a little differently. Herbie Hancock (
www.herbiehancock.com), a master of doing things differently, will release his latest album, 'River: The Joni Letters'
on September 25.
The disc showcases a very different take on the music of folk-rock poet Joni Mitchell. Hancock teams with chanteuse Norah Jones for a rendition of Mitchell's beloved "Court & Spark," offering a perfect soundtrack for settling into the fall.
While 'River' exemplifies Hancock's inspiration through lyrics - something he's never done before - no other track on the album embodies the changing season in quite the same way as "Court & Spark." Hancock's brand of improvisational jazz paints a bright and cool tapestry, while Jones entrances with her hallmark warm, seductive vocal. Mitchell's heartfelt yet cool-headed words complete the composition.
Stream of "
Court & Spark"
Arranged and produced by Hancock with the legendary Larry Klein (Mitchell, Madeleine Peyroux, Brandi Shearer), 'River' explores a genre-less and more conversational approach to music - deriving arrangements from Mitchell's deep, moving lyrics, and adding yet another masterful layer to Hancock's complex and influential canon. In addition to appearances by Norah Jones and musicians Wayne Shorter, Dave Holland, Vinnie Colaiuta and Lionel Loueke, the album features vocal performances by Corinne Bailey Rae, Leonard Cohen, Luciana Souza, Tina Turner, and Mitchell herself.
