River isn't some Supernatural-styled compromise that puts unit sales over art, for several reasons. First of all, Hancock's list of Mitchell songs were chosen more for how they fit his own complex piano stylings, not for how well-known the songs themselves are. Even the one obvious choice "Both Sides Now" sounds nothing like the original. Secondly, Herbie is not a sideman on his own record. His piano shares lead voice with the singer and even if one were to strip out the vocal tracks, the songs still work; it sounds more like instrumental advanced bop with vocals, not vocal jazz. Several of the selections are entirely instrumental, anyway. Thirdly, the vocalists themselves work well with the complex structures that Hancock creates (including Joni herself, who had once worked with Charles Mingus, after all). Tina Turner deserves special mention for her turn in "Edith And The Kingpin;" she showed a lot of sophisticated phrasing and control that her voice isn't normally known for.
Still, it's the playing that I like the most about this record. Hancock is backed superbly by Dave Holland, Vinnie Colaiuta, and Hancock's longtime saxophone partner, Wayne Shorter. When they take a break from Joni's compositions to tackle Shorter's own "Nefertiti," it turns out to be possibly the best rendition of that classic tune aside from Miles Davis' original recording of it since Holland's and Chick Corea's abstract take around 1970.
River is no match for Hancock's Blue Note output but unlike Future Shock, it's a fine segueway into it.
"Quickies" are mini-record reviews of new or upcoming releases. Some albums are just that much more fun to listen to than to write about.
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
i never lost track of Joe Jackson. some of his most amazing material (Laughter and Lust and Blaze of Glory) came out when, sadly, nobody was listening.
i like the new one, but my ears miss the guitar (yeah, i would think like that)
2 - Pico
Yeah, I did say "Joe eventually lost me (and many others)" but fortunately, you're not like many others. His nineties output didn't connect with me but I didn't give them a lot of spins. Maybe they just need time to sink in. On the other hand, I liked Rain right away.
3 - Glen Boyd
Jackson's always been a superb songwriter. It just got kind of hard to follow him during that stretch where he wasdoing one "vanity project" (I know how Saleski loves that phrase) after another. "Blaze Of Glory" was definitely a great one, but for me "Night And Day" remains his finest moment -- and "Steppin Out" is about as perfectly constructed a dance-pop tune as it gets.
He's playing here In Seattle and I'm still on the fence about getting tickets. Maybe this new one will help me make up my mind.
-Glen
4 - Pico
Glen, here's a YouTube on the first cut from Rain, "Invisible Man," performed live. Sounds just like the studio version.
clicky clicky
5 - SFC SKI
You could at least mention that Joe Jackson has kept Graham Mabe as his bass player throughout his career, and Mabe's basslines have provided the overt or subtle hook that makes Jacson's songs so much more than simple backdrops for his fantastic lyrics.
6 - Glen Boyd
Graham Maby is definitely overlooked as a bass player...
-Glen