NEW YORK (Top 40 Charts/
Strings Attached Music) -
Strings Attached's new release "Back to the Garden - A Tribute to Joni Mitchell" features new arrangements of Joni's music with guest vocalists
Molly Venter, Suzanna Choffel, Jean Synodinos, and Libby Kirkpatrick.
When Will was researching music for the live concerts, he came upon a video on YouTube of Joni performing a song called My Favorite Color. The show was Let's Sing Out, a Canadian Folk TV Show hosted by Oscar Brand. The year was 1964, and Joni went by the name of Joan Anderson. In a moment that illuminates the time, Oscar Brand introduces the song as "One of the predominate movements now is towards the self written song - the person who sings his own songs".
During a time of struggle against racism and emergence from the great injustices of segregation and racial prejudice, young Joni Anderson presents us with a song where she tries to explain nature's variations in human skin color to a blind girl.
Even at this early stage of Joni's musical development, Will was struck by how much the music sounded like Joni. Her characteristic dissonance and use of outside harmonies in the guitar part was already present. Why not write an arrangement of this song he thought?
Both Will's version and the 1965 version can be heard on the Strings Attached website at https://stringsattached.org/store.php
The cd can be purchased online at https://stringsattached.org/store.php
The band for the performances:
Will Taylor: guitar, violin, viola
Michael Shay: cello
Laura Scarborough: piano
Steve Zirkel: bass, piano, trumpet
Jason McKenzie: percussion
Libby Kirkpatrick: vocals
Jean Synodinos: vocals
Molly Venter: vocals
Suzanna Choffel: vocals
Back to the Garden - A Tribute to Joni Mitchell with
Will Taylor and Strings Attached
Guests: Molly Venter
Suzanna Choffel
Jean Synodinos
Libby Kirkpatrick
Cover Art by Kim Bernson
Mandala Photo by Charla Wood
Studio Photos by Melanie Martinez
Recorded in August 2007 at Hideout Studios, Austin, TX (HideoutStudios.com)
Engineered and Mixed by Michael Hynes
Produced by Will Taylor with assistance from Michael Hynes
All Songs by Joni Mitchell
All Arrangements by Will Taylor with creative input from everyone involved, except where noted.
Mastering by Nancy Matter
Strings Attached on this adventure is:
Shawn Sanders: Cello
Will Taylor: Violin, Viola, Guitar
Steve Zirkel: Bass, Trumpet
Jason McKenzie: tabla, drums, and percussion
Dave Madden: Keyboard
1. Chelsea Morning with Molly Venter
Guitar: Dave Madden
2. My Favorite Color with Molly Venter
Bass: Michael Hynes
3. River with Molly Venter
4. Blue Hotel Room with Libby Kirkpatrick
Guitars: Will Taylor and Dave Madden
5. Both Sides Now with Molly Venter
arr. by Dave Madden
6. Dreamland with Suzanna Choffel
arr. by Don Alias
Percussion: Doug Marcis, Will Taylor, Stephen Zirkel, Shawn Sanders, Jason McKenzie
7. Carey with Suzanna Choffel
arr. by Stephen Zirkel
8. Woodstock with Libby Kirkpatrick
9. Coyote with Jean Synodinos
10. A Case of You with Molly Venter
11. Big Yellow Taxi with Suzanna Coffel
12. Hejira with Libby Kirkpatrick
