Product Description

'River' is an album of Joni Mitchell's work reinterpreted by jazz legend Herbie Hancock. Produced by Hancock and Larry Klein, the album features a plethora of guest vocalists, including Norah Jones, Tina Turner and Joni Mitchell herself. Includes the tracks 'Court And Spark', 'Edith And The Kingpin' and 'Sweet Bird'.

Track Listing

1. Court And Spark - Herbie Hancock, Norah Jones
2. Edith And The Kingpin - Herbie Hancock, Tina Turner
3. Both Sides Now - Herbie Hancock
4. River - Herbie Hancock, Corinne Bailey Rae
5. Sweet Bird - Herbie Hancock
6. The Tea Leaf Prophecy (Lay Down Your Arms) - Herbie Hancock, Joni Mitchell
7. Solitude - Herbie Hancock
8. Amelia - Herbie Hancock, Luciana Souza
9. Nefertiti - Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter
10. The Jungle Line - Herbie Hancock, Leonard Cohen

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1556 in Music
• Released on: 2007-10-01
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 68 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
On paper, River sounds like a match made in several versions of heaven. Legendary pianist Herbie Hancock re-imagines Joni Mitchell with his hand-picked, star-studded band--including saxophonist Wayne Shorter--in tow. Luminary guests lend vocals to a song apiece: Norah Jones ("Court and Spark"), Tina Turner ("Edith and the Kingpin"), Corinne Bailey Rae ("River"), Luciana Souza ("Amelia"), Leonard Cohen (with an unsettlingly sanguine version of "The Jungle Line"), even Mitchell herself ("Tea Leaf Prophecy"). In the event, though, a few fundamental elements go awry. Hancock plays with almost saccharine understatement throughout, and even Shorter's seminal "Nefertiti" and Duke Ellington's "Solitude" fall into the album's presiding, somnolent surface, though to a lesser degree does the instrumental version of Mitchell's "Sweet Bird." But girding, and in some measure, saving, the proceedings, the lyrics here testify to a subtler wisdom guiding Hancock's set list. The mix includes a continuum from intrepid classics to dusty, fans-only fare, but a distinct reverence for Joni Mitchell the Poet threads them together, and, in the end, this album works best as a sleepy window into one fan's giddy and particular love affair with his source material. Fans of Hancock win out. --Jason Kirk

Daily Telegraph, Seven
"truly inspired"

The Guardian
"sublime stuff"

Customer Reviews

This review is still incomplete
As the title states this review is incomplete. I will complete it very shortly but in the meantime I have to stress that buying this disc could never be a mistake simply due to the title track by Mr Hancock with Corinne Bailey Rae. Blimey, spine tingling stuff.

To be continued......

in the meantime , buy the album...

Why oh why did you put Cohen in it?
I agree with all the other reviews on the album , well nearly all . As my title says , why for Gods sake did H.Hancock and co put this has been in on what is a good listening album - but Leonard "let me open a vein to" Cohen on a Jazz album !!???? He can't sing - never could , never will , and the only reason that I can think of why he's on this album is because he's from Canada . The track is not "interesting" it's bloody awful and the producers should hang thier heads in shame .

quite brilliant
Wonderful playing from a great Herbie line-up (even Shorter gets lyrical) doing great justice to Joni's genius.