Hejira
(Joni Mitchell)
Chris Jeffries, Piano
Brandon Romans, Guitar
Some songs you want to reinterpret and other songs you want to live inside of just as they are, in an attempt to walk a specific emotional path of the artist inside of a lyric and a tone. That is what this cover is, I just want to walk side by side with Joni Mitchell. Listen to Joni, listen to Joni, listen to Joni. I loved living inside of what she made, like some grateful daughter of a genius mother.
To create that wonderful Jaco Pastorius fretless bass sound, Branden Romans brings his warm-toned, looping guitar. Branden is theatre family and is an actor, a potter and the long-time partner of friend and theatre-maker Imogen Love.
Chris Jeffries and I wanted to add a depth of sound to our music collaborations, and we really wanted to play “Hejira” live. Branden brought all his tasty choices to our live sets, and we all feel in a trance when we are inside of “Hejira” in front of a live audience. It is a jazz ramble, a monologue as much as a song and I wanted to try and capture that ephemeral journey, the exodus of the song’s title.
Branden and Chris, two of my favorite people to play with. All of us musicians and theatre people.
If you have not gotten into any late 1970’s/early 80’s Joni Mitchell where she starts to go head-long into the experimental jazz world, this is some of my favorite music of that era. This is Joni’s live concert which became her Shadows and Light double album. She plays with the most insane band; Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, Don Alias, Lyle Mays, and Michael Brecker. I never get tired of hearing and seeing this live show and I want a pair of those pedal pusher pants in green!