While I was in Raleigh visiting my sisters, I picked up a copy of the "Independent Weekly", the local guide to movies, music, restaurants, etc. Much to my surprise there was an article called "Boomer Christmas: Tips for the Woodstockers on Your List", in which they reviewed releases from Hendrix, Dylan, and Joni. Also much to my surprise (and delight), the writer Joe Vanderford combined a review of Rachel Z's "Moon At The Window" in with his T'log review. (Les, let me know if you want me to mail the original to you).
Here is what he says: "Unlike Hendrix, Mitchell,now a dignified senior citizen, has the luxury of updating her resume every year or two with a new record. Her latest, Travelogue (Nonesuch) is an ambitious and luxurious double-CD retrospective, featuring a 70-piece orchestra, a 13-voice choir and vivid artwork by Mitchell herself both in the booklet and on disc. Charted by noted jazz arranger Vince Mendoza, the 22 cuts include both familiar tomes like "The Circle Game" and "Woodstock" (oh, the irony), as well as eclectic and carefully wrought sketches such as "Cherokee Louise". Start-to-finish, the music is lavish in detail and unerringly lovely. And, as a bonus, Mitchell is in fine voice. With A mature tone sculpted by cigarettes and time, she has become that solid jazz singer she has always wanted to be. Travelogue is also too much of a good thing. Too many instruments. Too many tunes played at dirge-like tempi. A palette of songs so chromatically saturated that the colors ooze rather than enlighten. Thank goodness for those whimsical respites by Wayne Shorter, Mitchell's constant musical companion over the last two decades, which provide sporadic relief from Mendoza's wall of sound. To a degree, the Shorter-Mitchell tandem's got a Laurel & Hardy flavor. The quintessential musical minimalist, Shorter portrays the trim Stan Laurel: an unassuming figure who says lots with small gestures. Sadly, the saxophonist's compact but piping soprano is not enough this time. Despite flashes of undeniable beauty, the package's prevailing mood of self-importance fatigues the ears. I prefer Joni-lite. Moon At The Window (Tone Center) by the Rachel Z Trio is a straight-up jazz-piano record with a crisp all-Mitchell repertoire. Like Travelogue, Moon's program glows with diversity, reflecting both the hits and obscurities worthy of re-interpretation. A flexible flyer who doubles as an art-rock princess in Peter Gabriel's band, Z possesses a deft touch and quick wit, enhancing the accessibility of old-school players like, oh, Vince Guaraldi (composer of the Peanuts soundtracks) with double-fisted, no-holds-barred improv. Fans suspicious of the glut of tribute records currently on the market, please lighten up: Moon is a first-class jazz disc by any standard, regardless of any association with the repertoire of St. Joan." Bob NP: Tom Waits, "Earth Died Screaming", Oakland CA 2.4.96
