October 20, 2001

Posted October 20, 2001

2:19 AM: I'm just dragging my sorry self into the hotel, hoping I can calm down enough to sleep after what was one of the most exhilarating evenings I've spent in a long time.

I was more than ready for the hommage program tonight at Toronto's Harbourfront "World Leaders" festival after seeing Joni receive her star on Canada's "Walk of Fame" this afternoon, and we were treated an evening of stunning surprises. Nobody expected Joni to be on stage tonight for an extended period. She wasn't scheduled to perform. We were all looking forward to just enjoying a few words from her after what turned out to be a meticulously-planned, entertaining presentation. But we got much more than we bargained for. At the end of the program, Joni walked onstage to a thundering ovation, sitting for a casual, intimate interview-style conversation, talking mostly about her life and creative process; then it happened. Joni gave an already enthralled audience a very special surprise gift, taking us along with her on an up to the minute walk down her visionary path. She offered us a choice: "I'm a lttle rusty, but I could improvise on the piano for a little bit. Or," gesturing toward a boombox on the stage, "I got the demos from my new orchestral project and we could just graze." (For those you who may not have heard, Joni has been planning a new CD with orchestral versions of her own material for some time.)

What?? We have to CHOOSE?

I didn't know what to do, but the calls for her to improvise live on the piano won out. Joni started to play after a few words about her recent experimentation with unusual chord structures, recalling how she'd worked similarly when she recorded "Paprika Plains": "There's no such thing as a wrong chord." Watching Joni improvise from her heart was an awe-inspiring experience. Tentative for a moment, moving into a beautiful flow as the newborn idea developed, then tentative again, then flowing as the next musical idea started to take shape.

But wait, there's more! Turns out we didn't have to choose after all. During the wild applause that followed her piano improv, Joni headed for the boombox and pushed the button.

I'm surprised at how good a big orchestra can sound through an amplified boombox, but the real story is Joni singing along live on excerpts from seven songs. Although she didn't do any of the songs all the way through (she came close on a few), she gave the audience a big taste of what's to come for each of them before she fading the volume down and fast forwarding from one song to the next. She was in great voice, rich, soulful, committed. Songs Joni previewed: "The Circle Game," "Be Cool," "Borderline," "Cherokee Louise," "Coyote," "For the Roses," and "Slouching Toward Bethlehem." This is going to be one incredible CD, folks.

I'll write more about this very special evening with Joni soon. And I'll have some great photos from the event that I can't wait to show you!