November 27, 2000

Posted November 27, 2000

Joni's song "River" became a plot device on the Fox series "Ally McBeal" tonight. Reflecting sadly on his Christmas experience as an absent father, actor Robert Downey Jr.'s character sang a slightly raspy, heartfelt first verse of what perenially worried Ally later called a "hugely depressing song," in a pitch that may have been just a little too high. The complete song is included on the recently released A Very Ally Christmas CD, which for the most part includes lighter fare like "Santa Baby" and "Santa Claus Got Stuck in the Chimney."

"Robert has been making demos for years, but I don't believe he's ever had a record deal," said resident diva Vonda Shepard in an interview earlier this month. "I did 'White Christmas' with him, and he did this great Joni Mitchell song, '[The] River' for the album. He has a really soulful, passionate voice... it sounds deep, kind of a little gruff, with a depth to it. He's like a real singer, and he's got a lot of emotion."