The "Both Sides of Joni Mitchell" project was the product of a period of soul
searching during the COVID-19 summer of 2020. Janiece Jaffe started
listening closely to Joni Mitchell's music and lyrics with her jazz
vocalist ears and found truth and wisdom that inspired her and that she
wanted to share with the world to inspire others. She studied the words
more deeply and got the urge to re-imagine them in Jazz arrangements. "I
could almost 'Hear' them!"
Together with friend and
collaborator pianist/arranger Monika Herzig, they spent many summer days
of 2020 in the barn with keyboard and masks working out arrangements
and rediscovering Joni's music. The music was recorded with a stellar
group of musicians with a release date of March 2023.
Janiece
sadly left this world in November 2022, leaving her friend Monika to
continue sharing their project and music. Monika is joined by New York
jazz vocalist Alexis Cole in 2023. This program is funded in part by the
Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and Jazz Roads.