Guide Note

River: The Joni Letters is the forty-seventh album by jazz musician Herbie Hancock. This is a tribute album to Joni Mitchell. Hancock was awarded a Grammy for "Album of the Year" and "Best Contemporary Jazz Album" at the 2008 50th annual Grammy Awards show.

Fast Facts

1. Genre: Jazz
2. Release date: September 25, 2007
3. Labels: Verve Records, Universal Records
4. Producers: Herbie Hancock, Larry Klein
5. Peak chart position: The Billboard 200 #5
6. Nominated for 2008 Grammy Awards "Album of the Year," "Best Contemporary Jazz Album," "Best Jazz Instrumental Solo"

1. "Court And Spark
2. "Edith And The Kingpin"
3. "Both Sides Now
4. "River
5. "Sweet Bird"
6. "The Tea Leaf Prophecy (Lay Down Your Arms)"
7. "Solitude"
8. "Amelia
9. "Nefertiti
10. "The Jungle Line"
11. "All I Want" Amazon Bonus Tracks
12. "A Case of You" Amazon Bonus Tracks
13. "Harlem in Havana" iTunes Bonus Tracks
14. "I Had a King" iTunes Bonus Tracks

"'To put it simply, River: The Joni Letters is a thing of wonder, though much like Mitchell’s own endeavors, its complexities have the potential for being elusive and difficult to grasp." - The Music Box

"Hancock doesn't have a history with singers, but on 'River: The Joni Letters,' he moves gently into interpreting the idiosyncratic compositions of Joni Mitchell. The featured vocalists are closer to the singer/songwriter than the jazz pianist." - Seattlepi.com

"The material here doesn't walk the line between pop and jazz -- something Hancock is very comfortable doing. This is a jazz record with vocals. The album's ten tracks are, for the most part, programmed for a vocal tune, followed by an instrumental." - Allmusic