Herbie Hancock is one jazz pianist/composer who needs no introduction for when it comes to jazz music, his name always pops up and never goes unnoticed. He has recorded quite a number of jazz albums as a leader most notably his wonderful tribute to the timeless standards of George and Ira Gershwin entitled Gershwin's World. And not to mention his projects as a sideman to many jazz greats such as Miles Davis, Quincy Jones, Bobby Hutcherson, Hank Mobley, Wayne Shorter and Grant Green, to name but a few. For the record, he is one of the most honored jazz artists of all-time in terms of Grammy Awards, Academy Awards and other prestigious music awards.

"River: The Joni Letters" was recorded in 2007 under a prestigious jazz recording company, Verve Records. It is the winner for 2008 Grammy Awards for the most coveted "Album of the Year." So for fans of Herbie Hancock, this tribute recording to Joni Mitchell is a must-listen if they want to discover why it is an award-winning-album.

Here he is supported by some of the finest musicians in the jazz world namely: Wayne Shorter (soprano and tenor saxophone), Dave Holland (bass), Vinnie Colaiuta (drums) and Lionel Loueke (guitar). For a variety of vocal stylists, he has invited Joni Mitchell on "Tea Leaf Prophecy," Tina Turner on "Edith and the Kingpin," Norah Jones on "Court and Spark," Corinne Bailey Rae on "River," Luciana Souza on "Amelia" and Leonard Cohen on "The Jungle Line." To better experience and appreciate Mr. Hancock's piano artistry, listen closely to the purely instrumental ones: "Solitude," "Both Sides Now," "Nefertiti" and "Sweet Bird." The ingenious arrangements on all the tracks are written by Larry Klein and Herbie Hancock himself.

Jazz fans will surely enjoy Herbie Hancock's artistry on this winning album. For big fans of Mr. Hancock who are completists, it's a must-have.

Noel has commanded my attention in this soul stirring sernade. It has a subliminal message and only those who are in tune to who they are in the flesh and spirit I believe can understand the context of what Noel is conveying and had tapped into.

My Blessings Noel

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