One Jazz in conjuction with the Cambridge Jazz Festival presents Imogen Ryall Sings the Charles Mingus / Joni Mitchell Songbook on Friday, November 22nd, 2024 at Storey’s Field Centre, Cambridge. This night will be hosted by One Jazz’s Ruth Fisher.
Joined by her band, Imogen delivers a mesmerizing tribute to the magical union of two legendary artists, on a classic album, weaving in engaging stories and behind-the-scenes anecdotes.
Joni Mitchell’s 1975 album Mingus was the result of a 45-minute meeting, arranged by Charle Mingus’s wife, between Joni and Charles. At this time Joni was leaning into jazz much more than her previous output. Mingus was dying from motor neurone disease. Unable to play, he was bored, and his wife was keen to get him interested in something. Mingus sang the melodies into a tape recorder, chords were added by Sy Johnson, and Joni wrote the lyrics and organised the recording sessions. The band featured members of Weather Report, including bassist Jaco Pastorius and saxophonist Wayne Shorter plus Herbie Hancock.
Sadly, Charles Mingus died before the project was complete. To ensure enough material was ready for the album, Joni added a song of her own, Wolf. The album was cooly received by admirers of both musicians and now has a cult status, especially among younger musicians.
Line-up for the concert:
Imogen Ryall – vocals
Julian Nicholas – saxophones and whistle
David Beebee – piano
Nigel Thomas – bass
Eric Ford – drums
Buy your tickets here.