Complete credited cast: | |||
Joni Mitchell | ... | Herself - vocals, guitar | |
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Don Alias | ... | Himself - drums |
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Pat Metheny | ... | Himself - guitar |
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Jaco Pastorius | ... | Himself - bass |
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Lyle Mays | ... | Himself - keyboards |
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Michael Brecker | ... | Himself - sax |
The Persuasions | ... | Themselves - vocals | |
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Toller Cranston | ... | Himself - skates (archive footage) |
Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
Chuck Berry | ... | Himself (archive footage) | |
Amelia Earhart | ... | Herself (archive footage) | |
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Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers | ... | Themselves (archive footage) |
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Sherman Garnes | ... | Himself - Frankie Lyman and The Teenagers (archive footage) |
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Frankie Lymon | ... | Himself (archive footage) |
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Jimmy Merchant | ... | Himself - Frankie Lyman and The Teenagers (archive footage) |
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Joe Negroni | ... | Himself - Frankie Lyman and The Teenagers (archive footage) |
Documents Joni Mitchell's historic 1979 tour backed by an all-star band of jazz-fusion musicians. Filmed at Santa Barbara County Bowl and intercut with classic film clips and original footage to give visual interpretations of the music.
This is the most inspirational pop bass playing I have ever heard. Everybody thinks of Jaco as the king of jazz bass, but I don't think that's accurate. He was a better funk player than jazz player, and used both skills to be the most innovative bassist in pop (if that's what you want to call Joni Mitchell). Jaco was in peak form, without the crazed look in his eyes that is unsettling in the live laserdisc show from the early eighties, and without the pasty complexion, short hair, and extra 20 lbs. from the instructional video.
If anyone wants to learn to play bass the right way, try transcribing his lines on "In France They Kiss On Main St." It's worth the work.
Also, has Pat Metheny played any better than on this video? His tone was never better... Ditch the Ibanez!