The Hissing of Summer Lawns   Joni Mitchell (1975)   Asylum Records

“In France They Kiss on Main Street”, “The Jungle Line”, “Edith and the Kingpin”, “Don’t Interrupt The Sorrow”, “Shades of Scarlett Conquering”, “The Hissing of Summer Lawns”, “The Boho Dance”, “Harry’s House/Centerpiece”, “Sweet Bird”, “Shadows and Light”

Graham Nash, David Crosby and James Taylor all contribute background vocals.   Taylor, Robben Ford, Jeff Baxter, Larry Carlton on guitar.   Victor Feldman, Joe Sample on keyboard.   Max Bennett and Wilton Felder, bass.   Chuck Findley and Bud Shank, horns.   Plus the Warrior Drums of Burundi on “The Jungle Line”.   Fun fact: the Burundi drums on this track were sampled on the Beastie Boys ‘B-boy Bouillabaisse’ from Paul’s Boutique

The follow up to Court and Spark, Joni’s most commercially successful album, Summer Lawns saw her risking new-found success with an edgier, experimental and adventurous album (and perhaps rock’s first dabbling in World Music?)   Critically scorned at the time, its now much loved as one of Joni’s most brilliant, personal artistic statements.

(47 votes, average: 3.49 out of 5)

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“Gorilla in the Garden” (and Bryon Melcher)   Replica Records

(50 votes, average: 3.92 out of 5)

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“Ternura”   Phil Green and his Orchestra   Coral Records     (Her hand looks messed up and she has bad skin)

(37 votes, average: 3.14 out of 5)

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Illustration by New Yorker cartoonist William Steig who did others in the Epic In Jazz Series.   Here’s “Lester Leaps In” and other swing classics by The Count Basie Orchestra with “the Pres” Lester Young.

(50 votes, average: 4.14 out of 5)

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The World Beyond Death   A Sermon by Harold Henniger

(48 votes, average: 3.77 out of 5)

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Another nice illustration of Lamartine on the same Copacabana label from Brazil

(42 votes, average: 3.43 out of 5)

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“Noites De Junho”   com Lamartine Babo   Sinter Records

(31 votes, average: 3.61 out of 5)

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“Cool Prose For Kats”   Ric Records

(42 votes, average: 3.83 out of 5)

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“Season of Lights” Laura Nyro in Concert.   Columbia Records   (1976)   Cover art by Rokuro Taniuchi.   Originally conceived as a double live album,   the full set is finally now available as a Japanese CD release.   The band included jazz players John Tropea, Richard Davis, and Mike Mainieri that had performed on Nyro’s then-current studio album ‘Smile’.   I saw her at Tanglewood in Massachusettes on June 26, 1976 (Section 4, Row D, Seat 21) on this “comeback” tour and some of the songs from that night’s show are included on this album.

(31 votes, average: 2.87 out of 5)

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