River: The Joni Letters is the forty-fifth studio album by American jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, released on September 25, 2007, by Verve. It is a tribute album featuring cover songs of music written by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell.
The album peaked at number five on the US Billboard 200, enjoying a huge post-Grammy winning sales boost. Upon its release, River: The Joni Letters received generally positive reviews from critics and earned several accolades, including Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Contemporary Jazz Album at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards. Hancock’s quintet for the album are saxophonist Wayne Shorter, guitarist Lionel Loueke, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta.
Tracks
1 Court and Spark (Joni Mitchell) 07:36
2 Edith and the Kingpin (Joni Mitchell) 06:33
3 Both Sides Now (Joni Mitchell) 07:39
4 River (Joni Mitchell) 05:27
5 Sweet Bird (Joni Mitchell) 08:17
6 Tea Leaf Prophecy (Joni Mitchell) 06:35
7 Solitude (Duke Ellington; Eddie DeLange; Irving Mills) 05:44
8 Amelia (Joni Mitchell) 07:28
9 Nefertiti (Joni Mitchell) 07:32
10 The Jungle Line (Joni Mitchell) 05:00
Musicians
| Bass | Dave Holland |
| Drums | Vinnie Colaiuta |
| Guitar | Lionel Loueke |
| Piano | Herbie Hancock |
| Sax | Wayne Shorter |
Other Musicians
1 Court and Spark
2 Edith and the Kingpin
4 River
6 Tea Leaf Prophecy
8 Amelia
10 The Jungle Line
Liner Notes
Producer – Herbie Hancock, Larry Klein
Arranged By – Herbie Hancock, Larry Klein
Engineer – Helik Hadar
Engineer (Assistant) – Brian Montgomery, Justin Gerrish, Wesley Seidman
Mastered By – Bernie Grundman
Mixed By – Helik Hadar
Artwork – William Attaway
Design – Philip Manning
Photography – Kwaku Alston
Mastered At Bernie Grundman Mastering
Mixed At Market Street
Recorded At Avatar Studios
Recorded At Ocean Way Recording
Recorded At 600Feet
Recorded At NJP Tonstudio
Phonographic Copyright The Verve Music Group
Copyright The Verve Music Group
