Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Enjoy some of the very best jazz music of the past century.  Shadows and Light – with Joni Mitchell – electric guitar, vocals, Pat Metheny – lead guitar, Michael Brecker – saxophone and Lyle Mays – keyboards, The Persuasions – vocal backup.  Recorded at the Santa Barbara County Bowl in September 1979 on the Mingus tour.  Video includes classic “camp” clips from James Dean films, and other vintage footage.

Shadows and Light  — lyrics by Joni Mitchell

Every picture has its shadows
And it has some source of light
Blindness blindness and sight
The perils of benefactors
The blessings of parasites
Blindness blindness and sight
Threatened by all things
Devil of cruelty
Drawn to all things
Devil of delight
Mythical devil of the ever-present laws
Governing blindness blindness and sight

Suntans in reservation dining rooms
Pale miners in their lantern rays
Night night and day
Hostage smile on presidents
Freedom scribbled in the subway
It’s like night night and day
Threatened by all things
God of cruelty
Drawn to all things
God of delight
Mythical god of the everlasting laws
Governing day day and night

Critics of all expression
Judges in black and white
Saying it’s wrong saying it’s right
Compelled by prescribed standards
Or some ideals we fight
For wrong wrong and right
Threatened by all things
Man of cruelty-mark of Cain
Drawn to all things
Man of delight-born again born again
Man of the laws the ever-broken laws
Governing wrong wrong and right
Governing wrong wrong and right
Wrong and right