The night belongs to the young in body and in spirit - and we plan more late night raves of the world-ethno-spirit type. Perhaps we can find some Irish/ Japanese/ Lancashire type folk groups - and who is to say, "that’s not folk!” But don't worry Old Folkies- point taken, wheels are in motion- Folk Festival it shall remain.

The venue is the best yet - and the music gets better and better - Old stalwarts turn up in new combinations, with fresh material. It was a pleasure to see and hear the return of old friends such as Sandy Cash, and of the Neiger Twins, after several years’ absence. New voices such as Marianna Navon, and the Duo Mujango are worth watching for - I know we'll see more of them. But here I go – everyone deserves a mention - and there isn't room - so let's just say a big thank you to all who helped mold this year's Jacob's Ladder into Israel's own folk festival to be proud of.

It may be a global village with distances getting smaller...but it's still about 150 km from Sde Boker to Jerusalem. So Margo (from Meitar) and I had the first official meeting of the Southern branch of the Israel Dulcimer Society at her home the week of May 24^th. We plan to alternate between our houses, every 2 weeks. If there is anyone else out there who has a dusty dulcimer and would like to join us and enlargen our circle, please contact me 08-6532080 or email: laurie@boker.org.il

Just recently the Jerusalem Folk Club held a Canadian night consisting of songs of, about, for and by Canadians. You won't be surprised to learn that Joni Mitchell's songs dominated the evening more than Gordon Lightfoot, Ian and Sylvia, or even Leonard Cohen, the last of whom not one song was performed. Two participants asked me to accompany them as they performed a variety of her songs. Accordingly, I did a considerable amount of homework learning the exact chords. In the end I had Joni Mitchell coming out of my ears. This caused me to engage in some serious reflecting awhy Joni Mitchell is so popular among performing folk artists and will afford me the opportunity to tell you what I like, and do not like about Joni Mitchell. But I'm ahead of myself. Let me start with some personal musical and cultural background. I spent much of my youth in Israel. I listened to music, all music, where and when I could, meaning Israel radio and the BBC World Service.I had no money to buy records and the albums I somehow procured were few and far between. Most of what I heard was Rock. Initially I was able to hear "traditional" American folk music, such as the Weavers and Woody Guthrie. But most of the modern, youth-oriented and new music of the Sixties was not to be heard in Israel other than Dylan and Peter Paul and Mary. Indeed, the so-called singer/songwriters only began to be noticed to any degree from 1970 on. In short, a lot of the music, which many readers of this newsletter grew up with and take for granted, was unknown to me..

So it was that in December of 1968, my roommate at HU received a cassette from America. One side had a Cream album on it, and the other contained an album which, said the sender, was called Out of the City and Down to the Sea or something like that. I listened and was captivated. I didn't know anything about the artist, indeed I didn't even know she was a foreigner. She sounded so young and vulnerable, yet so wise. Her voice sounded beautiful to me. I had never heard anyone play guitar quite like her, where the instrument and musician were one. The melodies were outstanding, each and every- one. I had no lyrics sheets, of course, and Mitchell does not always enunciate clearly on this record. Yet I instinctively knew that I was in the presence of a supremely gifted poet. The inability to under- stand only heightened the intrigue. Soft, blurry, images that somehow left a profound impression of existence. Yet somehow, I could understand just enough to make personal connections, a phenomenon common to many Joni Mitchell lovers. For instance, the song Cactus Tree reminded me far too much about a young lady whom I loved, who was far away from me, and who was busy being free because she was afraid that I might ask her for eternity. It was unlike anything I'd ever heard, and I genuinely loved it. Justifiably or not, it became the standard upon which I was to judge her subsequent work. I asked my friends about her. Nobody knew anything. Visitors from America mentioned her. I eventually learned that she had been associated in some manner with Stills (of Crosby, S. Nash & Young fame). But that was it. I was not exposed to any more of her work until 1970. At some point during that year, one of her songs, Big Yellow Taxi, made the British charts. Later that year, the movie Woodstock was released and it transpired that she had written the theme. I didn't actually hear her version until the following year, when her album, Ladies of the Canyon, fell into my hands.

What did I think of it? By and large I was impressed. Several songs struck me as masterpieces such as Playing Real Good for Free. Some, such as the aforementioned Taxi seemed trite. Circle Game rubbed me the wrong way. I was twenty at the time, and I thought a twenty year old taking stock of his/her life was really chutzpah. But beyond all that, Mitchell's voice had changed. It was higher, younger perhaps, much more fragile. She was less Bohemian and more hip. Many of the songs were overtly more personal. The instrumentation was composite, with pianos and flutes and vocal harmonies. In short, she was evolving. This, in and of itself didn't bother me at the time. In fact I was pleased that Joni Mitchell was reaching out toward the main stream.. Later in 1971, I heard about the Blue album, but I didn't get a chance to listen to it until much later. Over the years I heard snatches of songs and albums: Help Me, Turn Me On I'm A Radio, Court and Spark, etc. I heard Rock elements creeping into her music. And then, while living in Boston in 1978, I bought Don Juan's Reckless Daughter, a double album, with great anticipation and was very disappointed. The whole thing seemed garbled, no clear message or refrain, music and musicianship of an indifferent nature, and worst of all, a voice that no longer possessed the purity of earlier work. To me at least, this album did not speak.

I have not been a religious buyer of Joni Mitchell's later work, but I have heard snatches. The trend continued. As she passed in and out of Jazz, my disillusionment increased. Finally, the point was brought tragically home this year, when Diane Kaplan and Ada Moriel sent me a tape containing a very recent recording of Joni Mitchell performing her much loved song, Both Sides Now, or is it Clouds. It was pitiful. Her voice had been reduced to a hoarse rasp, accompanied by synthesized noise. I just couldn't stand it.

Now I am well aware of objections that could be raised to my perceptions of Joni Mitchell's work. For instance, is it not unfair to hold an artist to a standard set at the very outset of her career? Is not any artist entitled to grow, to evolve and experiment? Isn't it possible that my view is skewed due to my lack of familiarity with all of her work? Does my gender have any bearing on my views? These are legitimate and reasonable questions and they deserve reasoned answers. Unfortunately I don't have such answers. I concede on all the question especially the latter, as I know many women whom Joni Mitchell has touched and strongly affected. I know many people of my generation who regard Both Sides Now and the Circle Game as hymns reflecting their very existence. I would be the last to make light of these feelings. The plain truth is that when one thinks of Canadian folk music, Joni Mitchell comes first to mind. No one can take that achievement away from her, and far be it from me to try.

And yet, I can't help but make comparisons. I think of many artists who have played, sung, performed, grown and evolved over the course of time. I think of those who somehow kept their evolution in context. I think of those many artists who have aged gracefully, who have learned to put aside aspects which may no longer be relevant. I think of those for whom experimentation was not an end in itself but rather a means. Let us name names. Gordon Lightfoot and Leonard Cohen have evolved, experimented and have grown older. But they have done so in the framework which endeared them to us in the first place. Can we really say that about Joni Mitchell?

That is why Joni Mitchell will forever symbolize something young and beautiful, gifted and expressive, which alas, was all too fleeting.

"We can't return, we can only look behind from where we came."

Protocol - Meeting of the I.F.S. Board - June 15, 2001, Jerusalem

Present: Marc Gittelson, Laurie Ornstein, Cecile Panzer, Larry Gamliel, Carol

**Sandy Cash's new CD, EXACT CHANGE, is available for 60 NIS, plus 15 NIS shipping (per order). Send a check, along with your name and shipping information to P.O. Box 1639, Bet Shemesh, 99522. For more information, call Sandy at (02) 991-9686 or contact her at: sandycash@bigfoot.com

**DAY OF REST -- Rahel Jaskow's new CD. Unique renditions of traditional andslightly off-the-beaten-track Sabbath songs. NIS 65 plus NIS 10 postage. Contact Rahel Jaskow, 41/13 Hezkiahu HaMelech, Jerusalem 93190 or rjaskow@actcom.co.il