song: Twisted
artist: Joni Mitchell
album: Court and Spark (1974)
writers: Music by Wardell Gray (1949) / Lyrics by Annie Ross (1952)

vocals: Joni Mitchell
electric bass: Max Bennett
trumpet: Chuck Findley

(drums: John Guerin)

This is a note-for-note transcription of “Twisted”, the comedic closer on the album, including all the instruments (except the drums). The song was originally a Bebop tune composed by saxophonist Wardell Gray, titled “Twisted”, based on a 12-bar Blues, released in 1949. The tune was soon picked up by Jazz singer Annie Ross, who added six verses of lyrics, inspired by the title, and released it as a single in her own name in 1952. For these six verses, she selected the opening theme (1), doubled it (2), then Wardell Gray’s first saxophone solo (3–5), and then the closing theme (6). By the late-50s, Annie Ross had become a member of the vocalese trio, Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, and they recorded the song anew for their 1959 album, The Hottest New Group in Jazz. Joni Mitchell tells, in a 2022 interview by Elton John, that she fell in love with this album when she was young; and with the L.A. Express ensemble at hand during Court and Spark, she finally had the opportunity to do a cover. (The chords notated in my transcription I got from the 1959 version, transposed up.) It is quite interesting how the original composition has changed, like a game of telephone, from version to version. For instance, the keys of the four recordings have been Bb, then Bb again, then C, and finally Joni Mitchell the soprano took up it to D. Likewise, in verses 3–5, Joni Mitchell seems to be improvising based on Annie Ross’ version, which then develops it even further from the original solo. All this is the beauty of music history. Enjoy!