Typical, you wait five years for an album of Joni Mitchell songs and then three turn up. First there was A Tribute to Joni Mitchell in April, with covers by Björk, Prince and Elvis Costello. Now Mitchell has come out of retirement herself with Shine – a fine return (once you’ve grown used to her new penchant for Eighties synth sounds). But perhaps most striking of the trio is Herbie Hancock’s River – The Joni Letters. Striking because the former Miles Davis pianist and writer of Rockit, who has not recorded much of interest lately, coaxes such compelling performances from his cast of star singers – including Norah Jones, Corinne Bailey Rae and Tina Turner. Mitchell herself reprises The Tea Leaf Prophecy and Leonard Cohen growls through The Jungle Line.

What inspired Hancock to make his album? Seated in his London hotel suite, he says: “I have this amazing respect for Joni – a real renaissance person. She recently wrote a ballet, she has directed film, she’s a wonderful painter and writes amazing poetry. She’s very socially conscious and environmentally aware.” The pair are old friends in LA. “She was my ‘date’ twice going to parties at Prince’s home. Prince adores Joni, worships the ground she walks on, so when we walked in the door, his mouth just fell open.”

Hancock used a core team of Wayne Shorter on saxophones, bassist Dave Holland and Vinnie Colaiuta on drums – and as a result the album has a focus and cohesion that the uneven A Tribute to Joni Mitchell lacks. “I heard that Joni didn’t like that album very much and I heard she likes this one [ River] very much.”

Well he would say that. But it’s a fair bet that Hancock’s carefully nuanced efforts will turn up in critics’ best-of-the-year lists. Tina Turner’s performance on Edith and the Kingpin will be a revelation to those who have her typecast as an R&B shouter. “I went over to her home in Switzerland for her to record that. People haven’t heard her sound like that. She’s subtle, classy and sophisticated. She really sings.”

Mitchell’s tune is a tribute to her mother, telling the story of how a fortune teller predicted her marriage. “Joni recorded it before but she changed her mother’s first name. But her mother passed away this January – and this time she uses her real name.”

The album was easier to make because Mitchell’s music has a lot of jazz in it, says Hancock – and not just the consciously “jazzy” albums such as Mingus. “Right from the start she had chords with 9ths and 13ths, strange flattened fifths in the melodies . . . She’s always been close to jazz. She was very affected by Billie Holiday when she heard her as a child.”

Hancock, now 67, has been recording for more than 40 years but the River sessions were an education. “Joni’s genius is with words – and that’s a challenge for an instrumental musician who has never really paid attention to lyrics.” Hancock chuckles. “Before this, I probably knew the lyrics to two songs.”

River – The Joni Letters is out on Universal

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