I was doing some research for tomorrow’s Morning Music. What I wanted was to find a live version of Joni Mitchell doing the song “Twisted.” It’s an interesting song. It is based upon a saxophone solo by Wardell Gray in a session with Al Haig. Annie Ross took the solo and molded it into the classic song we all know today. But since I couldn’t find a Mitchell version of the song, I went searching for Bette Midler because I knew she did it on her self-titled album.

All I could find was a version of the song that Midler did with Rosie O’Donnell on her show. It’s not exactly a great version, but it’s fun. I seem to be one of the few people on the planet who likes O’Donnell. I don’t know what it is about her, but far too many people have an attitude toward her. Whatever. But as she will admit, she isn’t a great singer. She does, however, make up for it with a raw love for music that many greater musicians would be well served to copy.

But the real reason I knew I had to share this clip is the guy at the piano: Marc Shaiman. What the hell was he playing piano for a daytime talk show? The only reason I know what he looks like is that years ago I watched Broadcast News and he played one of the composers who come into the studio to preview the new theme. It turns out that Shaiman has worked with Midler a lot. Anyway, here it is: