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Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell as a musical artist, has been restlessly innovative, her music evolved from deeply personal folk styling into pop, jazz, avant-garde, and even world music, presaging the multicultural experimentation of the 1980s and 1990s by over a decade. Fiercely independent, her work steadfastly resisted the whims of both mainstream audiences and the male-dominated recording industry. While Mitchell's records never sold in the same numbers enjoyed by contemporaries, none experimented so recklessly with their artistic identities or so bravely explored territory outside of the accepted confines of pop music, resulting in a creative legacy which paved the way for performers in a broad range of genres to cover her songs.

Born Roberta Joan Anderson in Fort McLeod, Alberta, Canada, on November 7, 1943, she was stricken with polio at the age of nine; while recovering in a children's hospital, she began her performing career by singing to the other patients. After later teaching herself to play guitar with the aid of a Pete Seeger instruction book, she went to art school, and became a fixture on the folk music scene around Alberta. After relocating to Toronto, she married folksinger Chuck Mitchell in 1965, and began performing under the name Joni Mitchell.

A year later the couple moved to Detroit, MI, but separated soon after; Joni remained in the Motor City, however, and won significant press acclaim for her burgeoning songwriting skills and smoky, distinctive vocals, leading to a string of high-profile performances in New York City. There she became a cause célèbre among the media and other performers; after she signed to Reprise in 1967; David Crosby offered to produce her debut record, a self-titled acoustic effort that appeared the following year. Her songs also found great success with other singers: in 1968, Judy Collins scored a major hit with the Mitchell-penned "Both Sides Now," while Fairport Convention covered "Eastern Rain" and Tom Rush recorded "The Circle Game."

Thanks to all of the outside exposure, Mitchell began to earn a strong cult following; her 1969 sophomore effort, “Clouds,” reached the Top 40, while “Ladies of the Canyon” (’70) did better on the strength of the singles "Big Yellow Taxi," and "Woodstock," a major hit for Crosby Stills Nash & Young. The commercial and critical approval awarded her landmark 1971 record “Blue” was unprecedented: a luminous, starkly confessional set written primarily during a European vacation, the album firmly established Mitchell as one of pop music's most remarkable and insightful talents.

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Radio & Podcasts

Joni Mitchell, Daniel Villarreal, Anthony Wilson, Darcy James Argue & More

Read "Joni Mitchell, Daniel Villarreal, Anthony Wilson, Darcy James Argue & More" reviewed by Ludovico Granvassu


Unexpected returns, B-sides that sound as good as the A-sides, tributes to rock and folk heroes, Impulse! signing another key band of today's scene, Colorfield Records establishing itself even more as the label to follow... this and more on this week's edition of Mondo Jazz!Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Greg Joseph “Drop the Rock" Drop the Rock (Sunnyside) 0:16 Host talks 6:22 Daniel Villarreal “Sunset Cliffs" Lados ...

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Album Review

Joni Mitchell: Joni Mitchell at Newport

Read "Joni Mitchell at Newport" reviewed by Dave Linn


Just over a year ago, in July 2022, the internet was abuzz with the news that Joni Mitchell had performed at the Newport Folk Festival. After regular gatherings at Mitchell's home by various artists of a younger generation, who saw her as a major influence on their music, they decided to put their so-called “Joni Jam" live on stage. Audience videos of various quality circulated which led to the impression that the get-together, organized by singer Brandi Carlile, Marcus Mumford ...

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Radio & Podcasts

New Releases Plus A Birthday Celebration of Joni Mitchell and For The Roses

Read "New Releases Plus A Birthday Celebration of Joni Mitchell and For The Roses" reviewed by Mary Foster Conklin


This broadcast presents new releases from from violinist Susan Reed, vocalists Paul Marinaro, Sweet Megg, Caity Georgy and vibraphonist Patricia Brennan, with birthday shoutouts to Joni Mitchell (also celebrating the 50th anniversary of her release For The Roses), Janet Lawson, Bertha Hope, Ernestine Anderson, LaVern Baker, Miho Hazama, Carmen Lundy, Patricia Barber and Amanda Tosoff among others. Thanks for listening and please support the artists you hear by purchasing their music during this time of pandemic so they can continue ...

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Radio & Podcasts

New Releases and A Jazz Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Joni Mitchell's Blue

Read "New Releases and A Jazz Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Joni Mitchell's Blue" reviewed by Mary Foster Conklin


The broadcast presents new releases from Frankie Valli, saxophonist Jasmine Lovell-Smith, vocalist Noa Fort, guitarist Paul Silbergleit and trumpeter Colin Steele, with birthday shoutouts to Rhoda Scott, Melissa Walker and Tierney Sutton. In the second hour—a special jazz celebration for the 50th anniversary of Joni Mitchell's iconic album Blue. Thanks for listening and please support the artists you hear by purchasing their music.Playlist Rhoda Scott & Lady Quartet “I Wanna Move" from We Free Queens (Sunset-Sunside) 00:00 Ian ...

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Radio & Podcasts

New Releases and a Celebration of Joni Mitchell

Read "New Releases and a Celebration of Joni Mitchell" reviewed by Mary Foster Conklin


The autumn harvest of new releases continues with recordings by Alan Broadbent, Brandi Disterheft, Joel Ross, The Royal Bopsters, Mary Halvorson's Code Girl, Richard Baratta, Ian Hendrickson-Smith, Rebecca Hennessy, Tom Oren and Fred Hersch, with birthday shoutouts to Lauren Henderson, Sarah Jerrom, Kurt Elling, Patricia Barber, Kitty Margolis, Chris Connor and as always, Joni Mitchell. Thanks for listening and please support the artists you hear by purchasing their music during this time of lockdown.Playlist Alan Broadbent Trio “Struttin' ...

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Radio & Podcasts

Moon's Up, Night's Up - Taking the Town By Surprise

Read "Moon's Up, Night's Up - Taking the Town By Surprise" reviewed by Mary Foster Conklin


The annual celebratory broadcast for Joni Mitchell included an assortment of her songs by various jazz artists, plus new releases from Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, Norah Jones, saxophonist T.K. Blue, singer/poet Lisa B (Lisa Bernstein), and vibraphone artist Lolly Allen; also more birthday shout outs to Chris Conner, Betty Bryant (going strong at 90), Rene Marie, Gregory Porter, Kitty Margolis, guitarist Russell Malone, pianists Sue Palmer, Anne Sajdera and Patricia Barber, among others. Playlist Yoko ...

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Radio & Podcasts

Joni Mitchell Turns 75; Remembering Roy Hargrove

Read "Joni Mitchell Turns 75; Remembering Roy Hargrove" reviewed by Mary Foster Conklin


This post-election broadcast celebrates the new wave of women in the House and Senate -also remembering Roy Hargrove (1969-2018) in the second hour plus a special 75th birthday tribute to Joni Mitchell in the third hour. Playlist Roxy Coss “Nevertheless She Persisted" from The Future Is Female (Posi-Tone) 00:00 Ethel Ennis “If Women Ruled the World" from If Women Ruled the World (Savoy Jazz) 06:25 Jo Stafford “Sugar (That Sugar Baby O' Mine)" from Jo Stafford-Cocktail Hour (Columbia ...

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Recording

Jessica Molaskey: Joni Mitchell

Jessica Molaskey: Joni Mitchell

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

If you're a jazz singer who's going to take on a Joni Mitchell tribute album, you had better know what you're doing. To pull it off, you need a keen understanding of Joni's outlook on life and what makes her sophisticated music tick. As a singer, you must sound enough like her to stir the juices of her fans, but you can't simply mimic her recordings. You have to take Joni's music to another place without losing her fingerprints. Walking ...

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Recording

Laurie Antonioli Sings The Music Of Joni Mitchell On Her New Origin CD, Due August 19

Laurie Antonioli Sings The Music Of Joni Mitchell On Her New Origin CD, Due August 19

Source: Terri Hinte Publicity

Vocalist Laurie Antonioli delivers the most personal and soul-baring statement of her esteemed career with the release, on August 19, of Songs of Shadow, Songs of Light: The Music of Joni Mitchell. The CD, her first for the Origin label, finds the acclaimed Bay Area jazz singer returning with obvious passion and inspiration to her earliest musical influence. “Joni’s music is such a part of me, it’s like a second skin,” says Antonioli. “So is jazz, of course, but this ...

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Event

Edel Meade Sings Joni Mitchell At Odessa Club, Dublin, 13 Februaray

Edel Meade Sings Joni Mitchell At Odessa Club, Dublin,  13 Februaray

Source: All About Jazz

Few artists have shaped the landscape of popular music as much as Joni Mitchell. Her poetry, insight and originality have influenced so many that contemporary songwriting without her is unimaginable. Forty-three years after the release of Mitchell's landmark album, Blue (Reprise, 1971), award-winning singer and composer Edel Meade pays tribute to the legendary singer/songwriter with an exclusive headline performance at the Odessa Club Dame Court, Dublin 2. The talented young vocalist will be performing some of Mitchell's most treasured songs, ...

Performance / Tour

Joni Mitchell Tribute Concert - Marianne Matheny-Katz

Joni Mitchell Tribute Concert - Marianne Matheny-Katz

Source: The Phillips Agency

Award winning Baltimore jazz vocalist Marianne Matheny-Katz presents an evening of Joni Mitchell tunes at The Carlyle Club on Thursday, November 7. The event marks the 70th birthday for Mitchell who began her career as a solo folk singer/songwriter and grew into an internationally respected jazz and pop musician and composer. For this show many tunes are re-worked as straight ahead jazz arrangements, but with enough of the original melody intact to please nostalgic Joni Mitchell fans. Among the show ...

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Event

Back To The Garden: The Artistry Of Joni Mitchell, Featuring Paula Cole And Music Directed By Terri Lyne Carrington

Back To The Garden: The Artistry Of Joni Mitchell, Featuring Paula Cole And Music Directed By Terri Lyne Carrington

Source: Berklee Public Relations

Berklee College of Music presents Back to the Garden: The Artistry of Joni Mitchell, a play with music and dance about the life and work of the iconic artist, written and performed by Berklee students. Back to the Garden will be performed at Berklee on May 3 with featured guest, Grammy Award-winning alumna Paula Cole, and music directed by Grammy Award-winning alumna Terri Lyne Carrington. The production is directed by Associate Professor Rebecca Perricone. Back to the Garden: The Artistry ...

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Recording

Red Llama Recording Artist Kevin Sandbloom Reinterprets Joni Mitchell's Historic "Blue"

Red Llama Recording Artist Kevin Sandbloom Reinterprets Joni Mitchell's Historic "Blue"

Source: Chris M. Slawecki

One of the most notable aspects of the seventies was the sheer number of epic recordings. Red Llama recording and touring artist Kevin Sandbloom has announced plans to release his interpretation of one of the most critically acclaimed LP's from the era: Joni Mitchell's 1971 Blue album. With plans to release the album this year, Sandbloom plans to capture the spirit of the album while infusing it with a fresh modernity.

“Joni Mitchell is hands down one of the greatest ...

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Recording

Netherlands-born singer/songwriter Elisabeth Geel releases new Joni Mitchell-influenced CD

Source: Lauren Rogers

The siren call of Elisabeth Geel is no myth. It is rooted in the waking world of reality even though its ethereal beauty transcends the mundane existence of everyday living. On her latest release, Preface to a Dream, the Netherlands-born singer/songwriter finds poetry in the art of jazz and romance in the dimly-lit skies of heartache. It is told from the eyes of a woman who has been wounded yet still perseveres, always questioning the situations around her but holding ...

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Music Industry

Joni Mitchell: Bob Dylan a 'Plagiarist' And 'Fake'

Joni Mitchell: Bob Dylan a 'Plagiarist' And 'Fake'

Source: All About Jazz

Mitchell: “Dylan's a fake. Bob is a deception." Don't compare Joni Mitchell to Bob Dylan! The musician shared some strong opinions when the L.A. Times talked to her about him. Joni Mitchell is having trouble seeing both sides now when it comes to Bob Dylan. Most music fans consider the twosome among the most influential and seminal artists of the last 50 years, and place Dylan at the absolute pinnacle of the singer/songwriter pantheon. Mitchell does not hold him in ...

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Performance / Tour

Its a Joni Mitchell Concert, Sans Joni

Its a Joni Mitchell Concert, Sans Joni

Source: Michael Ricci

Actor and performance artist John Kelly channels the iconic singer-songwriter in his tribute show, Paved Paradise: The Art of Joni Mitchell. Even the real Mitchell is a fan.

“People used to say nobody can sing my songs but me they're too personal," Joni Mitchell explained last week during a rare interview. Apparently, nobody told John Kelly not to try adapting her songs. The renowned Obie Award-winning actor and performance artist has been belting out Mitchell's songs for more than 20 ...

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Interview

Joni Mitchell, Jazz Musician

Joni Mitchell, Jazz Musician

Source: Michael Ricci


Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

The Studio Albums...

Asylum Records
2012

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Shine

Hear Music
2007

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River: The Joni...

Verve Music Group
2007

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Songs Of A Prairie...

Asylum Records
2005

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Dreamland

Asylum Records
2004

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