Yours truly dearly loves to keep up on today’s music scene. Indie, rock, blues, pop, bluegrass, alt-rock, shoe gaze, acoustic folk, I love it all. There are so many emerging artists – all the time – deserving of our investigation and attention.
Writing about artists from yesteryear, however, isn’t something I do that often.
I thought the time might be right to look back at one of music’s most iconic singer-songwriters.
I’m talking about beloved singer-songstress, the incomparable Joni Mitchell.
Lady of the Canyon
Born Roberta Joan Mitchell in Alberta, Canada, Mitchell rose to stardom in the 60s via the folk music circuit. She first made her home in Southern California’s Laurel Canyon, and over the years left a mighty, marvelous mark on the music industry.
Her hallmark: complex, sublime song arrangements accompanied by intimate, thought-provoking lyrics.
Among her most popular hit singles: “Big Yellow Taxi” (1970) (195 million spins on Spotify), and “Woodstock” (1970). She penned “Woodstock” in a New York City hotel room while watching the festival on television.
Joni Mitchell performing live, 1983. Photo by Capannelle
While some of her most popular tracks were written on piano, almost every song she’s written on guitar uses an open, or non-standard tuning. Alternative tunings allow guitarists to create accompaniments with more varied, complex textures.
In 2003, Rolling Stone named her 72nd greatest guitarist of all time.
Still, comparatively speaking, this is an artist deserving of far more awards and recognition than she’s received over the years. In fact, while researching Mitchell’s grammy history, it was disappointing to see how overlooked this amazing artist was – especially, during her prime.
I was fortunate to see Joni Mitchell live in concert on 3 separate occasions. As a young music aficionado and barely a teenager, I saw her perform live at the UCLA Campus in Los Angeles. Thanks to my “big sister” who alerted me to this goldmine opportunity!
At that show, Mitchell was warm and relaxed as she sang songs from her “Song to a Seagull” album. Talk about eye-opening! Her modesty coupled with her musical talent was a thrill to experience.
In later years I saw her perform a vibrant show at The Greek Theater alongside Tom Scott and the L.A. Express, and also, at the Santa Barbara County Bowl.
Holy Trinity
Mitchell released intimate, lushly produced “Blue” in 1979.
It was an instant success. In fact, David Crosby once remarked: “By the time she did Blue, she was past me and rushing toward the horizon.”
“Blue” was followed by “For the Roses” (1972) and “Court and Spark” (1974). Some fans refer to these albums as “The Holy Trinity.” The latter boasted hit singles “Help Me,” “Raised on Robbery” and the superlative “Free Man in Paris.”
“Court and Spark” was Mitchell’s first album to really showcase her interest in jazz and jazz fusion, which continued on her “The Hissing of Summer Lawns” and “Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter” albums.
The latter featured the lovely, complex, 16-minute “Paprika Plains.”
As an artist, Mitchell has always had the instinctual ability to see below the surface of things. She wrote an impressive, insightful poem, “The Goldfish” – about fame – at the tender age of sixteen.
Interestingly, she’s always seen herself as more of a painter than a musician. Yes, she produced or co-produced most of her albums, but she also did the impressive artwork for most of her album covers herself. She’s also stated she will take breaks when creating music…but not so much when painting.
Prolific Joni
The 1980’s saw the prolific musician record and release three albums: “Wild Things Run Fast,” “Dog Eat Dog” and “Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm.” The latter addressed societal issues and included “Lakota,” about the exploitation of the tribe and the tribe’s lands. She accepted an invitation from the Lakota Sioux to march with them to Mt. Rushmore in 1988.
Joni’s 15th album, “Turbulent Indigo”, above, won Joni a Grammy for Best Pop Album.
Fast-forward to 1994 and the release of “Turbulent Indigo.” This album earned Mitchell a Grammy for Best Pop Album. It included the brooding and powerful “Sex Kills”
She painted an amazing Vincent Van Gogh-style self portrait for the cover.
Discontent with the music industry
According to Wikipedia: “In a 2002 interview with Rolling Stone, she voiced discontent with the state of the music industry, describing it as a “cesspool.”
Today, Mitchell still holds the publishing rights to her own music.
A multitude of musicians – Harry Styles, Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, HAIM, Lorde, Jimmy Page, Madonna, Taylor Swift and more – have been influenced and inspired by her work.
Strong comeback
Tragically, Mitchell suffered a brain aneurysm rupture in 2015. Her rehabilitation required extensive physical therapy. Through grit and determination, she’s made an impressive recovery and to the delight of her fans, continues to show improvement.
Thanks to the encouragement of fellow musicians including singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile, Mitchell recently resumed giving occasional live performances.
In 2023, she played nearly three hours for fans at the Gorge Amphitheater and in the fall of last year, at The Hollywood Bowl.
She also performed at the Grammys for the first time last year, singing “Clouds.”
Joni’s Jazz
She has a new boxed set, Joni’s Jazz, coming soon. It’s a career-spanning collection that’s been years in the making.
The 8-LP vinyl box set arrives September 5th. It features live recordings, rare alternate takes and two previously unreleased demos.
Says her website: “As a self-portrait in sound, Joni’s Jazz captures an artist in conversation with jazz over a lifetime – never imitating, always inventing.”
Well, we could gripe and complain that Joni Mitchell deserved many, many more Grammys than she actually received. Because she does.
But let’s just do what she’d probably rather have us do while waiting for the new album: listen, and enjoy her music.
Full list of Studio Albums by Joni Mitchell:
Song to a Seagull (1968)
Clouds (1969)
Ladies of the Canyon (1970)
Blue (1971)
For the Roses (1972)
Court and Spark (1974)
The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975)
Hejira (1976)
Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter (1977)
Mingus (1979)
Wild Things Run Fast (1982)
Dog Eat Dog (1985)
Chalk Mark in a Rainstorm (1988)
Night Ride Home (1991)
Turbulent Indigo (1994)
Taming the Tiger (1994)
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