Joni Mitchell - At Newport

Fans at America's Newport Folk Festival were stunned last Summer when legendary Canadian singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell suddenly made a surprise appearance in trademark beret and sunglasses. Mitchell went on to play her first full show for 20 years – a momentous return now immortalised on a new live album, ‘At Newport’. In the aftermath of a major brain aneurysm she suffered in 2015, Mitchell had been told never to expect to walk or talk – let alone sing – again. So this was quite a comeback! A key figure in LA's Laurel Canyon singer-songwriter scene in the late 1960s and 1970s, Mitchell remains a massive influence on subsequent music stars. Lana Del Rey, Ellie Goulding and St Vincent are amongst the scores of artists to cover her songs and even Madonna claims to be a major Mitchell fan. So, Mitchell, now 79, remains a huge presence on the international music scene. At the Newport event, a range of guests performed with her – including Marcus Mumford and Wynonna Judd. Mitchell performs romantic ballad ‘A Case Of You as a duet with Mumford but she is the central presence on many of her greatest songs, her voice holding up beautifully on ‘Both Sides’ - sung now with the wisdom of age rather than the innocence of youth! Early environmental protest song ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ is an ensemble piece but Joni Mitchell's is the dominant voice and she positively shines on a cover of George Gershwin's ‘Summertime’. On a version of 1974's ‘Just Like This Train’ Mitchell plays some spellbinding guitar using her non-standard tunings or “Joni's weird chords” as she calls them. It is often forgotten that Joni Mitchell was one of only two women (the other being Bonnie Rait) to ever feature in ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine's list of the world's 100 best guitarists. ‘At Newport’ is a stunning record – and it marks the remarkable and surprising new beginning of one of music's true greats!

Track Listing:-

1 Introduction by Brandi Carlile
2 Big Yellow Taxi
3 A Case of You
4 Amelia
5 Both Sides Now
6 Just Like This Train
7 Summertime
8 Carey
9 Help Me
10 Come in From the Cold
11 Shine
12 The Circle Game

Band Links:-

https://jonimitchell.com/
https://www.facebook.com/jonimitchell
https://twitter.com/jonimitchell

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Have a Listen:-

Profiles

Will You Take Me As I Am: Joni Mitchell’s Blue Period (2012)

Joni Mitchell - Will You Take Me As I Am: Joni Mitchell’s Blue Period

Lisa Torem is impressed by Michelle Mercer's extensively researched new book on Joni Mitchell, which examines her career between 1971 and 1976

Favourite Albums

Blue (2021)

In our 'Re:View' section, in which we look at albums from the past, Nick Dent-Robinson examines Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell’s classic 1971 album, ‘Blue’, which is being released in various 50th Anniversary editions, which include demos and out-takes.