Joni Mitchell At 75: Trouble Is Still Her Muse
A beautifully written, deeply empathetic update on Joni Mitchell.
"This week, in honor of her 75th birthday, a two-night gala benefit for LA's flagship performing arts destination, the Music Center, was crafted by loving hands to make a space for Mitchell to inhabit, likely in silence, and hear her voice come alive through her friends and acolytes...At the conclusion of the second night of Joni 75, the moment many fans have been waiting for finally came. Mitchell was helped to the stage by two old friends and she stood, supported, as the evening's cast sang her 1970 bop "Big Yellow Taxi" and then blew out the candles of a birthday cake. She wore regal red and an outlaw's black hat. "She looks great!" people in the audience whispered giddily...More than just a photo op, Mitchell's appearance at Joni 75 — a moment that was troubled, in the best way — reflected the entire endeavor. As a fly on the wall at rehearsals for Joni 75, I watched the stars who participated overcome their own shivers as they took on songs that demanded they deploy their best resources. Here were old friends and collaborators, including Graham Nash, Chaka Khan, Kris Kristofferson and James Taylor, and more recent protégés, from Seal to Diana Krall. These were people who had recorded with Mitchell, hung out at her house or even lived with her. They've won awards for covering her songs and sung them every night on their own tours."
https://www.npr.org/2018/11/09/666148055/joni-mitchell-at-75-trouble-is-still-her-muse
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