Joni Mitchell

With her 1974 masterpiece Court and Spark, Joni Mitchell transforms from folk singer into something harder to define. Her piano playing matures. Her songwriting blossoms into one of the richest harmonic and melodic color palettes we've ever heard up to this point. Not to mention her incredible lyricism and melodies. And she brings a new production sensibility from her backing band: a group of jazz musicians called The LA Express. In this episode of You'll Hear It, Jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin break down Joni Mitchell's greatest artistic achievement (and her greatest commercial success) track-by-track. You'll never hear Court and Spark the same way again ------------------------------- Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs: https://openstudiojazz.com/ ------------------------------ Blue: https://youtu.be/ly6ENKGV-S8 ------------------------------ About You'll Hear It: In this popular music series, Adam and Peter break down the greatest albums of all time. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell, D'Angelo: Jazz is the foundation of the most GENIUS music in recent history. These seasoned jazz pianists bring their deep musical knowledge to every joyful episode to help you hear the hidden qualities that make music AMAZING. You'll never hear music the same way again. ------------------------------- Sign up for the You'll Read It newsletter for little known stories about the artists you love: https://youllhearit.com/newsletter ------------------------------- 00:00 Court and Spark - Joni Mitchell 00:32 New From Open Studio 03:37 Joni's Sound Before Court and Spark 10:04 Joni Starts Hanging Out With Jazz Musicians 11:07 🎧 "Court and Spark" - Alluding To An Epic 15:25 Three Songwriters in One, At the Highest Level 15:57 🎧 "Help Me" - Joni DELIVERS 19:09 🎧 "Free Man In Paris" 22:02 🎧 "Midnite Flite" - Tom Scott and The LA Express 23:25 🎧 "People's Parties" 25:55 🎧 "The Same Situation" 28:05 Joni's Lyrical Prowess 31:38 🎧 "Car On A Hill" 34:31 🎧 "Down To You" - A Perfect Song 39:54 Joni's Vocal Instrument 42:17 🎧 "Just Like This Train" - A MASTERCLASS In Lydian Mode 45:32 🎧 "Raised on Robbery" - What Genre Is This?! 48:09 🎧 "Trouble Child" 49:52 🎧 "Twisted" - The Only Cover On the Album 53:55 Desert Island Tracks 55:42 Best Moments On Court and Spark 57:13 How Snobby Is This Album?

本期「耐嚼Radio」，我们从 Joni Mitchell 的神级单曲 《A Case of You》 入手，通过对不同时期、不同版本、不同艺术家的“考古”，复盘这首民谣神曲长达 55 年的生命轨迹。 本期亮点 从 Demo 到神作：一次“新女性”的文字打磨： 通过逐段对比 1970 年的 Demo 版与正式版，解析 Joni 如何剔除笨拙的“航海隐喻”，加入“蓝色电视光”的冷调滤镜，将一段私人情感升华为极具穿透力的“新女性自白”。那句“画了两遍你的脸”，如何将普通情歌拉入极度私密的女性凝视之中？ 拒绝平庸翻译：这首歌不叫“你的点滴”： 中文互联网常将歌名译为《你的点滴》，这是对 Joni 的矮化。“Case”是量词（“踩箱喝”），Joni 要的不是悲伤的回忆，而是吞下整箱往事后，依然清醒地“站稳脚跟”。 跨越时空的相遇：五种灵魂的翻唱 Prince ：跳过恋人絮语，直奔“颜料盒里的孤独画家”，那是天才之间的宿命共鸣。 Diana Krall ：将少女的防御转化为成年女性微醺后的老成与练达。 Ana Moura ：当葡萄牙的法多（Fado）遇上加拿大地图，酒精浓度在大西洋的海风里变得辛辣且宿命。 k.d. lang ：用极简的减法还原北方的冰原与寥廓，守住孤独中的恒定。 Graham Nash ：老男人的臣服与终极结账，从独立宣言变为生命将尽时的深情回望。 55 年后的神迹：2022 新港现场： 从 1967 年在新港初遇 Leonard Cohen 时的“幼稚”少女，到 2022 年在“Joni Jam”簇拥下重返舞台的女王。当 78 岁的她低声唱出 “I would still be on my feet”，这已不再是关于爱情的誓言，而是饱含生命力的宣言。 “如果你在我的歌曲中只听到了我的故事，这是我的失败；我希望你能听到你自己的故事。” —— Joni Mitchell 愿你也能在这一箱“圣酒”中，画下属于自己的疆域，定义自己的坐标。 【本期曲目单】 00:01 Joni Mitchell - A Case of You (1971 Official) 04:15 Joni Mitchell - A Case of You (1970 Demo) 12:40 Prince - A Case of You (Live) 16:05 Diana Krall - A Case of You (Live in Paris, 2001) 22:45 Ana Moura - A Case of You 27:36 k.d. lang - A Case of You 32:39 Graham Nash - A Case of You 37:37 Joni Mitchell - A Case of You (2022 Newport Live) 42:30 Joni Mitchell & James Taylor - You can close your eyes (1970 BBC Live)

Sångerskan och låtskrivaren Joni Mitchell fick ett helt nytt sound när hon började att samarbeta med jazzmusiker. Berit Nygren berättar hur. Ett program från Jazzradion i P2. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radios app. I mitten av 1970-talet stod Joni Mitchell på toppen av sin dåvarande karriär. Hon hade fått sin dittills största kommersiella framgång med albumet ”Court and spark” 1974, men något skavde. Mitchell ville lämna rockens fyrkantiga rytmik och forma sin egen rytmik, precis som hon tidigare exempelvis hade lämnat gitarrens standardstämning och börjat att stämma gitarren efter eget huvud. Hon undrade också varför basen alltid måste ligga längst ner i registren - och tipsades om basisten Jaco Pastorius . Pastorius blev hennes drömbasist, men att hon skulle ha gått och blivit ”jazzmusiker” där i mitten av 70-talet protesterade hon emot när dåvarande Sveriges Radio-medarbetaren Mikael Nilsson intervjuade henne 1988 vilket jag Berit Nygren har vävt in i det här programmet. Hennes samarbeten med jazzmusiker började på allvar 1976. Då släppte hon sitt första album med Jaco Pastorius. I det här programmet får ni höra Mitchell i musik med Pastorius, Wayne Shorter , Herbie Hancock och Peter Erskine men också med Larry Klein och kompositören, arrangören och dirigenten Vince Mendoza. Med de båda sistnämnda och Shorter gjorde hon det prisade albumet ”Both sides now” (2000), och här får ni också höra musik ur hennes ikoniska album ”Blue” (1971). Källor : Joni Mitchells officiella hemsida https://jonimitchell.com/ ”Joni on Joni; interviews and encounters” redaktör Susan Whitall (Chicago Review Press, 2020) ”Joni Mitchell in her own words; conversations with Malka Marom” (ECW Press, 2014) Joni Mitchell intervjuad av Mikael Nilsson för Sveriges Radio 1988 Kontakta Jazzradion - och följ oss i sociala medier!

The Jazz Session No.435 from RaidersBroadcast.com as aired in October 2025, featuring the superb Joni Mitchell album “Both Sides Now” from 2000; with lush orchestration backing jazz-song standards. TRACK LISTING: Organ Grinder Blues - George Melly with Mick Mulligan's Jazz Band; I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate - The Chris Barber Jazz & Blues Band; Light as a Feather - Return to Forever ft. Chick Corea, Flora Purim; Vivo Sonhando - Dreamer - Morelenbaum2/Sakamoto; You're My Thrill - Joni Mitchell; Don't Worry 'Bout Me - Joni Mitchell; Don't Go To Strangers - Joni Mitchell; Karner Blue - Joshua Jaswon Octet; Sabia - Antonio Carlos Jobim; New York State of Mind - Billy Joel; I Never Talk to Strangers - Tom Waits, w. Bette Midler; Rhythm and Romance - Chick Webb, ft. Ella Fitzgerald; The Man That Got Away - Judy Garland; My Very Good Friend the Milkman - Fats Waller ; Creep Up Your Stairs - Whiskey Moon Face; You've Changed - Joni Mitchell; At Last - Joni Mitchell; Stormy Weather - Joni Mitchell; Just to Cry - Keef Hartley; Waiting - Archipelago; The Folks Who Live on the Hill - Charlie Haden Quartet West; Land of Make Believe - Chuck Mangione.

Part 2 of my deep dive into the creative process of Joni Mitchell, one of the greatest singer-songwriters in history. ⁠Get the Joni Mitchell recap newsletter⁠ ⁠Listen to my playlist Joni Mitchell: Love From Both Sides⁠ It’s a peculiar thing that one of the greatest singer-songwriter’s in history had no intention of ever being a singer, or a songwriter. Ever since she was a child, Joni Mitchell wanted to be a painter. This calling led her from her home in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to the Alberta College of Art. However, her time at art school was short lived, when after becoming pregnant, she fled for the anonymity and opportunity of Toronto. While in Toronto, her passion for painting had to be put to the side, and making money became the priority. Unsurprisingly, there was little opportunity for an unmarried, pregnant, art school drop out, so Joni turned to her most recent way of making money, singing. While at school, Joni had performed at a local coffee house in Calgary simply, as she put it, to make some money for cigarettes and to go to the movies. The music scene was more developed in Toronto than Calgary, and so work did not come easily to an unknown Joni. Unable to afford the union dues, she was relegated to performing non-union gigs in church basements and YMCA meeting halls. Unable to support herself, no less a child, she made the difficult decision to put her daughter up for adoption. Joni never was able to get her daughter back, but she was able to get steady work in coffeehouses in Detroit… as a duo with her new husband Chuck Mitchell. People were quick to catch on that there’s a large gulf in talent between Joni and her husband, and after issues in their relationship, their marriage ended in divorce less than two years after it began. Now single, Joni devoted all of her time to her music, and her songs became famous before she did. Anyone who saw her perform was struck by her songwriting, Joni’s own hits were hits for other popular artists first, most notably The Circle Game by Tom Rush, and Both Sides Now by Judy Collins. While her songs were hits on the radio, Joni was on the road. Touring extensively across the Eastern seaboard in 1967, and in 1968 to promote her debut album, Songs to a Seagull. The following year, her sophomore album Clouds would see her increase in popularity, before becoming a household name with 1970’s Ladies of the Canyon, featuring Joni’s most popular song, Big Yellow Taxi. Feeling like she was getting famous too fast, Joni fled to Greece, a place she could be anonymous once again. When she did return (much to the delight of her manager), she had written not only her most vulnerable album, but arguably the most vulnerable album by anyone up to that point, Blue . While reception to the album was mixed, Blue has gone on to be considered one of the greatest albums ever made. Rolling Stone, who were initially critical of the album, ranked the album as #3 of the 500 greatest albums of all time. On June 22, 2021, exactly 50 years to the day of its release, Blue charted at #1 on iTunes. After raging against the machine in the “greedy 80s” as she described them, Joni’s popularity surged into the 1990s, with a young generation of songwriters citing her influence, she won a Grammy for Best Pop Album for 1994’s Turbulent Ingo, and every publication in the world jumping onto her popularity by awarding her some form of honorary award. Shortly after reuniting with her daughter in 1997, Joni Mitchell didn’t write another new song for a decade, instead enjoying her newfound life as a mother and grandmother. After suffering an aneurysm in 2015, it was though

Part 1 of my deep dive into the creative process of Joni Mitchell, one of the greatest singer-songwriters in history. Get the Joni Mitchell recap newsletter Listen to my playlist Joni Mitchell: Love From Both Sides It’s a peculiar thing that one of the greatest singer-songwriter’s in history had no intention of ever being a singer, or a songwriter. Ever since she was a child, Joni Mitchell wanted to be a painter. This calling led her from her home in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to the Alberta College of Art. However, her time at art school was short lived, when after becoming pregnant, she fled for the anonymity and opportunity of Toronto. While in Toronto, her passion for painting had to be put to the side, and making money became the priority. Unsurprisingly, there was little opportunity for an unmarried, pregnant, art school drop out, so Joni turned to her most recent way of making money, singing. While at school, Joni had performed at a local coffee house in Calgary simply, as she put it, to make some money for cigarettes and to go to the movies. The music scene was more developed in Toronto than Calgary, and so work did not come easily to an unknown Joni. Unable to afford the union dues, she was relegated to performing non-union gigs in church basements and YMCA meeting halls. Unable to support herself, no less a child, she made the difficult decision to put her daughter up for adoption. Joni never was able to get her daughter back, but she was able to get steady work in coffeehouses in Detroit… as a duo with her new husband Chuck Mitchell. People were quick to catch on that there’s a large gulf in talent between Joni and her husband, and after issues in their relationship, their marriage ended in divorce less than two years after it began. Now single, Joni devoted all of her time to her music, and her songs became famous before she did. Anyone who saw her perform was struck by her songwriting, Joni’s own hits were hits for other popular artists first, most notably The Circle Game by Tom Rush, and Both Sides Now by Judy Collins. While her songs were hits on the radio, Joni was on the road. Touring extensively across the Eastern seaboard in 1967, and in 1968 to promote her debut album, Songs to a Seagull. The following year, her sophomore album Clouds would see her increase in popularity, before becoming a household name with 1970’s Ladies of the Canyon, featuring Joni’s most popular song, Big Yellow Taxi. Feeling like she was getting famous too fast, Joni fled to Greece, a place she could be anonymous once again. When she did return (much to the delight of her manager), she had written not only her most vulnerable album, but arguably the most vulnerable album by anyone up to that point, Blue . While reception to the album was mixed, Blue has gone on to be considered one of the greatest albums ever made. Rolling Stone, who were initially critical of the album, ranked the album as #3 of the 500 greatest albums of all time. On June 22, 2021, exactly 50 years to the day of its release, Blue charted at #1 on iTunes. After raging against the machine in the “greedy 80s” as she described them, Joni’s popularity surged into the 1990s, with a young generation of songwriters citing her influence, she won a Grammy for Best Pop Album for 1994’s Turbulent Ingo, and every publication in the world jumping onto her popularity by awarding her some form of honorary award. Shortly after reuniting with her daughter in 1997, Joni Mitchell didn’t write another new song for a decade, instead enjoying her newfound life as a mother and grandmother. After suffering an aneurysm in 2015, it was thought Mitc

“蓝色”在你心中代表什么？对我而言，这个问题的答案是Joni Mitchell的专辑《Blue》。 录了这么多期节目，我第一次感到不知如何下笔写简介。或许是因为Joni Mitchell的这张《Blue》太好了，以至于我竟找不到恰如其分的词句去介绍它。 称它为“民谣音乐史上最重要的唱片之一”，绝不为过；但仅此一句，又显得过于单薄，缺乏那份应有的真诚。 比起它在《滚石》500大榜单上的高名次、那些满分的乐评、或是深远的影响力，我更想强调它的独特与开创性——而“独特”，恰恰是我认为艺术作品中最为稀缺的品质。 诚然，在 Joni 之后，无数的民谣音乐，尤其是女性创作者，都不可避免地受到了她的影响，但那个时期的Joni Mitchell和她的音乐，都完全没有办法被复刻出来。让我们回到那个时代：当 Joni 并不热衷于宏大叙事，而是将丰沛的情感与思绪，倾注于一首首简洁但富有诗情的歌词中。伴随着吉他或钢琴的旋律，她时而低语倾诉，时而欢快诉说，把自己的情感向你解剖、向你展现那个细腻而丰富的内心世界……这就是我心中最伟大的蓝色专辑《Blue》。 02:22 "All I Want" 09:48 "My Old Man" 15:30 "Little Green" 22:40 "Carey" 29:32 "Blue" 36:40 "California" 42:11 "This Flight Tonight" 47:24 "River" 53:29 "A Case of You" 63:00 "The Last Time I Saw Richard" 🎶 本节目中提及的音乐推荐： 1. 现场专辑“Joni Mitchell at Newport (Live)”（专辑中“A Case of You”实际上是2022年录的音，我在节目中说成了去年） 2. 致敬专辑“A Tribute to Joni Mitchell”（节目中提到的Prince翻唱版“A Case of You”就出自这张专辑） 如果你喜欢这期节目，请别忘了 订阅、点赞、评论 ，并分享给同样热爱音乐的朋友。你的支持与鼓励，是我坚持制作优质节目的最大动力。《歌之塔》现已同步上线 小宇宙、网易云音乐 和 豆瓣，欢迎选择你喜欢的平台收听，让我们一起听听好歌。 ✉️听友群邀请（请加微信cqz5960或扫描shownote末尾的二维码） 如果你喜欢我的内容，也欢迎去B站关注我： 爱跳舞的灵魂 。那里有一些我的弹唱视频，当然也包括一段我特别用心制作但却少有人观看的节目，希望能得到你的支持！ 在小宇宙查看该单集文稿

In this much-anticipated interview (at least by me), humorist and journalist Henry Alford joins me to discuss his recent bestselling book I Dream Of Joni: A Portrait of Joni Mitchell in 53 Snapshots . In a Joni nerd-off that may be unrivaled in podcast history, Henry and I talk about his research and reporting for this book, what he learned about Mitchell's contradictions and complexities, why he thinks she might be on the autism spectrum, and, above all, why Mitchell's music holds such a profound place in so many people's emotional and even intellectual lives. GUEST BIO Henry Alford is a humorist and journalist who has contributed to the New Yorker since 1998. He is the author of seven books, including Big Kiss , which won a Thurber Prize, and the recent I Dream of Joni: A Portrait of Joni Mitchell in 53 Snapshots , a national bestseller. Want to hear the whole conversation? Upgrade your subscription here . HOUSEKEEPING New feature! The Unspeakeasy Live is a twice-weekly livestream featuring casual, spontaneous conversations with guests, friends, and sometimes just myself. Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3 pm ET. Recordings of livestreams are posted the next day (or soon thereafter) for paying subscribers. 📖 Order my new book, The Catastrophe Hour: Selected Essays, on Amazon or directly from the publisher here . May 17 I'll be in Denver at The Process discussing my new book, The Catastrophe Hour. 7pm. Info here . Stuff to read and listen to: New York Times, Jan 31, 2025: The L.A. Fires Taught Me To Accept Help Recent solo episodes : January 9: The First 24 Hours January 16: The Immaterial World January 27: Housing Wars February 5: Remembrance Of Things Past February 13: What Is A "Catastrophe?" March 2: A Mental Infection March 31: Dignity Is Out Of Style 📺 Visit The Unspeakable on YouTube . ✈️ The Unspeakeasy's 2025 retreat season is underway. Find out where we'll be! 🥂 Join The Unspeakeasy , my community for freethinking women. 🔥 Make a donation of any amount to help me recover from the fire by using the <a href= "https://www.theunspeakable

Author, radio host and songwriter Binnie Klein (WPKN Radio, In These Trees) brings us Joni Mitchell and her stunning 1972 release, ' For The Roses '. Searching for balance in her life after a tumultuous relationship with James Taylor - and trying to escape the craziness of Los Angeles - Joni trekked back up to the Canadian wilderness and wrote most of this, her 5th studio album, while in retreat: "You've got to shake your fists at lightning now You've got to roar like forest fire You've got to spread your light like blazes all across the sky They're going to aim the hoses on you Show 'em you won't expire Not till you burn up every passion, not even when you die" Songs discussed in this episode: Blonde In The Bleachers (Joni Mitchell cover) - Lou Barlow; Winter's Girl - Tartie; Orchard, Quiver - In These Trees & Tartie; You Can Close Your Eyes - James Taylor; Banquet, Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire - Joni Mitchell; Heroin - The Velvet Underground; Barangrill - Joni Mitchell; Visions Of Johanna - Bob Dylan; Lesson In Survival, Let The Wind Carry Me, For The Roses, See You Sometime, Electricity, You Turn Me On, I'm A Radio, Blonde In The Bleachers, Woman Of Heart and Mind, Judgement of the Moon and Stars (Ludwig's Tune) - Joni Mitchell; Orchard, Meet Me On The Mountain Top - In These Trees & Tartie

This week’s episode comes to you in the afterglow of two sold out Joni Mitchell performances at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, where molecules were rearranged, hearts were broken wide open and 17,000 fans basked in her brilliance. Though she has a bit of FOMO over missing out on being part of the Joni Jam, this week’s first guest, Shawn Colvin, has plenty of Joni stories. After initially discovering Clouds as a teenager at church camp, Shawn found herself many years later recording her 2nd album at Joni’s house with Joni’s then-husband Larry Klein, and Episode 7 guests Béla Fleck and Bruce Hornsby. Shawn says that she learned everything she could from Clouds , including a percussive approach to guitar, and it set her on a path to a solo approach to performing and writing songs which would not have happened without Joni Mitchell. She tells host/producer Carmel Holt about her “big brother” relationship with Bruce Hornsby and how he helped her overcome the heartbreak of a terrible New York Times live show review by sharing a folder of his own scathing media clips, one of which called him a “gherkin” (UK speak for pickle). MUNA guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and writer Naomi McPherson grew up in a family of jazz musicians. Like several of our guests, their gateway to Joni Mitchell was Blue and then the fretless bass of Jaco Pastorius on Hejira locked them in. From there, they went hardcore into 70s and onward Joni while listening to cassette tapes of Turbulent Indigo , Night Ride Hom e and Miles of Aisles in their 1998 Honda Accord. Naomi says that they are still learning from Joni’s music and that because of her, they play exclusively in open tunings. They talk about how Joni’s music spans genres and how much sonic exploration there is to mine in her catalog - from folk to the jazz era to 80s pop influences. Naomi thanks Joni for her fearlessness and considers her to be the greatest songwriter of all time.

This week’s episode comes to you in the afterglow of two sold out Joni Mitchell performances at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, where molecules were rearranged, hearts were broken wide open and 17,000 fans basked in her brilliance. Though she has a bit of FOMO over missing out on being part of the Joni Jam, this week’s first guest, Shawn Colvin, has plenty of Joni stories. After initially discovering Clouds as a teenager at church camp, Shawn found herself many years later recording her 2nd album at Joni’s house with Joni’s then-husband Larry Klein, and Episode 7 guests Béla Fleck and Bruce Hornsby. Shawn says that she learned everything she could from Clouds , including a percussive approach to guitar, and it set her on a path to a solo approach to performing and writing songs which would not have happened without Joni Mitchell. She tells host/producer Carmel Holt about her “big brother” relationship with Bruce Hornsby and how he helped her overcome the heartbreak of a terrible New York Times live show review by sharing a folder of his own scathing media clips, one of which called him a “gherkin” (UK speak for pickle). MUNA guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and writer Naomi McPherson grew up in a family of jazz musicians. Like several of our guests, their gateway to Joni Mitchell was Blue and then the fretless bass of Jaco Pastorius on Hejira locked them in. From there, they went hardcore into 70s and onward Joni while listening to cassette tapes of Turbulent Indigo , Night Ride Hom e and Miles of Aisles in their 1998 Honda Accord. Naomi says that they are still learning from Joni’s music and that because of her, they play exclusively in open tunings. They talk about how Joni’s music spans genres and how much sonic exploration there is to mine in her catalog - from folk to the jazz era to 80s pop influences. Naomi thanks Joni for her fearlessness and considers her to be the greatest songwriter of all time.

Please visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/722532 to listen full audiobooks. Title: Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell Author: Ann Powers Narrator: Hillary Huber Format: Unabridged Audiobook Length: 14 hours 24 minutes Release date: June 11, 2024 Genres: Women Publisher's Summary: *An Observer Best New Biographies of 2024* Celebrated NPR music critic Ann Powers explores the life and career of Joni Mitchell in a lyrical style as fascinating and ethereal as the songs of the artist herself. “What you are about to read is not a standard account of the life and work of Joni Mitchell. Instead, it’s a tale of long journeying through a life that changed popular music: of a homesick wanderer forging ahead on routes of her own invention, and of me on her trail, heading toward the ringing of her voice.” —From the introduction For decades, Joni Mitchell’s life and music have enraptured listeners. One of the most celebrated artists of her generation, Mitchell has inspired countless musicians—from peers like James Taylor, to inheritors like Prince and Brandi Carlile—and authors, who have dissected her music and her life in their writing. At the same time, Mitchell has always been a force beckoning us still closer, as—with the other arm—she pushes us away. Given this, music critic Ann Powers wondered if there was another way to draw insights from the life of this singular musician who never stops moving, never stops experimenting. In Traveling, Powers seeks to understand Mitchell through her myriad journeys. Through extensive interviews with Mitchell's peers and deep archival research, she takes readers to rural Canada, mapping the singer’s childhood battle with polio. She charts the course of Mitchell’s musical evolution, ranging from early folk to jazz fusion to experimentation with pop synthetics. She follows the winding road of Mitchell’s collaborations with other greats, and the loves that emerged along the way, all the way through to the remarkable return of Mitchell to music-making after the 2015 aneurysm that nearly took her life. Along this journey, Powers’ wide-ranging musings on the artist’s life and career reconsider the biographer’s role and the way it twines against the reality of a fan. In doing so, Traveling illustrates the shifting nature of biography, and the ultimate contradiction of celebrity: that an icon cannot truly, completely be known to a fan. Kaleidoscopic in scope, and intimate in its detail, Traveling is a fresh and fascinating addition to the Joni Mitchell canon, written by a biographer in full command of her gifts who asks as much of herself as of her subject.