Joni75

I was having a bad day yesterday. I spilled a cup of coffee on the couch, I checked my retirement annuity account to see how much money I'd lost, and two DEA agents knocked on my door. (Only one of those things is true.) My stomach hurt, my head hurt, and I didn't know how to make myself feel better.

But last evening, I went to a local cinema complex where I had reserved tickets for the one-night showing of Joni75, a musical tribute to Joni Mitchell, one of the greatest singer/songwriters of my generation. The film was being shown throughout the country, but on one night only. (I think it is available for purchase on DVD.) It didn't take long for me to forget my troubles and get lost in the music.

Joni turned 75 on November 7, 2018, and on that night, an array of amazing artists gathered at The Dorothy Chandler Pavillion in Los Angeles to pay tribute to Joni. All but one performed songs that Joni had written. (The one exception was Graham Nash's solo performance of "Our House," a song he wrote about his cohabitation with Joni in Laurel Canyon in 1969 when they were romantically involved.)

Aside from Nash, the line-up included Emmylou Harris, James Taylor, Kris Kristofferson, Seal, Los Lobos, Norah Jones, Rufus Wainwright, Glen Hansard, Brandi Carlile, Chaka Khan, and Diana Krall. My personal favorite was Diana Krall's rendition of "Amelia," but I will admit that it's hard to pick a favorite. My date liked Seal's cover of "Both Sides Now," and my friend Matthew raved about Los Lobos' version of "Dreamland," featuring the dynamic vocals of La Marisoul. It was all good.

One thing that struck me was a study of the back-up band. Different instruments, ages, genders, ethnicities, races, religions (not that I know what they are) . . . it was a smorgasbord of personalities, backgrounds, and presentations. And what was the common ground? The music! They performed a seamless accompaniment to the featured artists, united in harmony, purpose, and beauty. (I'll let you figure out the message here.)

The closer, on which everyone joined in, was "Big Yellow Taxi," a song from Ladies of the Canyon. Although released in 1970, the song did not become a hit in the USA until 1974, when a live version was released. It's an easy sing-along. So, c'mon now, join in:

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone . . .