With a body of work that is original, incisively personal, technically polished, and conceptually deep, Joni Mitchell is one of Canada’s greatest musical artists and one of the most influential singer-songwriters of the last fifty years. Hot Docs favourite Dr. Mike Daley tells Mitchell’s story in detail, exploring her Alberta and Saskatchewan upbringing, her early years in Toronto's burgeoning folk scene, her musical partnerships, and the romantic affairs and marriages that inspired some of her unforgettable compositions. He’ll examine the fascinating life and career of a Canadian icon.
Led by Dr. Mike Daley (Leonard Cohen: Words and Music, The Beatles and their World, Bob Dylan: Words and Music), a music historian and professional musician who has taught at Guelph, McMaster, Waterloo and York Universities.
October 15: Early years in Canada
Joni Mitchell was born into a middle-class family in western Canada, growing up as an artistic and spirited child. After an unplanned pregnancy, Joni moved to Toronto to bear a daughter (and soon give her up for adoption) and begin a career as a folk musician. We’ll examine her early marriage to folksinger Chuck Mitchell and the start of her career.
October 22: Joni's breakthrough
Even as the folk scene declined, Joni’s engaging live performances and finely crafted songs attracted the attention of influential tastemakers and put her in the upper echelon of rock music. We’ll examine her first album Song To A Seagull, her more accomplished follow-up, Clouds, and a third album, Ladies of The Canyon, which contained the massive radio hit, "Big Yellow Taxi."
October 29: Rock stardom
The release of Blue in 1971 confirmed Joni's legendary status in the popular music of the '70s and cemented her image as the model of a confessional singer-songwriter. We’ll examine the emergence of Joni's new full band sound on her albums For The Roses and the mega-selling Court and Spark, establishing a format that she would retain throughout the rest of her career.
November 12: Jazz explorations
Her fame assured, Joni spent the latter half of the 1970s developing a new jazz-influenced approach to her music. She collaborated with legends like Charles Mingus, Jaco Pastorius and Pat Metheny, and produced a series of fascinating albums that never found large audiences: The Hissing Of Summer Lawns, Hejira, Don Juan's Restless Daughter and Mingus.
November 19: Navigating the changing pop landscape
The 1980s represented a sea change in the music business - and in Joni’s music too. After a return to form with her 1982 album Wild Things Run Fast, she tried to update her sound and subject matter on Dog Eat Dog and Chalk Mark in a Rainstorm. Meanwhile, a second marriage and a reunion with the daughter she gave up for adoption provided her with the personal stability to start revisiting her past.
November 26: Final works and legacy projects
Over the last 25 years, Joni has balanced interesting new albums with orchestral remakes of her greatest hits. A brain aneurysm suffered in 2015 lowered her profile, but her influence as a performer and songwriter remains huge. We’ll close the series by examining the many tributes she’s received in recent years and her enduring place in the pantheon of popular songwriters.