Joni Mitchell is a legend, plain and simple.

Often referred to as the female Bob Dylan, the 63-year-old Canadian singer/songwriter is one of the most prominent figures in pop music history, amassing an enormous body of work in folk and jazz during her 40-year career.

With 26 albums, five Grammys and roomfuls of songwriting awards to her credit, Mitchell is the sort of 20th-century musical icon that musicians everywhere imitate, but never quite duplicate.

Syracuse jazz singer Maria De Angelis, though, has come pretty darn close.

On Saturday, April 28, De Angelis and friends are set to present A Tribute to Joni Mitchell: A Concert at 8 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Skaneateles, a show that De Angelis thinks will prove Mitchell's icon-worthy status.

The concert, which is sponsored by the Skaneateles Area Council for the Arts, is an encore presentation of a show De Angelis performed at Jazz Central in downtown Syracuse in January, the singer said in an interview after a rehearsal last week.

I put this show together at the urging of a friend, and when we played it at Jazz Central, I figured it would be maybe a few close friends (in the audience) and that's it, she recalled.

Much to De Angelis' surprise, though, the 90-seat theater quickly sold out, and the show was lauded by critics and fans alike. One of those attending the concert was Joe Strodel Jr., Skaneateles Arts Council president.

After I saw that concert, I knew I had to figure out a way to have her perform it in Skaneateles, Strodel said last week. He contacted De Angelis, and she quickly agreed.

I grew up listening to Joni, and with music running through your veins like that, it makes every opportunity to play it a delight, De Angelis said.

The concert will focus on the first 10 years of Mitchell's career, and guests can expect to hear hits like Big Yellow Taxi and Free Man in Paris, along with tunes like Chelsea Morning, which De Angelis said has a very small Skaneateles connection.

People might not know that Bill and Hillary Clinton (who have visited Skaneateles in the past) named their daughter Chelsea after that song, she said.

De Angelis' five-piece band, Westminster Express, includes her sister Tori De Angelis and pianist David Yaffe, a Syracuse University English professor who, coincidentally, interviewed Mitchell for a New York Times article in February.

I think people will have a new appreciation for Joni Mitchell after this concert, De Angelis said. Not just as a folk singer, but as a complete artist. I'm hoping people will realize just what a creative force she's been.

Before the concert, the arts council has teamed with the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse to present Music, Martinis and Joni Mitchell Masterpieces, a reception at the home of Jim and Kimball Kraus in Skaneateles. The pre-show gathering begins at 5:30 p.m.

IF YOU GO

What: A Tribute to Joni Mitchell: A Concert

When: 8 p.m., Saturday, April 28

Where: First Presbyterian Church, 97 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles

Cost: Concert tickets are $20 for all seating. Pre-concert reception and concert tickets are $75 for individuals and $125 per couple. For concert-only tickets, call the Skaneateles Area Chamber of Commerce at 685-0552 or visit www.skaneateles.com. For tickets to the Everson reception, call 474-6064