Craft Recordings has announced the first-ever vinyl release of Joni’s 2007 album, Shine. Available April 3rd, and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI, the acclaimed title includes such tracks as “One Week Last Summer” (which received the 2008 GRAMMY® Award for Best Instrumental Pop Performance), and an updated version of Mitchell’s iconic 1970 track “Big Yellow Taxi.” More information here.

Hailed as the most important and influential female recording artist of the late 20th century, Joni will receive the prestigious Les Paul Innovation Award at the 35th Annual NAMM Technical Excellence & Creativity Awards (NAMM TEC Awards), being held Saturday, January 18, 2020 in Anaheim, California. The award is given on behalf of the Les Paul Foundation to honor individuals that have set the highest standards of excellence in creative application of artistry in the spirit of the famed audio pioneer, inventor and musician, Les Paul. More information here.

The Barnes and Noble book store chain has selected MORNING GLORY ON THE VINE to be part of this year’s #BNSignedEditions selection for holiday. Copies of the book, hand-signed by Joni, will be at B&N stores and online starting Saturday, November 16.

For all concerned, know that Joni is safe and sound from the fire threatening the area.

I always dreamed of seeing my book in a bookstore window. This feels even better than I imagined.
- Joni Mitchell

Thank you, Book Soup in Los Angeles for this beautiful window display featuring Joni’s new book Morning Glory on the Vine.

In the image, taken on release day, you can see reflected in Book Soup’s window the old sign from Tower Records on Sunset—in that store over 40 years ago Joni had her first window display of an album. Photo courtesy of Hannah K. Johnson.

We saved the best review for last. Our official recap of the stunning Brandi Carlile performance of the entire Blue album on Monday night. Reviewer Sam Stone takes you there.

The Grammys' expansion of their definition of traditional pop resulted in a spike in the number of entries in its best traditional pop vocal album category, from 55 last year to 81 this year.

The expansion brought in such entries as the all-star Joni 75: A Joni Mitchell Birthday Celebration (Live), Barbra Streisand's Walls, Elvis Costello & the Imposters' Look Now and Bryan Ferry and his Orchestra's Bitter-Sweet. The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards will be will be held January 26.

The ‘Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration’ album will be released on vinyl as part of the Record Store Day Black Friday celebrations in the US on November 29! The 2-LP set will be pressed in a limited edition of 3,000 copies and available from any participating local record retailer. A wider release will occur at a later date.

More information on Record Store Day Black Friday is here.

In 1971, as her album Blue topped charts around the world, Joni Mitchell crafted one hundred copies of Morning Glory on the Vine as a holiday gift for her closest friends. For this stunningly beautiful book, Joni hand-wrote an exquisite selection of her own lyrics and poems and illustrated them with more than thirty of her original paintings and watercolors. Hand-crafted, signed, and numbered in Los Angeles, the existing copies of this labor of love have rarely been seen in the past half-century.

Now, as Joni celebrates her seventy-sixth birthday, Morning Glory on the Vine: Early Songs and Drawings is available widely for the first time. In this faithfully reproduced facsimile edition, Joni's best-loved lyrics and poems spill across the pages in her own elegant script. More information here.

Jerry Lawson, who for four decades was the lead singer of the eclectic cult-favorite a cappella group the Persuasions, has died. He was 75. Lawson died Wednesday at a Phoenix hospice after a long illness, longtime friend and sometime Persuasions producer Rip Rense said.

Lawson's smooth baritone led the group of five and later six singers, who were revered as the "The Kings of a Cappella" by their small but devoted fan base. Through 25 albums the Persuasions recorded rock, blues, gospel and pop songs, all with no sound other than their own voices, long after the doo-wop era and long before the "Pitch Perfect" movies, when a cappella was rare. -Andrew Dalton

In October of 1967, Buffy Sainte Marie urged a young talent scout from the Chartoff-Winkler Agency to come listen to Joni perform at the Cafe Au Go Go in New York City. Smitten immediately with her talent, the young man pitched being Joni's manager. "I don't need a manager, I'm doing quite nicely", Joni replied.

But he was a funny man, Joni enjoyed his humor, and before long he was managing Joni's career. And it was just a few months later, in March of 1968, that Elliot Roberts negotiated Joni's first record contract with Reprise Records.

Elliot managed Joni until 1985, and had just recently begun doing so again. A true legend in the music industry, Roberts also landed a record deal for Neil Young, co-managed CSN&Y, conceived the idea of Tom Petty backing Bob Dylan in the 1980s and helped launch the careers of Tracy Chapman and the Cars.

Born Elliot Rabinowitz on February 25th, 1943, Roberts was raised in the Bronx and initially hoped for a basketball career before turning to music. Elliot died this morning at age 76.

Malcolm John Rebennack Jr., known around the world as Dr. John, initially aspired to be a professional songwriter, producer and sideman. He wanted to work behind the scenes, not out front. But after assuming the persona of Dr. John the Night Tripper in the late 1960s, Rebennack was behind the scenes no more.

His idiosyncratic style and sound – the gravelly growl, the sly, deceptively leisurely phrasing, the original hipster patois, the hybrid Big Easy piano – embodied New Orleans and its music. Rebennack, an icon of the city who remained an active creative force until he abruptly disappeared from public view 18 months ago, died Thursday of a heart attack after years of declining health. He was 77. -Keith Spera

Joni and Dr. John appeared on the same stage at the legendary Last Waltz concert in 1976. And, on her 35th birthday Joni attended a Dr. John concert at the Bottom Line in NYC (pictured), in which he sang happy birthday to her from the stage.

Dr John sings to Joni

Elizabeth “Betsy” Asher, a music industry insider and self-described political news junkie, died Dec. 18, 2018 in Los Angeles. She was 75. She was born April 9, 1943 on Parris Island, SC to Paul Burney Doster and Elizabeth Fredrickson.

Betsy worked in the coffee houses of New York’s Greenwich Village and as a publicist before moving to London. By the time she relocated to L.A., the musicians and songwriters she had known in the Village had become household names in rock music. Journalists and biographers often sought Betsy’s unique perspective on the career arc of some of the most iconic musical artists of the last century.

Betsy is referenced by Joni in Song for Sharon, and perhaps Moon at the Window as well.

A feature-length documentary, Laurel Canyon, is set to premiere later this year. The film, according to a press release, “will pull back the curtain on a mythical world and provide an up-close look at the lives of the musicians who inhabited it.” Alison Ellwood (History of the Eagles) will direct; the film will premiere later this year on EPIX.

Among the artists who will be featured are Joni, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, the Eagles, the Mamas and the Papas, Carole King, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, James Taylor, the Doors, Frank Zappa and more. More information here.

In 1971, as her album Blue topped charts around the world, Joni Mitchell crafted one hundred copies of Morning Glory on the Vine as a holiday gift for her closest friends (see original book). For this stunningly beautiful book, Joni hand-wrote an exquisite selection of her own lyrics and poems and illustrated them with more than thirty of her original paintings and watercolors. Hand-crafted, signed, and numbered in Los Angeles, the existing copies of this labor of love have rarely been seen in the past half-century.

Now, as Joni celebrates her seventy-fifth birthday, Morning Glory on the Vine: Early Songs and Drawings is available widely for the first time. In this faithfully reproduced facsimile edition, Joni's best-loved lyrics and poems spill across the pages in her own elegant script. The lively, full-color watercolor paintings depict a superb array of landscapes, still-lifes, portraits of friends, self portraits, innovative abstractions, and more. All the paintings from the original book are included, along with several additional works that Joni had intended to include for her friends in 1971. Finally, the refreshed volume features an original introduction written by Joni herself. Morning Glory on the Vine is a gorgeous and intimate keepsake and an invitation to explore anew the dazzling, visionary world of Joni Mitchell. More information here.

In Joni 75, artists gather to celebrate Joni's 75th birthday. The lineup features Brandi Carlile; Glen Hansard; Emmylou Harris; Norah Jones; Chaka Khan; Diana Krall; Kris Kristofferson; Los Lobos with La Marisoul, Cesar Castro and Xochi Flores; Graham Nash; Seal; James Taylor; and Rufus Wainwright. Presented by The Music Center at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, the Joni 75 concerts were recorded November 6 and 7, 2018, with musical arrangements by co-musical directors Brian Blade and Jon Cowherd. Premieres nationwide beginning March 2 on PBS. Check local listings here.

Musicians! The transcription team is expanding its reach. If you are a guitarist, a pianist, a bass player, or just someone who loves Joni's music - you can now follow the team and learn about the magic behind Joni's music.

To celebrate Valentine's Day, RHINO is giving away a copy of Joni Mitchell's LOVE HAS MANY FACES on vinyl and one hardcover copy of Joni - The Joni Mitchell Sessions book by Norman Seeff. The limited-edition, 8LP boxed set is presented in a hard-bound deluxe folio package. Limited to 5,000 individually numbered copies, it includes 53 songs on eight 180-gram LPs. Etchings of Mitchell’s artwork are featured on four individual album sides, each one signifying the end of an act in the ballet. Enter to win!

The International Folk Music Awards (IFMAs) was held tonight at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montréal, Canada. The Elaine Weissman Lifetime Achievement Awards are presented each year during the annual event. Recipients are determined by the voting members of Folk Alliance International and are presented to a living recipient (Joni), a memorial recipient (Leonard Cohen), and an organization or recognized academic (fRoots Magazine). Joni was not in attendance and long-time friend Eric Andersen agreed to accept the award for her. Eric got stuck on a snowbound train attempting to get to the event, and texted them his acceptance comments. They agreed to read it, but didn't do so.

"I am happy to say that Joni is very grateful to receive this important award and proud as a Canadian to receive it here in this sacred city. She's sorry she can't be here to see everyone and accept it personally. To most of us, she remains the flower in the desert who could always find the truth on other people's lies and beauty in the wreckage. She remains a warrior with a stubborn streak and unrelenting stamina who could drink a case of anyone and still be on her feet!--Thank you with open hearts."

See the video that Folk Alliance International created for the event.

Good news for global Joni fans! The Joni 75 movie will be coming to theaters outside of the US on March 21st - tickets go on sale February 21. The film also premieres on the small screen nationwide in the USA beginning March 2 on PBS (check local listings). Streams beginning March 3 via PBS Passport and PBS apps. More details as we get them.

Joni made a rare public appearance last night at Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammys gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Clive introduced her to the crowd, saying "I'm so touched that she comes to share the night with all of us, please welcome the inimitable Joni Mitchell." The star-studded party was attended by Nancy Pelosi, Alice Cooper, Barbra Streisand, Caitlin Jenner, Tim Cook, Brandi Carlile, Sammy Hagar, Berry Gordy, Quincy Jones, Lou Adler and many more!

The upcoming March issue MOJO magazine celebrates Joni over 22 pages, with a classic in-depth interview, plus rare pics and insights and a 15-track CD of Joni songs and artists, featuring Julia Holter, Frazey Ford, Nadia Reid, Case/Lang/Veirs, Sun Kil Moon, Tomberlin, Wendy & Lisa and more. Pick one up in your local bookstore or get a copy delivered to your home.

Rhino Records will be releasing Joni's album "Blue" on... you guessed it... blue vinyl on January 22. Limited to 6,000 copies! More information here.

The 120-minute 'Joni 75' performance will show one night only - February 7 - in 350-400 theaters across the USA. Details are sketchy but we'll post more here as they come to light.

Norman Seeff's long-awaited book, the extraordinary collection of photographs entitled "Joni: The Joni Mitchell Sessions" is being shipped this week. It is a creative partnership that has lasted for over 40 years. Joni and Norman Seeff, a rock-and-roll photographer with a host of legendary subjects in his portfolio, did some of their best work together. Through over a dozen sessions with Joni, Norman captured the many facets of her personality in some of her most famous images.

Available through Norman's website are 2 versions of the book:

The Premium Edition:
-An 11x14 inch print.
-Password protected access to Seeff’s library of filmed sessions featuring multiple artists exploring Joni as the Boundary Dweller and innovative Artist.
-Seeff’s 7-Stage road map of the Boundary Dweller Archetype as exemplified by Joni. This schematic serves as a tool to empower personal creativity.

The Collectors Edition:
-A signed copy of the book inside a slipcase
-original limited edition signed 11x14 inch print
-A 30x40 inch signed lithographic poster
-Access to Seeff’s video library and his 7-Stage road map as described above

The standard edition, without any of the above features, is available through Amazon and other booksellers starting on December 18th.

The saga of Woody, Buzz and the gang continues. Disney and Pixar released the first trailer to "Toy Story 4." The dreamy teaser features everyone's favorite toys floating through the air. The sequence is set to "Both Sides Now."

Followers of the radio show "Live From Here" will notice that Chris Thile and friends saluted Joni on yesterday's show with a rendition of "Help Me." It begins at 1:25:19

The beautiful 11x14 inch hardcover version of Norman Seeff's book, currently available for pre-orders at $60, will increase to the retail price of $75 on October 24. The signed version will remain at $100 & the Collectors Edition at $650 and Seeff will add a personalized greeting for those who order either of these versions via the website and provide the name(s) for the greeting.

For all you completists out there, Joni's most recent compilation "Love Has Many Faces: A Quartet, A Ballet, Waiting To Be Danced" is being released as a 180-gram 8LP vinyl box set. See more information here.

The Music Center has added James Taylor and Brandi Carlile to the previously announced line-up of singers and musicians who will honor Joni Mitchell on her 75th birthday as part of JONI 75: A Birthday Celebration Live at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on November 6 and 7. A limited number of additional tickets have been released and are going fast.

James Taylor and Brandi Carlile will join Glen Hansard, Emmylou Harris, Norah Jones, Chaka Khan, Diana Krall, Kris Kristofferson, Los Lobos, Graham Nash, Seal, and Rufus Wainwright to perform songs from Mitchell’s prolific career. Co-musical directors providing the musical arrangements for the evenings are drummer Brian Blade, who recorded three studio albums and toured extensively with Mitchell, and, pianist, composer, arranger producer Jon Cowherd.

In August of 1969, a dairy farm in the state of New York hosted a pivotal moment in the history of pop music. Taking place only two years after the "Summer of Love” and one year after the tumultuous events of 1968, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair put an exclamation point on the transformational decade of the 1960s.

Joni did not attend Woodstock, but her song of the same name captures an opposition inherent to the turbulent and divisive era. “We are stardust...caught in the devil’s bargain, ...and we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden.”

For the 50th anniversary of this event, join us at Berklee College of Music and Boston Conservatory at Berklee for a campus-wide celebration featuring concerts, clinics, exhibits, films, and speakers.

We are currently accepting submissions for symposium speaker proposals. The committee hopes that Mitchell's evocative lyrics inspire a similarly wide-ranging set of proposals. For more information, see the Call for Papers.

Max Bennett's first professional gig was in 1949, and throughout his long career he played with such legends as Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Zappa, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, George Harrison, Joan Baez, Joni, and many more. Max is often associated with the famous 'Wrecking Crew', a loose collective of session musicians based in Los Angeles whose services were employed for thousands of studio recordings in the 1960s and early 1970s.

In 1973, Bennett, along with Tom Scott, founded the L.A. Express which served as the core band for Joni's Court and Spark album. A subsequent iteration of the group backed Joni on her 1974 tour which spawned the live Miles of Aisles album.

Max Bennett was 90 years old. Our thoughts go out to his friends and family.

After many months with a team scanning & editing thousands of images, refining his selections, designing layouts and writing the text, Norman Seeff has now completed a book that celebrates Joni and their working relationship over 12 photo-sessions from 1972-1985. Their collaboration on albums, magazine covers and performance pieces reveal Joni’s fluid identity as a true artist in ways that few have managed to capture, before or since.

The book is timed for release in November 2018, in conjunction with a series of concerts celebrating Joni's 75th birthday at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Norman is thrilled to make the book, a high quality lithographic poster and a new series of Limited Edition prints available via his own e-commerce store. It should be mentioned that this link (and the LA concerts) will be the first opportunity to get the book, and that this link offers many items that places such as Amazon will not have available.

Buffy Sainte-Marie: The Authorized Biography will be released on September 25. "Folk hero. Songwriter icon. Living legend. Buffy Sainte-Marie is all of these things and more. In this, Sainte-Marie's first and only authorized biography, music critic Andrea Warner draws from more than sixty hours of exclusive interviews to offer a powerful, intimate look at the life of the beloved artist and everything that she has accomplished in her seventy-seven years (and counting)." Joni has written the Foreword for the book, saying "whenever Buffy came to town I went down to the coffee house to hear her play. Her songs were so smart, so well-crafted, and her performances were stunning."

Today The Music Center announces two star-studded concerts, JONI 75: A Birthday Celebration Live at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on November 6 and November 7, 2018, featuring an incredible array of singers and musicians who will honor one of the world’s most remarkable artists, Joni Mitchell, on her 75th birthday. On both nights, Glen Hansard, Emmylou Harris, Norah Jones, Chaka Khan, Diana Krall, Kris Kristofferson, Los Lobos, Graham Nash, Seal, and Rufus Wainwright, will perform songs from all stages of Mitchell’s life and career, across the entire oeuvre of her 19 studio albums. Co-musical directors, providing the musical arrangements for the evenings, are percussionist Brian Blade and pianist, composer, arranger, producer Jon Cowherd. Buy tickets now.

Following the second concert, on November 7, 2018, The Music Center will salute Mitchell on her birthday with The Music Center’s Soirée: JONI 75, a special celebration for her and a fundraiser for The Music Center’s artistic programming.

Read the full press release here.

Rolling Stone reports that "live performances by Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, recorded at a student ministry on the University of Michigan campus in 1968, were among the professional-quality recordings unearthed by the Michigan History Project.

"Seven-inch reel-to-reel audio tapes featuring concerts by Tim Buckley, Odetta, David Ackles and Dave Van Ronk were also among the recordings made at the Canterbury House, an Ann Arbor, Michigan venue that hosted counterculture events in the mid to late-Sixties.

Joni performed at the Canterbury House on March 8, 9, and 10 in 1968. It's unclear as to which concert(s) have been found. Before the weekend of performances, someone scrawled across the advertisement "God is alive in Joni Mitchell".

"The Michigan History Project recently acquired the recordings, with the non-profit organization now seeking a record label interested in releasing the concerts."

More information here.

Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema in Toronto will feature a 6-part lecture series on Joni. Dr. Mike Daley tells Joni’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
October 22: Joni's breakthrough
October 29: Rock stardom
November 12: Jazz explorations
November 19: Navigating the changing pop landscape
November 26: Final works and legacy projects

More information here

In 1970 the Isle of Wight Festival was one of the largest musical events of its time. Bigger than Woodstock, and controversial from the get-go, hundreds of thousands of people descended on the island. Many of those without tickets set up camp on a hill overlooking the festival site, opposing the consumerism of the event and intent on taking the music back by any means necessary. It was a celebration of hippy counter culture gone awry, and in Joni's words "they fed me to the beast". Joni took to the stage to deliver an outstanding performance against all odds. At times it was a battle against the audience, as they tore down barriers and shouted obscenities. Her set was interrupted multiple times, including one man invading the stage to try address the crowd.

Directed by Academy Award winning filmmaker Murray Lerner, Both Sides Now: Live At The Isle of Wight Festival features new interviews with Joni, discussing her recollections of the event intercut with festival footage, both onstage and behind the scenes, offering a fascinating insight into a now legendary concert from the artists point of view and putting the events of the day into context. The disc will be released on September 14, 2018

'Joni Mitchell: The Norman Seeff Sessions' is a new photo book to be published on November 6. Timed to release on Joni's 75th birthday, this collection of familiar and rare imagery tracks the pair's history together through these exclusive moments captured on film. A combination of album artwork and candid shots reveals Joni's personality in ways few have managed to capture before or since. Featuring commentary from Seeff on the enlightenment into his art that he gained from their sessions, this compilation is a true reflection on mutual creativity between artist and muse.

Tourism Saskatoon plans a live feed of the festivities on Sunday, we will link to the video here. Stay tuned for more information!

Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot do a classic album dissection of Blue on today's episode of "Sound Opinions" from WBEZ-FM in Chicago, sharing the context of the record, exploring its lasting impact and looking in depth at its impressive track list. Listen here

On June 10th, two official installations will be unveiled that will provide permanent recognition to Joni Mitchell’s legacy and recognize Saskatoon as her hometown during her formative years. As part of this dual ceremony taking place that day, the public is invited to gather in front of the Broadway Theatre at 1:30pm to witness the unveiling of a plaque, then walk along the Broadway Bridge to River Landing to officially designate the promenade located between 2nd and 3rd Avenue at 2:30 pm as Joni Mitchell Promenade.

As a twist on “Random Acts of Kindness” Tourism Saskatoon invites all people to create and express themselves in “Random Acts of Culture” to recognize, celebrate, and animate the afternoon and pay homage to Ms. Mitchell as a creative force. Our intention is to create a free space for all people to share the strength and breadth of the Saskatoon arts community and express themselves through art. We invite anyone from the community with a passion for the arts to entertain the procession of people as they travel between the two points in any way they see fit - from singing songs, playing music, reading poetry, painting, dancing, and in general making the city come alive with everything short of “moons and Junes and Ferris wheels.”

A tribute to Joni will be held June 10 starting at 1:30 p.m. at the Broadway Theatre. At the event, a plaque will be unveiled in honour of the Louis Riel Coffee House — the Broadway Avenue café where Joni played her first paid gig.

From there, people are invited to walk a route Mitchell often travelled herself while growing up in Saskatoon through the mid-’50s and early ’60s: down Broadway Avenue heading across the Broadway Bridge and over to River Landing.

At 2:30 p.m., a ceremony will be held to name the riverfront pathway along the south side of Spadina Crescent East between 2nd Avenue and 3rd Avenue the “Joni Mitchell Promenade.” Joni will be unable to travel to Saskatoon for the ceremony, but has said she feels honoured by the city’s gesture.

Official Press Release:

Saskatoon City Council announced today it will be naming a walkway along River Landing in recognition of the accomplishments of Joni Mitchell. Joni Mitchell Promenade will be located on the south side of Spadina Crescent East between Second and Third Avenues South.

The University of Saskatchewan (U of S) will also be honouring Ms. Mitchell by awarding her an honorary degree on Monday June 4, 2018. Mitchell will be the first of eight outstanding honorary degree recipients that the U of S will be announcing tomorrow.

On Sunday June 10, 2018 there will be a public unveiling ceremony of the Joni Mitchell Promenade and a plaque on Broadway Avenue acknowledging the Louis Riel Coffee House where she used to play. Details of the ceremony and other events, including a live performance component, will be announced shortly by Tourism Saskatoon.

Read the full press release here.

Saskatoon Councillor Ann Iwanchuk will seek support next week for her proposal to name the promenade at River Landing in Saskatoon for Joni. City council and others in the community have struggled for years to find a suitable way to honour her. If approved by council, the designation would apply to the stretch of walkway next to Spadina Crescent from Second Avenue to Third Avenue. The section of walkway lies directly south of a condo-hotel-office development on a plot of land known as Parcel Y, and leads to Remai Modern Art Gallery of Saskatchewan.

Artist Gary Burden, who played a significant role in composing some of the most iconic album covers of our time, has passed away at 84 years old. Joni fans may be surprised to learn that he designed the cover to the album Blue. "This was such an honour for me" he said, "that is the only cover of Joni’s that she didn’t make herself and I got to make it. I knew the title was Blue and what I wanted to do was to make it look like old Ferro cyanotype from the 1880s, which was this blue colour, and I figured out how to make it look like that."

The first in the Alberta Ballet's series of portrait ballets, The Fiddle and The Drum, dedicated to Joni, celebrates its 10th anniversary with a tour. Created with input from Joni herself, The Fiddle and the Drum offers a contemporary interpretation of 14 of her songs, including three that were written for the piece. Performances are May 1-4 in Calgary, and May 9-11 in Edmonton. More information here

3rd Avenue in Saskatoon is decked out today with a series of street posters in honor of Joni. Tonight, the Saskatoon Symphony is honoring Joni with a concert of her music featuring Vince Mendoza, Sarah Slean, and Peter Erskine. Stay tuned for a review of this amazing evening on JoniMitchell.com in the coming days. (Photos by Mike Sainsbury)

Joni graces the cover of the newest edition of UNCUT - the UK music magazine - released today. "50 years after the release of her debut album, Uncut tells the full story of the singer, songwriter and guitarist’s remarkable rise to fame – from the Newport Folk Festival, via New York clubs to the hillside cottages of Laurel Canyon. 'She was stunningly good, right off the bat,' says David Crosby." For those who can't find it in stores, the digital edition is available.

The cover of Susan Whitall's new book "Joni on Joni: Interviews and Encounters with Joni Mitchell" has been revealed. The book will be released on November 6, the day before Joni's 75th birthday. We'll keep you posted!

In December 2015, the Smithsonian called on rock and roll lovers around the world to collect photos and stories of their favorite moments in music. Fans dug through attics, basements, closets, shoeboxes, digital cameras, and photo albums to contribute. Artists ranging from the Who to Nirvana to Chuck Berry to the Jimi Hendrix and many more are celebrated in the resulting book entitled "Smithsonian Rock and Roll: Live and Unseen". There is a photo of Joni included in the book taken by Jim Marshall that we had not seen before!

Verve and UMe will reissue Hancock’s River: The Joni Letters for its 10th anniversary this Friday, December 15. The original album, mostly featuring songs of Joni Mitchell, will be paired with a bonus EP of four additional recordings from the sessions. Two of them – covers of “A Case of You” and “All I Want” – were previously only available on an Amazon-exclusive pressing of the album, while the other pair, “Harlem In Havana” and “I Had a King,” were exclusive to iTunes. More information here.

The multiple fires threatening southern California have forced nearly 200,000 people in the Los Angeles and Ventura areas to evacuate. Those concerned about Joni can rest assured that she is safe and out of harm's way.

Jon Hendricks, a jazz singer who became famous in the 1950s with the vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross by putting lyrics to well-known jazz instrumentals and turning them into vocal tours de force, died today in New York City. He was 96. Joni often cites the group Lambert, Hendricks & Ross as a major early influence. Joni recorded their song Twisted on Court and Spark, the first song not written by herself that she released on one of her albums.

In a 1986 interview, Joni said "Friends of mine who were older than me and in college began talking about Lambert, Hendricks and Ross as the hottest new sound in jazz. Their record flipped me out, but it was already out of print. I had to finally buy it off somebody and pay a lot, maybe fifteen dollars, which was unheard of at that time. But you couldn't get the record anywhere. Lambert, Hendricks and Ross were my Beatles. In high school, theirs was the record I wore thin, the one I knew all the words to."

Susan Whitall, former Creem editor and Detroit News staffer for 30 years, will be releasing a new book called "Joni on Joni: Interviews and Encounters with Joni Mitchell" to be published by the Chicago Review Press in time for Joni's 75th birthday (November 2018). This book will be a compilation of interviews with Joni throughout the years. Susan told JoniMitchell.com "I don't think there have been enough books on Joni, not when you think of how many have been written about Dylan, or the Beatles." We agree. We're making space on our bookshelf. More info here as we get it.

Happy 74th birthday to Joni on the 7th! Leave your birthday greetings for her at WeLoveYouJoni.com. And the seasons, they go round and round...

Put your ear to the pavement on Military Street in downtown Port Huron, Michigan and you just might hear the beat of an almost unimaginably vibrant live music scene - one that vanished more than a half-century ago with the burning of the Dome in 1971.

"In the '50s, there were 17 clubs in Port Huron doing music almost seven nights a week," said Chris Troy, the St. Clair-based producer and director of the new film "Something in the Water: The History of Port Huron Music, Part I."

Good things come in threes! Yet another book is in the works on Joni. This one will be called "Joni Mitchell: New Critical Readings", to be published by Bloomsbury late 2018 or early 2019. It’s a collection of critical essays (in the academic, not the negative sense) about Joni, and includes writings by Eric Lott, Gus Stadler, Pam Thurschwell and many others. The book is edited by Ruth Charnock, who hosted the Joni Mitchell Symposium in July of 2015. Further details will be posted here as we have them.

October 17 sees the release of David Yaffe's new book, "Reckless Daughter". "In this intimate biography, drawing on dozens of unprecedented in-person interviews with Mitchell, her childhood friends, and a cast of famous characters, Yaffe reveals the backstory behind the famous songs―from Mitchell’s youth in Canada, her bout with polio at age nine, and her early marriage and the child she gave up for adoption, through the love affairs that inspired masterpieces, and up to the present―and shows us why Mitchell has so enthralled her listeners, her lovers, and her friends. Reckless Daughter is the story of an artist and an era that have left an indelible mark on American music."

The US version of Barney Hoskyns' anthology releases on October 3. "From album reviews, incisive commentary, and candid conversations, Joni: The Anthology includes, among other things, a review of Mitchell's first-ever show at LA's Troubadour in June of 1968, a 1978 interview by musician Ben Sidran on jazz great Charles Mingus, a personal reminiscence by Ellen Sander, a confidant of the Los Angeles singer-songwriter community, and a long "director's cut" version of editor Barney Hoskyns' 1994 MOJO interview. A time capsule of an icon, the anthology spans the entirety of Joni's career between 1967-2007, as well as thoughtful commentary on her early years."

The musical lineup has been announced for PazFest IV, the New Orleans Tribute to Joni Mitchell to benefit the Ruth Paz Pediatric Surgery and Burn Hospital in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

This event takes place Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017, 7-11 p.m. at the beautiful Civic Theatre New Orleans. Tickets are $25 and are available in advance at https://www.civicnola.com/event/1531984

Musical lineup to feature: Chuck Mitchell, Judith Owen, Harry Shearer, Tommy Malone, Deacon John w/Sonny Schneidau, Jeff Coffin (Dave Matthews Band/Flecktones), Paul Sanchez, Tonya Boyd-Cannon, A Celebration of Joni Mitchell featuring Kimberly Ford (from Santa Barbara California), Sean Ardoin, Debbie Davis, Matt Perrine, Alex McMurray, Phil DeGruy with Emily Robertson, Leslie Smith, Cary Hudson, Jim McCormick, Renshaw Davies, Henley Douglas, Jr., Krewe de Groove, Brandon Tarricone, Joe Tullos w/Randy Ellis and Kevin Aucoin, Dayna Kurtz, Kevin Stylez, Joshua Thomas, Jahida Esperanza (from Colorado), Enid (From Ottawa Canada), Christina Friis (from Denmark) with Larry Sieberth, Bryan Thomas, Cassie Krebs, Dirk Billie, Fatsy Cline, and surprise guests.

Read the full press release here.

Playwright, actor, author, screenwriter, and director Sam Shepard has passed away. Shepard, who had been ill with ALS for some time, died peacefully on July 30 at home in Kentucky, surrounded by his children and sisters. He was 73 years old.

Shepard is the author of forty-four plays - "True West" among them - as well as several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs. Shepard received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play Buried Child. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of pilot Chuck Yeager in The Right Stuff.

Sam also toured with Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Review and wrote the Rolling Thunder Logbook. Allegedly, Joni's song "Coyote" was written in large part about Sam.

Joni's "Blue" album made Number One in National Public Radio's "The 150 Greatest Albums Made By Women". Hejira was the only other Joni album to make the cut. This list was accompanied by another article entitled In Pop Music, Women Belong At The Center Of The Story.

Die-hard fans of Joni will know better, but there is a person 'selling tickets' to a Joni concert that is, of course, not happening. This person is using the email cassandrahood09@gmail.com, the twitter handle @jonimitchell070, and goes by the name Cassandra Hood or Cassandra Newton. This person asks for a payment through Western Union to another person, Jessica A Grimm with a New Market, Tennessee address. The scammer is also using an IP blocker to hide their real IP address. All this, of course is a fraud. Hopefully this news item will save a person or two from falling for this scam.

Uncut Magazine has just released an "Ultimate Music Guide" issue devoted solely to Joni, available now and in limited supply. More information here

It is with regret that we announce the passing of John Uren, "the Godfather of Canadian Folk". John hired a young Joni Anderson to play at his coffeehouse in Calgary in September of 1963 - the first regular gig of her career. Joni at the time was an art student and John's belief in her talent arguably had an influence on Joni switching gears and pursuing a musical path.

John was an adventurer and a visionary, tackling many varied careers - cab driver, horse owner/trainer, magazine publisher, coffeehouse owner, folk festival promoter, filmmaker, and much more. Last September, John attended the 20th Anniversary Jonifest on BC's Sunshine Coast, just a few miles south of his home. He can be seen speaking at the event here.

John died Tuesday at his home in Powell River, BC. He was 81 years old. At his request there will be no service, celebration, or published obituary (although the Globe and Mail has done so). Many articles, spanning the decades, can be found on his rich life here on the website: 1963, 1972, 2005, and 2014.

Eric Anderson sings for Joni backstage before his performance at McCabe's in Santa Monica last night. (Photo by Steve Postell)

Joni attended Elton John's 70th birthday party last night in Los Angeles. More info here.

Introduced by a teary-eyed Jennifer Aniston, Sara Bareilles performed Joni's "Both Sides Now" as the vocal backing to an exceptionally powerful In Memoriam segment at the 2017 Oscars. The piece honored all who the academy and film industry had lost in the past year including singer/actor Prince, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Gene Wilder, Mary Tyler Moore, Debbie Reynolds, her daughter Carrie Fisher and many more. Watch the video here.

Joni made a rare public appearance last night, attending Clive Davis' annual Pre-Grammy Gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, where she was escorted by writer and filmmaker Cameron Crowe and author Daniel Levitin (pictured with Joni).

Joni was honored as one of the greatest songwriters whose work has touched everyone in the music industry.

She had a good time and was particularly moved by Chance the Rapper and Mary J. Blige’s performances. Herbie Hancock came by and said an extended hello, as did many other well-wishers, including Stephen Stills and Clive Davis.

This Thursday - in addition to being Thanksgiving day in the USA - marks the 40th anniversary of The Band's Last Waltz, the legendary concert event held in San Francisco. "The one I remember most was Joni Mitchell," says John Simon, musical director of the event. "The chords she played on the guitar were not standard. The guys would look at her left hand and go, 'What? I remember this one quote from her: I said ‘What’s that chord?’ And she said, ‘I don’t know the name of it. I tune my guitar this way, to make myself stupid’ – in other words, to not fall into pre-determined patterns, patterns she was used to." Rhino has released a 40th Anniversary 5-disc set to commemorate the event. (Photo of Joni and Robbie Robertson © Steve Gladstone)

Joni going out on her birthday!

Joni and Leonard Cohen, both Canadians, met at the Newport Folk Festival in 1967. "For Cohen as well as Mitchell, Toronto played a pivotal career-making role. It was Jack McClelland who almost single-handedly created CanLit, and turned Cohen into a literary star by publishing his work. Joni and Leonard were both blazingly original talents on the verge of breaking into American mainstream culture. Indeed, both would eventually settle in Los Angeles and remain there for decades." Our hearts go out to all those who loved Leonard Cohen.

Joni's birthday is on November 7, and there are many musical tributes to her this year - check out the list. Be sure and attend if you're lucky enough to have one nearby. Also, you can wish Joni a Happy Birthday yourself at WeLoveYouJoni.com.

Oscar Brand, who brought folk music to many generations of people, has left us at 96. He featured a young Joni Anderson on his 'Let's Sing Out' program in October of 1965. Oscar was the host of the 'Folk Song' show for 70 years, and it eventually earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records for “longest-airing radio show with the same host.” You will be missed, sir!

The Polaris Music Prize, established in 2006, is an annual award honoring albums by Canadian artists, based on artistic merit rather than sales. But what about all those great Canadian albums that came out before the Polaris Music Prize existed? Well, those records also get some love, courtesy of the Polaris Heritage Prize.

The (Canadian) Heritage award, which was first presented last year, is for albums that would likely have been nominated for the Polaris Prize had it been around back in the day. Ten albums are nominated from each of four time periods: 1960-1975, 1976-1985, 1986-1995 and 1996-2005.

This year's nominees in the 1960-1975 period include Joni Mitchell's Court and Spark, Neil Young's Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere and After the Gold Rush, The Band's Music from Big Pink and its self-titled effort, Gordon Lightfoot's Lightfoot! and Leonard Cohen's Songs of Leonard Cohen.

Cast your vote through mid-October.

Victoria Roberts says it all in this NewYorker cartoon.

We are thrilled to see Joni out and about again! Last night she attended a Chick Corea concert at the Catalina Bar and Grill in Los Angeles. L-R: Joni, Chick Corea, Gayle Moran Corea, Herbie Hancock. (Photo by Toshi Sakurai)

Christopher Cross is working on a new album, and has completed a track called "Roberta" - a tribute to Joni. He's offered to share it with the Joni community, saying "'Roberta' is the first [song] I have completed [on my new album], which is very much influenced by her later work 'Hejira' and beyond." Thanks to Christopher for sharing this preview with the community, we hear the influence!

  Roberta by Christopher Cross

Joni said in 2006 (in a video message broadcast during Prince's induction into the UK Music Hall of Fame) "Prince. The most amazing performer I have ever witnessed." Prince was also a big fan of Joni's and said that The Hissing of Summer Lawns was "the last album I loved all the way through." As Joni remembered, "Prince attended one of my concerts in Minnesota. I remember seeing him sitting in the front row when he was very young. He must have been about 15. Prince used to write me fan mail with all of the U's and hearts that way that he writes." Prince credited Joni with teaching him "about color and sound." He quoted "Help Me" in his song, "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker." An album by his side project band, The Time, was named Ice Cream Castle. And he covered "A Case of You," with "U" spelled the Prince way, of course. JoniMitchell.com wishes to express its condolences to Prince's family, friends, and fans.

Before his death last week, Sir George Martin and his son Giles teamed with PBS to create an upcoming eight-part documentary series called "Soundbreaking." The series features interviews with over 150 artists and producers, who tell the studio stories behind some of the best music ever made.

The first two episodes of the show are premiering today at SXSW. The series will air on PBS in November.

The series will feature interviews with Paul McCartney, Brian Eno, Nile Rodgers, Quincy Jones, Rick Rubin, Tony Visconti, RZA, Joni Mitchell, Dave Grohl, Questlove, Bon Iver, Beck, Ad-Rock, Roger Waters, Daniel Lanois, Mark Ronson, Ringo Starr, Roger Daltrey, Willie Nelson, B.B. King, Debbie Harry, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, and many others.

Joni already has a new Grammy Award as the pre-show honours were handed out in Los Angeles today. The legendary singer-songwriter won for best album notes on Love Has Many Faces: A Quartet, A Ballet, Waiting To Be Danced.

Fellow Canadians Jan Haust, a native of London, Ont., and Hamilton's Peter Moore captured the honour for best historical album for The Basement Tapes Complete: The Bootleg Series Vol. 11, featuring the music of Bob Dylan and Toronto's The Band. The duo shared the award with Steve Berkowitz, Jeff Rosen and Mark Wilder.

Chaka Khan relays good news about Joni in an interview published today: "...we're good friends and she's doing very well, by the way. I want everyone to know that she's getting better and better every day." Read the interview and news about Chaka's upcoming Joni tribute album here.

The Telegraph placed Joni at the top of their list today. No disagreement here, but these lists are always subjective and lend themselves to much debate. Check out the list here and let the disagreements begin!

Joni has been nominated for a Grammy for "Best Album Notes" for her "Love Has Many Faces: A Quartet, A Ballet, Waiting to Be Danced" release. You can read the notes here.

Happy 72nd Birthday to Joni! Wish her a happy birthday at WeLoveYouJoni.com.

Joni has been nominated in the fourth annual Older People in the Media Awards run by older people’s charity, Independent Age, in collaboration with Gransnet, the social network for the UK’s 14 million grandparents. She has been nominated in the “Everyday ageism hero” category for her work with Yves Saint Laurent.

The other nominees in this category are: L'Oréal for Age Perfect campaign with Dame Helen Mirren, and Other Stories and Vans collaboration for SS2015 campaign with Daphne Selfe.

Nominations were put forward by members of Gransnet and the winner in each of the three categories will be decided by a public vote. CAST YOUR VOTE HERE!

The Older People in the Media awards are a celebration of the best representations of older people’s issues in the media. They hope to shine a light on the characters, marketing campaigns and individuals that have either positively portrayed older people, or sensitively highlighted the issues they face.

Winners from previous years have included, among others, Dame Judi Dench for her role in the film Philomena and Anne Reid for her portrayal of the character Celia in Last Tango in Halifax.

Buenas noticias! Malka Marom's book "Joni Mitchell: In Her Own Words" is currently being translated to be released in both Spanish and Chinese. Malka told JoniMitchell.com "This book was meant to be my birthday present for Joni's 70th. Almost as a personal gift from me to all who love Joni's work and would appreciate and celebrate this insight into her unique brilliant genius. So imagine how happy I am that now, approaching Joni's 72nd birthday, I find that it would be translated into Spanish and Chinese!" Chinese rights have been sold to Jiangsu People’s Publishing House in a deal arranged by Acacia House Publishing Services and Big Apple Tuttle-Mori Agency. Release dates will be posted here when they are known.

Hey hippies! Pull that turntable out of storage and dust it off. Barnes & Noble is hosting a “Vinyl Day” on November 21st, where they’ll be stocking the stores with an abundance of LPs and generally celebrating the vinyl format that they are now supporting. They'll have Blue and Hejira vinyl stock in all of their stores for the event. Relive those moments 39 and 45 years ago when you first picked up shrink-wrapped copies of the classics. The only differences will be the price... and, you know, the fact that you're old now.

One of Joni's guitars from the '79 and '83 tours is up for auction. It is an Ibanez George Benson GB10 guitar in brown sunburst. The inlays are mother-of-pearl, with "Joni Mitchell" engraved at the 21st fret. The interior label is signed by George Benson, serial number D794944. The guitar is accompanied by a copy of a letter signed by Joni, stating that this is one of six guitars played on the Shadows & Light and Refuge tours. The auction will be held on November 7, 2015. More information here.

Graham Nash currently has a new exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, entitled "Graham Nash: Touching the Flame"". We noticed a 1969 painting done by Joni in the exhibit which we had not seen before. Check it out!

No news about Joni today - but when there is you can be alerted by email. Register at the site (free), log in, then click the "MyPage" link. You'll notice the "My Alerts" section where you can choose to be alerted by email whenever various new content is added to the site. Real good emails, for free.

Official news about Joni is as hard for us to get as it is for anybody else. But Judy Collins has recently posted the following encouraging note to her Facebook page: "I have just heard from a close mutual friend that Joni is walking, talking, painting some, doing much rehab every day, and making good progress -- I have another friend who went through something similar - it does take a long time, three years for my friend, who has really totally recovered professionally and personally. I will try my best to see our songbird when I am in LA in the coming weeks." Continue to send your well-wishes to Joni at WeLoveYouJoni.com.

Albums by Joni Mitchell, Cowboy Junkies, Sloan and Peaches have been chosen by the public as the inaugural winners of Canada’s Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize.

A five-titled short list per time period was initially selected by a jury of 25 people from the music media and industry before the lists were released to the public for them to vote online.

They chose: Blue by Joni Mitchell ('60s & '70s), The Trinity Session by Cowboy Junkies ('80s), Twice Removed by Sloan (90s) and The Teaches of Peaches by Peaches ('00s, 2000-2005).

"This is the Polaris version of a hall of fame. As with the main Prize, we hope this award will lead to more discussion and discovery of timeless recorded art from our history," said Polaris founder and executive director Steve Jordan.

JoniMitchell.com is sad to announce the passing of Arthur Kratzmann, an early and powerful influence on Joni's life. Joni dedicated her first album to him, writing a single line as the liner notes to the album - "This album is dedicated to Mr. Kratzmann, who taught me to love words." Joni speaks about him in this interview from the American Master Series entitled Joni Mitchell: Woman of Heart and Mind.

Mr Kratzmann told Joni early in her life "if you can paint with a brush you can paint with words", a phrase Joni has repeated many times throughout her life - even using a version of it as a title for her special concert event from 1998. More on Arthur's life is in this interview from 2002.

Arthur is being honored with a special ceremony on October 10th. Our condolences and thoughts go out to his family at this time.

JACO, a compelling story of prodigious talent, personal adventures and raw human vulnerability, will be released on November 27. 'JACO' presents the world of the bass guitar phenomenon Jaco Pastorius through the eyes of his family and various musical collaborators. Produced by the Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, and directed by Paul Marchand and Stephen Kijak, this blistering biopic contains incredible unseen footage and photography from the Pastorius family archive, and takes viewers into the heart and soul of this hugely influential cross-genre artist. Featuring interviews with an array of artists (Flea, Joni Mitchell, Sting, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Geddy Lee) and friends, 'JACO' unveils the story of his music, his life, his demise, and ultimately the fragility of great artistic genius. More information here.