April 2, 2003

Posted April 02, 2003

U.S. viewers: Don't forget! Canada got the first look last month, but tonight's the U.S. premiere of Joni Mitchell: Woman of Heart and Mind on the PBS American Masters series (check local listings for time). I had a chance to preview the show recently (many thanks to my good friend Simon Montgomery) and found a treasure trove of newly released photos, excerpts from many of her best loved songs as well as rare recordings of songs from early in her career, exclusive interviews with Joni and many others, all exhaustively researched and presented as a 90 minute program that's a joy to watch. I particulary enjoyed the Joni's-eye-view perspective that the film often imparts to viewers, an important factor that sometimes slips by unnoticed.

The American Masters site is beautifully put together, with a feature essay excerpted from NPR's classical music critic Tom Manoff's book Music: A Living Language; the essay, titled "Joni Mitchell's Stylistic Journey," is well worth reading. You'll also find plenty of video clips, an interview with filmmaker Susan Lacy and a timeline covering some of the high points in Joni's career.

I hope you're able to catch Joni Mitchell: Woman of Heart and Mind tonight but if not, there's a link on the American Masters site to order a video of the show. I also expect that the program will be released on DVD soon; I'll let you know when a date is announced. Enjoy!