Jazz pianist Herbie Hancock performs 'Hejira' during the 2022 MusiCares Person of the Year gala honoring Joni Mitchell
(AFP/ANGELA WEISS)
Joni Mitchell was all smiles at the MusiCares pre-Grammy gala in her honor (AFP/VALERIE MACON)
US singer-actor Billy Porter performs "Both Sides Now" during the 2022 MusiCares Person of the Year gala honoring Joni Mitchell
Mickey Guyton (R) and Canadian singer-songwriter Allison Russell (L) perform "For Free" in tribute to Joni Mitchell
Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell speaks after accepting the 2022 MusiCares Person of the Year award
- 'Touches the world' -
Jazz great Hancock -- who in 2007 released a tribute album to Mitchell entitled "River: The Joni Letters" -- hailed his longtime friend's artistic "courage."
"She bares her soul, but she does it in such a poetic way," Hancock told AFP on the red carpet, in the hours before he delivered a performance of Mitchell's song "Hejira" onstage.
He credited Mitchell, who is widely considered among the 20th century's greatest songwriters -- with teaching him "how to listen to lyrics."
"Some people -- and I'm one of 'em -- when we listen to music, we hear the harmonies and the musical textures, and the lyrics sound like gibberish," he continued.
Yet Mitchell's "poetry" still strikes him, Hancock said: "Nobody writes lyrics like Joni."
"She's given all of us the courage to tell the truth," said performer Billy Porter, who paid tribute to Mitchell singing her beloved "Both Sides Now" onstage. "To use our art to grow; to use our art to heal."
"To set some other people free -- she's powerful that way."
The star-studded gala is an annual tradition from MusiCares, the charitable wing of the Recording Academy that raises money to help musicians in need prior to the Grammy Awards.
This year's celebration also featured an affecting remote performance of "A Case Of You" from Graham Nash, of the folk supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, a band Mitchell both deeply influenced and shared a rich working relationship with.
She also dated both David Crosby and Nash, and mined the latter break-up for inspiration on a number of the songs comprising the seminal "Blue," including the touching "A Case of You."
Neil Young appeared in a video message sending Mitchell "lots of love," while Stephen Stills attended the ceremony in Las Vegas and praised Mitchell as "one of the great artists of this world."
"Back when we were kids we had a good time trying to figure out the tunings that she used. Crosby happened to be the most adept at it," he told AFP. Crosby produced her debut album, "Song to a Seagull."
Stills played guitar as Brandi Carlile belted out a rollicking rendition of "Woodstock" on an evening flush with performances, that left many in the room, especially Mitchell, with tears welling.
"I could retire now, and just let other people do it," she joked when she accepted her award. "Everybody was splendid."
"Did you enjoy it?" she asked the audience to rounds of applause, before joining the night's performers to sing "The Circle Game" and "Big Yellow Taxi."
Stills summed up the mood: "God bless you Joni Mitchell, for being in our lives."
mdo/ssy
Joni Mitchell was all smiles at the MusiCares pre-Grammy gala in her honor (AFP/VALERIE MACON)
US singer-actor Billy Porter performs "Both Sides Now" during the 2022 MusiCares Person of the Year gala honoring Joni Mitchell
Mickey Guyton (R) and Canadian singer-songwriter Allison Russell (L) perform "For Free" in tribute to Joni Mitchell
Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell speaks after accepting the 2022 MusiCares Person of the Year award
Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell (4th L) stands on stage with performers honoring her, performing a medley of "Big Yellow Taxi" and "The Circle Game"
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Brandi Carlile and Stephen Stills perform "Woodstock" on stage during the 2022 MusiCares Person of the Year gala honoring Joni Mitchell
Maggy DONALDSON
Brandi Carlile and Stephen Stills perform "Woodstock" on stage during the 2022 MusiCares Person of the Year gala honoring Joni Mitchell
Maggy DONALDSON
Sat, 2 April 2022
Music's legends and hitmakers turned out Friday to honor Joni Mitchell -- the Canadian-born folk icon behind classics including "A Case Of You" -- at a charity gala ahead of the Grammys that featured moving tributes and glassy eyes.
The 78-year-old Mitchell donned a sequined kimono-style robe, bejeweled black beret and bright red nails at the MusiCares show where artists including Herbie Hancock, Cyndi Lauper, Angelique Kidjo and Stephen Stills, along with this year's leading Grammy nominee Jon Batiste, paid homage to her vast oeuvre.
"It's been quite a year," the artist known for her distinct contralto and open-tuned guitar told journalists on the red carpet.
In December she was among the inductees at the Kennedy Center Honors gala, one of America's most prestigious arts awards.
The evening marked a rare public appearance for the trailblazing Mitchell, who in 2015 suffered a brain aneurysm that left her temporarily unable to speak, the aftermath of which has involved extensive physical therapy.
But on Friday she was glowing, telling reporters she's been having artistic "ideas" even as she continues to focus on improving her health.
The influential artist who inspired everyone from Neil Diamond to Prince is perhaps best known for the intensely personal 1971 album "Blue," a deep dive into emotional heartache.
Last summer "Blue" charted number one on iTunes as it hit its fiftieth anniversary -- outperforming even pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo's "Sour."
Voicing her own astonishment over the milestone, Mitchell explained her album's enduring popularity and recent resurgence: "Maybe people want to get a little bit deeper."
And asked by reporters how she was feeling health-wise, she said "pretty good," adding she'd been "making improvements."
Music's legends and hitmakers turned out Friday to honor Joni Mitchell -- the Canadian-born folk icon behind classics including "A Case Of You" -- at a charity gala ahead of the Grammys that featured moving tributes and glassy eyes.
The 78-year-old Mitchell donned a sequined kimono-style robe, bejeweled black beret and bright red nails at the MusiCares show where artists including Herbie Hancock, Cyndi Lauper, Angelique Kidjo and Stephen Stills, along with this year's leading Grammy nominee Jon Batiste, paid homage to her vast oeuvre.
"It's been quite a year," the artist known for her distinct contralto and open-tuned guitar told journalists on the red carpet.
In December she was among the inductees at the Kennedy Center Honors gala, one of America's most prestigious arts awards.
The evening marked a rare public appearance for the trailblazing Mitchell, who in 2015 suffered a brain aneurysm that left her temporarily unable to speak, the aftermath of which has involved extensive physical therapy.
But on Friday she was glowing, telling reporters she's been having artistic "ideas" even as she continues to focus on improving her health.
The influential artist who inspired everyone from Neil Diamond to Prince is perhaps best known for the intensely personal 1971 album "Blue," a deep dive into emotional heartache.
Last summer "Blue" charted number one on iTunes as it hit its fiftieth anniversary -- outperforming even pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo's "Sour."
Voicing her own astonishment over the milestone, Mitchell explained her album's enduring popularity and recent resurgence: "Maybe people want to get a little bit deeper."
And asked by reporters how she was feeling health-wise, she said "pretty good," adding she'd been "making improvements."
- 'Touches the world' -
Jazz great Hancock -- who in 2007 released a tribute album to Mitchell entitled "River: The Joni Letters" -- hailed his longtime friend's artistic "courage."
"She bares her soul, but she does it in such a poetic way," Hancock told AFP on the red carpet, in the hours before he delivered a performance of Mitchell's song "Hejira" onstage.
He credited Mitchell, who is widely considered among the 20th century's greatest songwriters -- with teaching him "how to listen to lyrics."
"Some people -- and I'm one of 'em -- when we listen to music, we hear the harmonies and the musical textures, and the lyrics sound like gibberish," he continued.
Yet Mitchell's "poetry" still strikes him, Hancock said: "Nobody writes lyrics like Joni."
"She's given all of us the courage to tell the truth," said performer Billy Porter, who paid tribute to Mitchell singing her beloved "Both Sides Now" onstage. "To use our art to grow; to use our art to heal."
"To set some other people free -- she's powerful that way."
The star-studded gala is an annual tradition from MusiCares, the charitable wing of the Recording Academy that raises money to help musicians in need prior to the Grammy Awards.
This year's celebration also featured an affecting remote performance of "A Case Of You" from Graham Nash, of the folk supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, a band Mitchell both deeply influenced and shared a rich working relationship with.
She also dated both David Crosby and Nash, and mined the latter break-up for inspiration on a number of the songs comprising the seminal "Blue," including the touching "A Case of You."
Neil Young appeared in a video message sending Mitchell "lots of love," while Stephen Stills attended the ceremony in Las Vegas and praised Mitchell as "one of the great artists of this world."
"Back when we were kids we had a good time trying to figure out the tunings that she used. Crosby happened to be the most adept at it," he told AFP. Crosby produced her debut album, "Song to a Seagull."
Stills played guitar as Brandi Carlile belted out a rollicking rendition of "Woodstock" on an evening flush with performances, that left many in the room, especially Mitchell, with tears welling.
"I could retire now, and just let other people do it," she joked when she accepted her award. "Everybody was splendid."
"Did you enjoy it?" she asked the audience to rounds of applause, before joining the night's performers to sing "The Circle Game" and "Big Yellow Taxi."
Stills summed up the mood: "God bless you Joni Mitchell, for being in our lives."
mdo/ssy
Generations sing to Joni Mitchell in pre-Grammys tribute
By ANDREW DALTON
By ANDREW DALTON
Joni Mitchell accepts the Person of the Year award at the 31st annual MusiCares benefit gala on Friday, April 1, 2022, at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
LAS VEGAS (AP) — An 81-year-old jazz giant and a 15-year-old rock singer were the first to perform tributes to Joni Mitchell on Friday night.
Such was the diversity of artists honoring a most diverse artist, Mitchell, a Canadian-turned-Californian, folkie-turned-rocker-turned-jazz explorer who was honored as the 2022 MusiCares Person of the year by the Recording Academy two days before the Grammy Awards.
Herbie Hancock played a jazz piano rendition of music from Mitchell’s 1976 album “Hejira” that was followed by a rocking version of 1974′s “Help Me” from Violet Grohl, the teenage daughter of Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, to open the tribute concert in a ballroom at the MGM Grand Las Vegas.
Mitchell, sitting at the front table, brought out the teenager in many of the older entertainers.
“When I first heard Joni Mitchell it was 1968 and I was 15 years old,” Cyndi Lauper, now 68, said. “I had never heard anyone sing so intimately about what it was like to be a young woman navigating this world.”
Lauper recited several of Mitchell’s lines that moved her most, before launching into “Magdalene Laundry” while playing mountain dulcimer.
“I don’t know how you do what you do, I just know I need it like food,” Meryl Streep said in a video message played for Mitchell and the crowd. “Ever since we were both young girls. We didn’t know each other, but you sang me into being. You sang my life.”
Seven years after a brain aneurysm that left her temporarily unable to walk or speak, Mitchell, 78, was delighted to be in Las Vegas and out at a major public event for the first time since the pandemic began.
“I had the best margarita that I’ve ever had at our hotel,” she told The Associated Press as she walked into the gala.
Mitchell is a presenter and a nominee for best historical album at Sunday’s Grammys. She says she’s always found herself in the genres and categories that don’t make the Grammy telecast.
“I usually win the behind-the-curtain awards,” she said with a laugh.
Inside, sitting a table with Hancock and director Cameron Crowe, Mitchell often appeared near tears as a parade of artists praised her before giving their takes on her songs.
“Not unlike people who lived in the time of Shakespeare, and of Beethoven, we are living in the time of Joni Mitchell, and it shows tonight,” said Brandi Carlile, who sang a version of “Woodstock” that began as a quiet ballad before the house band kicked in and Stephen Stills — who played on the most famous version of the 1970 song with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young — joined her for an electric guitar solo.
In a new approach to this year’s MusiCares tribute, organizers appointed Carlile, who is up for five Grammys on Sunday, and Jon Batiste, who is up for 11, as music directors to coordinate the artists and their approaches to the difficult, genre-bending songs of Mitchell’s five-decade career.
“We helped shepherd artists to their Joni songs, the ones that their souls connected to,” Carlile told the AP. “This isn’t easy music. This is complicated, brilliant music that is really hard to interpret.”
Before singing one of those esoteric songs, “The Jungle Line” from 1975′s “The Hissing of the Summer Lawns,” Beck said “preparing for this event I feel like I’ve been in Joni school.”
John Legend gave a surprise performance, singing and playing solo piano on Mitchell’s “River” on a spinning stage in the middle of the room as the crowd of 2,400 was finishing their spinning dessert, an edible Grammy trophy on a turntable.
“Everybody was splendid, it just kept getting better and better and better,” Mitchell said in a brief acceptance speech near the concert’s end. “I can retire now and just let other people do it.”
But she showed she’s not quite done yet.
Carlile and Batiste brought most of the night’s performers back to the stage for a sing-along of “The Circle Game” and “Big Yellow Taxi.”
Mitchell eventually made her way to the mic to join them, delivering the famous baritone ending of the latter song.
“Put up a parking lot,” she sang, to laughs and whoops from the crowd.
The MusiCares Person of the Year is a career achievement award handed out for a combination of inspiring artistic accomplishments and philanthropy. The gala handing it out raises funds for the programs of MusiCares, the Recording Academy charity that provides health and welfare services to musicians in need.
Past honorees include Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Dolly Parton and Aerosmith.
___
Follow AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton on Twitter: twitter.com/andyjamesdalton
LAS VEGAS (AP) — An 81-year-old jazz giant and a 15-year-old rock singer were the first to perform tributes to Joni Mitchell on Friday night.
Such was the diversity of artists honoring a most diverse artist, Mitchell, a Canadian-turned-Californian, folkie-turned-rocker-turned-jazz explorer who was honored as the 2022 MusiCares Person of the year by the Recording Academy two days before the Grammy Awards.
Herbie Hancock played a jazz piano rendition of music from Mitchell’s 1976 album “Hejira” that was followed by a rocking version of 1974′s “Help Me” from Violet Grohl, the teenage daughter of Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, to open the tribute concert in a ballroom at the MGM Grand Las Vegas.
Mitchell, sitting at the front table, brought out the teenager in many of the older entertainers.
“When I first heard Joni Mitchell it was 1968 and I was 15 years old,” Cyndi Lauper, now 68, said. “I had never heard anyone sing so intimately about what it was like to be a young woman navigating this world.”
Lauper recited several of Mitchell’s lines that moved her most, before launching into “Magdalene Laundry” while playing mountain dulcimer.
“I don’t know how you do what you do, I just know I need it like food,” Meryl Streep said in a video message played for Mitchell and the crowd. “Ever since we were both young girls. We didn’t know each other, but you sang me into being. You sang my life.”
Seven years after a brain aneurysm that left her temporarily unable to walk or speak, Mitchell, 78, was delighted to be in Las Vegas and out at a major public event for the first time since the pandemic began.
“I had the best margarita that I’ve ever had at our hotel,” she told The Associated Press as she walked into the gala.
Mitchell is a presenter and a nominee for best historical album at Sunday’s Grammys. She says she’s always found herself in the genres and categories that don’t make the Grammy telecast.
“I usually win the behind-the-curtain awards,” she said with a laugh.
Inside, sitting a table with Hancock and director Cameron Crowe, Mitchell often appeared near tears as a parade of artists praised her before giving their takes on her songs.
“Not unlike people who lived in the time of Shakespeare, and of Beethoven, we are living in the time of Joni Mitchell, and it shows tonight,” said Brandi Carlile, who sang a version of “Woodstock” that began as a quiet ballad before the house band kicked in and Stephen Stills — who played on the most famous version of the 1970 song with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young — joined her for an electric guitar solo.
In a new approach to this year’s MusiCares tribute, organizers appointed Carlile, who is up for five Grammys on Sunday, and Jon Batiste, who is up for 11, as music directors to coordinate the artists and their approaches to the difficult, genre-bending songs of Mitchell’s five-decade career.
“We helped shepherd artists to their Joni songs, the ones that their souls connected to,” Carlile told the AP. “This isn’t easy music. This is complicated, brilliant music that is really hard to interpret.”
Before singing one of those esoteric songs, “The Jungle Line” from 1975′s “The Hissing of the Summer Lawns,” Beck said “preparing for this event I feel like I’ve been in Joni school.”
John Legend gave a surprise performance, singing and playing solo piano on Mitchell’s “River” on a spinning stage in the middle of the room as the crowd of 2,400 was finishing their spinning dessert, an edible Grammy trophy on a turntable.
“Everybody was splendid, it just kept getting better and better and better,” Mitchell said in a brief acceptance speech near the concert’s end. “I can retire now and just let other people do it.”
But she showed she’s not quite done yet.
Carlile and Batiste brought most of the night’s performers back to the stage for a sing-along of “The Circle Game” and “Big Yellow Taxi.”
Mitchell eventually made her way to the mic to join them, delivering the famous baritone ending of the latter song.
“Put up a parking lot,” she sang, to laughs and whoops from the crowd.
The MusiCares Person of the Year is a career achievement award handed out for a combination of inspiring artistic accomplishments and philanthropy. The gala handing it out raises funds for the programs of MusiCares, the Recording Academy charity that provides health and welfare services to musicians in need.
Past honorees include Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Dolly Parton and Aerosmith.
___
Follow AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton on Twitter: twitter.com/andyjamesdalton
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