This is a vibrant 4-LP vinyl set of previously unreleased material that chronicles Joni Mitchell’s unique foray into jazz.
Joni Mitchell – Archives, Volume 4 Highlights: The Asylum Years (1976-1980) Asylum Records/Rhino Entertainment Company 180-gram 4-LP Set with 8-page full-size booklet [10-4-2024] ****1/2:
(Joni Mitchell – guitar, vocals, piano; complete artist list below)
In the late 60’s and early 70’s Joni Mitchell was the face of the Southern California singer-songwriter folk scene. Her distinctive soprano, unusual guitar/piano chordings resulted in a series of memorable albums. During the mid 1970’s, she began to explore idiomatic visions of jazz. Much to the dismay of her fans (not unlike Bob Dylan and Miles Davis), she continued to evolve on albums like Hejira, Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter and Mingus. Rhino Entertainment Company has released a curated 4-vinyl LP set of demos, studio outtakes and live tracks from this era for the first time.
Joni Mitchell – Archives – Volume 4 Highlights is an engaging glimpse into Mitchell’s artistic character. The first group of tracks showcase her performances as part of Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Review. The first song, “Edith And The Kingpin” is delivered with her folk gravitas. Her upper-register vocals and jazzy phrasing underscore the emotional undertones. Her band joins on “Don’t Interrupt The Sorrow” in a more complex arrangement with rock and jazz motifs. The ethereal vocals and uniquely structured guitar chords are magnetic on another solo effort, “Harry’s House”, and the dulcimer-laden “A Case Of You” is performed in a comically- interrupted duet with Dylan. “Coyote” is stream-of-consciousness bohemian cool with a rhythmic flow. With a full band (on her own tour), “Free Man In Paris” swings, while “Shades Of Scarlet Conquering” is executed in a meditative style, accompanied on piano. Piano and voice elevate “For Free” with a mixture of delicacy, fierce intonation, and anecdotal narration. These live performances become more nuanced and fusion-like on cuts like “Shadows And Light” and “In France They Kiss On Main Street”. Mitchell’s foray into roots, “Furry Sings The Blues” is articulate and moving.
Demos from Hejira showcase an eclectic variety of arrangements, from the wistful “Traveling” to the soulful, energetic “Black Crow” and the introspective “Amelia”. Several early “takes” are compelling. “Refuge Of The Roads” (Hejira) is a visceral reminder of Mitchell’s jazz intuition with gossamer horns. A rough mix of “Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter” bristles with pulsating aesthetics and chord manipulations. “Otis And Marlena” has folk elements and mesmerizing tracked vocals, while “Sweet Sucker Dance” is scaled down and represents her jazziest haunting vocals of this boxed set. Perhaps the singular project that defines Mitchell’s musical transformation is her Mingus sessions, as she put lyrics to the jazz icon’s composition.Three live tracks from the 1978 Bread & Roses Festival capture this essence. An a capella version of “The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines” is freewheeling. With Herbie Hancock on piano, “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” is a stirring, agile swinging affair that defines her chanteuse status. Her vocals soar on “The Wolf That Lives In Lindsey”, including some lively howling. Things get even jazzier on the serpentine, alternate version of “God Must Be A Boogie Man” (with a top-notch trio of Jan Hammer, Don Alias and Eddie Gomez).
The jazz pedigree on this set intensifies on the final disc, with a quintet of Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, Lyle Mays, Michael Brecker and Don Alias, The 1979 tour rehearsals and tour include breezy and at times, rousing renditions of “Help Me”, “Big Yellow Taxi” and “Raised On Robbery”. With lyrical finesse, “The Last Time I Saw Richard” and “A Chair In The Sky” (Herbie Hancock on electric piano) serve as a fitting conclusion.
Joni Mitchell – Archives – Highlights: The Asylum Years is a rewarding boxed set. The re-mastered sound by Bernie Grundman is meticulous and balanced. The in-depth interview by Cameron Crowe is relaxed and thoughtful, with a lot of personal reflection
Highly recommended!
—Robbie Gerson
Joni Mitchell – Archives, Volume 4
TrackList:
Side One (Rolling Thunder Revue) Live At Harvard Square Theatre 1975: Introduction; Edith And The Kingpin; Don’t Interrupt The Sorrow; Live At Music Hall Boston 1975: Introduction; Harry’s House; Live In Bangor 1975: A Case Of You
Side Two: Live At Montreal Forum 1975: Intro To Coyote; Coyote; Live At Music Hall Boston 1976: Free Man In Paris; Shades Of Scarlet Conquering; Live At Nassau Coliseum 1976: For Free
Side Three: Live At Music Hall Boston 1976: Shadows And Light; In France They Kiss On Main Street; Intro To Furry Sings The Blues; Furry Sings The Blues; Hejira Demos: Traveling
Side Four: Black Crow; Amelia; Rolling Thunder Revue 1976: Intro To Song For Sharon; Song For Sharon
Side Five Hejira Sessions 1976: Refuge Of The Roads (Early Mix With Horns); Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter (Early Rough Mix); Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter Sessions 1977: Otis And Marlena (Early Rough Mix); Mingus Sessions 1978: Sweet Sucker Dance (Vocal And Drum version – Take 5)
Side Six: Live At Bread & Roses Festival 1978: Introduction; The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines; Intro To Goodbye Pork Pie Hat; Goodbye Pork Pie Hat; Intro To Wolf That Lives In Lindsey Wolf That Lives In Lindsey; Mingus Early Alternative Version 1978-1979: God Must Be A Boogie Man
Side Seven: Tour Rehearsals 1979: Sue And The Holy River Jericho; Help Me; 1979 Tour Of The United States/Live At Forest Hills Tennis Stadium: Big Yellow Taxi; Just Like This Train; Raised On Robbery
Side Eight: The Last Time I Saw Richard; Live At Greek Theatre 1979: Intro To A Chair In The Sky; A Chair In The Sky.
Joni Mitchell – guitar, vocals, piano, with Mick Ronson; T-Bone Burnett; Steven Soles; David Mansfield; Kevin Crossley; Rob Stoner; Howie Wyeth; Robben Ford; Victor Feldman; David Luell; Max Bennett; John Guerin; Chuck Findley Don Alias;Tom Scott; Bobbye Hall; Herbie Hancock; Jaco Pastorius; Pat Metheny; Lyle Mays; Eddie Game; Jan Hammer; Michael Brecker
