Brandi Carlile, Norah Jones and More Honor Joni Mitchell on Live Tribute Album, Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration
The album was recorded at her 75th birthday celebration last November
By Ellen Johnson for Paste —
Last November, Joni Mitchell celebrated her 75th birthday with 3,000 of her biggest fans, closest friends and most adoring peers. Everyone from Tom Hanks to Mandy Moore was in attendance that night (Nov. 7) at The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in downtown Los Angeles, per Vanity Fair’s coverage of the evening. Cameron Crowe gave a toast; Peter Gabriel Skyped in with well wishes; Meryl Streep wrote a passage for the concert program. It was a tribute fit for a legend.
During the concert, a stacked list of musicians—including Brandi Carlile, Emmylou Harris, James Taylor, Rufus Wainwright and Kris Kristofferson—performed a set of Mitchell’s hits and deep-cuts. Graham Nash also made an appearance for a very tender rendition of his own song “Our House,” which he wrote about Mitchell and their brief but happy time together some 50 years ago. Now all of that evening’s performances will be available to purchase and/or stream as a new live album, Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration, arriving March 8 via Decca Records and The Music Center. Popular Mitchell songs like “A Case of You,” “Blue” and “Big Yellow Taxi” all appear on the album.
The concert was broadcast in theaters across the country on Feb. 7 thanks to Trafalgar Releasing.
Below, watch an entire Joni Mitchell concert from 1986 via the Paste archives. Keep scrolling for the Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration album art and tracklist.
