The results of the November election have given us all, well most of us, cause for hope. Hope for a saner, kinder, and healthier world. There’s still worry and stress, and that might always be the case, but we’re starting to see blue skies beyond the dark clouds, and brighter days ahead.
Given this positive turn of events, and the Thanksgiving holiday, let’s take some time away from our troubles, and appreciate what we have, what makes us happy, what we feel grateful for. Which is pretty much the theme of today’s show, a special Singer/Songwriter Edition of Mr. Jones’s Neighborhood, featuring the music of a very special singer/songwriter, Joni Mitchell.
I’m very thankful for her new box set -- Joni Mitchell Archives Volume 1: The Early Years (1963-1967). The set includes 5 CDs and 119 tracks, including 29 original Joni songs that were never recorded for commercial release; a host of live, solo versions of her early songs; and, a beautiful booklet featuring photos of young Joni and a candid interview with Cameron Crowe.
On today’s show, we’ll be playing a sampling of songs from the new release, including a few personal favorites, and ones that I think show Joni’s evolution as a songwriter, musician, and performer. Since this is the Singer/Songwriter edition of Mr. Jones’s Neighborhood, it’s only fitting we have as our guest Ed Mellnik, the host for many years of the Singer/Songwriter edition of KBOO’s Monday Sampler. Ed is a big Joni Mitchell fan, and he was kind enough to invite me on his special celebrating Joni’s 75th birthday back in 2018.
Please join us for another beautiful day in the neighborhood!
- KBOO