Joni Mitchell‘s New Box Set Challenges Perceptions, Positions Her as a Jazz Innovator
A new four-CD (or eight-LP) box set, Joni’s Jazz, released today, makes a compelling case for re-evaluating Joni Mitchell’s musical legacy, arguing she was deeply immersed in and contributed considerably to the jazz world throughout her career. The collection,featuring 61 tracks including previously unreleased material,aims to demonstrate Mitchell’s jazz sensibilities from her earliest work and her sophisticated collaborations with jazz musicians.
For decades, Mitchell has been primarily categorized as a folk or singer-songwriter icon. however, Joni’s Jazz presents a curated selection of recordings-including alternate takes, demos, and covers-that highlight her vocal dexterity, harmonic complexity, and improvisational spirit, qualities central to jazz. The set includes a demo of “Two Gray Rooms” with a wordless vocal, described as “more alluring” in this form, and a version of “The Man I Love” with Herbie Hancock, showcasing her skill as a standards singer.The collection revisits familiar tracks like “Blue Hotel Room” from Hejira, emphasizing Mitchell’s ”limber soprano” and ability to navigate complex rhythms.Her rendition of “You’re My Thrill” is noted for uncannily echoing Billie Holiday‘s original, and her use of horn arrangements is praised as “sophisticated and subtle.” While acknowledging some criticism that she occasionally strayed from her core sound, the box set includes songs like “You Dream flat Tires” as “a brave attempt at fusion” during an era leaning towards yacht rock.
Despite its ambitious scope, some critics suggest Joni’s Jazz might potentially be overlong, containing at least one album’s worth of extraneous material. The inclusion of certain covers, intended to reinforce her jazz inclinations, may test the patience of fans primarily drawn to her original compositions. nevertheless, the set represents a significant effort to reframe mitchell’s artistic identity and solidify her place within the jazz canon.