Joni Mitchell, With Love

While some of Joni's most popular songs were written on piano, almost every song she composed on the guitar uses an open, or non-standard, tuning; she has written songs in some 50 tunings, playing what she has called Joni's weird chords.  The use of alternative tunings allows guitarists to produce accompaniment with more varied and wide-ranging textures.  Her right-hand picking/strumming technique has evolved over the years from an initially intricate picking style, typified by the guitar songs on her first album, to a looser and more rhythmic style, sometimes incorporating percussive slaps. Joni has deeply influenced fellow musicians in a diverse range of genres, and her work is highly respected by critics.  Allmusic said, When the dust settles, Joni Mitchell may stand as the most important and influential female recording artist of the late 20th century, and Rolling Stone called her one of the greatest songwriters ever.  Joni's lyrics have been noted for their developed poetics, addressing social and environmental ideals alongside individual feelings of romantic longing, confusion, disillusion and joy.

Regarding her as a national treasure, joni's home country Canada has bestowed a number of honours on her.  She was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1981 and received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in 2000.  In 2002 she became only the third popular Canadian singer/songwriter (Gordon Lightfoot and Leonard Cohen being the other two), to be appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada, CC, Canada's highest civilian honour.  She received an honorary doctorate in music from McGill University in 2004.  In January 2007 she was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.  In June 2007 Canada Post featured Joni on a postage stamp. Joni has received eight Grammy Awards during her career, with the first coming in 1969 and the most recent in 2008.  She received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002, with the citation describing her as one of the most important female recording artists of the rock era and a powerful influence on all artists who embrace diversity, imagination and integrity.

Favorite Lyric from Big Yellow Taxi: They paved paradise And put up a parking lot With a pink hotel, a boutique And a swinging hot SPOT Don't it always seem to go That you don't know what you've got 'Til it's gone They paved paradise And put up a parking lot...hahaha!

Wanderin' Spirit
February, 2013
"Joni Mitchell, With Love"

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