Joni Mit chell at the Gershwin Prize Tribute Concert
Photo: Getty Images. All rights reserved.
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After a long recovery break, Joni Mitchell has recovered from her serious illness to such an extent that brief stage appearances are possible again.
On Wednesday night, the folk icon performed at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, DC with a tribute show dedicated to her, where she also received the Library of Congress’s Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.
Of course, Mitchell wasn’t left alone. The singer received high-profile support from friends, colleagues and admirers. Annie Lennox sang “Both Sides Now”, Cyndi Lauper intoned “Big Yellow Taxi” (which ended up being a communal experience). Other guests included: Graham Nash, James Taylor, Brandi Carlile, Diana Krall, Herbie Hancock, Marcus Mumford, Ledisi and Angélique Kidjo.
The last number of the evening was of course reserved for Joni Mitchell. She sang a cover of Gershwin’s “Summertime” (with support from Brandi Carlile) and joined everyone in attendance to commemorate the beginning of her great music career with a delicately whispered version of her 1966 song “The Circle Game.”
Mitchell returned to the stage at the Newport Folk Festival last year after an absence of more than 20 years. Most recently, she announced further performances and a live album. With great effort, the singer has been releasing hitherto unknown recordings and demos as part of an archive series for some time. Their legendary studio albums are also gradually being remastered.
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