Caetano Veloso, Brad Mehldau, k.d. lang, Emmylou Harris, Sufjan Stevens, Björk, Prince, James Taylor, and others reinterpret Joni. This lineup, says the New York Times, “does just about everything right … [They] take on Ms. Mitchell’s idiosyncratic songs with a balance of humility and chutzpah.” The Seattle Times raves: "Brilliance on brilliance."
“Prior to this moment, only in our wildest and sauciest dreams could we picture Sufjan Stevens, Björk, and Prince rolling around together. Nonesuch Records, however, has made our dreams a reality.” —Pitckfork
A Tribute to Joni Mitchell, the first major US tribute album to the legendary artist, features musicians from many genres over its 12 tracks of both rare and quintessential songs from the revered and influential singer/songwriter’s expansive career.
Each performer’s distinct take on A Tribute to Joni Mitchell is true to his or her own artistry, proving Mitchell’s universal appeal and versatility as a songwriter. Mitchell becomes the thread linking together these otherwise very different musical styles into a cohesive and brilliant creation.
Executive Producer and Nonesuch Records President Bob Hurwitz, a longtime admirer of Joni Mitchell, came across the project upon Nonesuch’s move to Warner Brothers in 2004. It was started in the late ‘90s, but never completed. Says Hurwitz:
I loved much of what I heard from the first group of recordings; the best of the tracks, at least to me, sounded like these artists were singing for an audience of one: Joni Mitchell. They knew she would hear their recording of her song, which has to be one of the most daunting tasks any musician can face.
In moving forward, I thought that there should be a purpose to every track: each should be a reinvention or an homage, or be performed by an artist who was a part of Joni's life or whom I knew she admired, or whose life was changed by Joni. Listening to them all, one can only be struck by the incredible craft she brought to these songs, all written as intensely personal statements, yet having the expressive resilience that allows other great artists to find part of their own musical life in her creations.
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Track 1 produced and arranged by Sufjan Stevens with James McAlister, recorded and mixed March 2005 by Sufjan Stevens with James McAlister at The Buddy Project, Queens, NY
Track 2 produced by Björk and Guy Sigsworth, programmed and edited by Guy Sigsworth and Damian Taylor
Track 3 arranged by Caetano Veloso, Moreno Veloso, and Domenico Lancellotti, produced by Moreno Veloso, recorded and mixed by Daniel Carvalho with assistant engineers Marco Hoffer, Guthenberg Pereira and Tude Rocha at Monoaural and Mega Studios, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Track 4 produced by Brad Mehldau, recorded and mixed September 23, 2005, by James A. Farber at Avatar Studios, New York, NY
Track 5 arranged by Cassandra Wilson and Brandon Ross, produced by Cassandra Wilson, recorded and mixed November 5–7, 2005, by Matthew Cullen with assistant engineer Scott Serota at Allaire Studios, Shokan, NY
Track 6 produced and arranged by Prince, recorded by Femi Jiya and Joe Lipinski at Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN with additional mixing by Prince; previously released on One Night Alone …
Track 7 produced, recorded, and mixed by Pierre Marchand. Previously released on Rarities, B-Sides, and Other Stuff.
Track 8 produced by Stephen Lipson, recorded and mixed by Heff Moraes at The Aquarium, London; previously released on No More ‘I Love You’s
Track 9 produced by Brian Ahern, recorded by Donivan Cowart at Easter Island Surround, Nashville, TN
Track 10 produced and Arranged by Elvis Costello, recorded August 21, 1997, by Benedict Fenner at Westside Studios, London, mixed by Kevin Killen with assistant engineer Anthony Ruotolo at Avatar Studios, New York, NY
Track 11 produced by Ben Mink and k.d. lang, recorded by Marc Ramaer at Placebo Studios East and West, Vancouver, BC, mixed by Marc Ramaer at The Warehouse Studios, Vancouver, BC
Track 12 produced by James Taylor and Charlie Paakkari, recorded and mixed by Charlie Paakkari with assistant engineer Mike Glimes at Capitol Studios, Hollywood, CA; previously released on James Taylor at Christmas
Björk appears courtesy of Atlantic Records
Elvis Costello appears courtesy of Deutsche Grammophone
Sarah McLachlan and Annie Lennox appear courtesy of Arista Records
Prince appears courtesy of NPG Records
Sufjan Stevens appears courtesy of Asthmatic Kitty Records
James Taylor appears courtesy of Columbia Records
Caetano Veloso appears courtesy of Universal Music Group
Cassandra Wilson appears courtesy of Blue Note Records
Mastered by Robert C. Ludwig at Gateway Mastering & DVD, Portland, ME
All songs written by Joni Mitchell
Cover illustration and album design by Robbie Cavolina
Cover photograph by Paul Starr
Executive Producer: Robert Hurwitz
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MUSICIANS
Track 1: Sufjan Stevens, Wurlitzer, piano, electric guitar, vocals
James McAlister, drums, bass, backing vocals, guitar; Craig Montoro, C.J. Camerieri, trumpets; Ben Lanz, trombone; Rob Moose, Naho Tsutsui, violins; Marla Hansen, viola; Katie Schlaikjer, cello
Track 2: Björk, vocals
Guy Sigsworth, celeste
Track 3: Caetano Veloso, lead vocal, background vocals, hand claps
Wilson das Neves, bass drum, cuíca, tamborim, Império Serrano's Agogô (cow bell), hand claps; Zero, tam tam, repique (side drum), snare drum, shekere, candomblé (rum, pi, lé, agogô), hand claps; Stephane SanJuan, shaker, snare drum, tamborim, hand claps; Domenico Lancellotti, shaker, snare drum, tamborim, wood guiro, hand claps; Moreno Veloso, acoustic guitar, tambourine, dish-and-knife, cellos, hand claps
Track 4: Brad Mehldau, piano
Track 5: Cassandra Wilson, vocals
Brandon Ross, guitar; Kenny Davis, acoustic bass; Jeffrey Haynes, percussion; Gregoire Maret, harmonicas
Track 6: Prince, piano, organ, guitar, bass, vocals
John Blackwell, drums
Track 7: Sarah McLachlan, piano, vocals
Jane Scarpantoni, cello; David Kershaw, organ; Bill Dillon, electric guitar, bass
Track 8: Annie Lennox, vocals
Marius de Vries, keyboards, programming; Matthew Cooper, keyboards; Louis Jardim, bass, percussion; Baluji Shrivastav, sitar; Pandit Dinesh, tabla; Kirampal Singh, santoor
Track 9: Emmylou Harris, acoustic guitar, vocals
Mac McAnally, acoustic guitar, keyboard; Brian Ahern, bass
Track 10: Elvis Costello, vocals
Andy Findon, flute; Chris Caldwell, bass clarinet; Paul Pritchard, French horn; Hugh Seenan, French horn; Peter Whyman, saxophone; John Barclay, flugal horn, trumpet; Roy Babbington, bass guitar; Anthony Kerr, vibes; Pete Thomas, drums
Track 11: k.d. lang, vocals
Ben Mink, guitars, mandola, violin, viola, string arrangement; David Piltch, bass; Randall Stoll, drums; Teddy Borowiecki, keyboards
Track 12: James Taylor, guitar, vocals
Larry Goldings, piano; Dave Carpenter, bass
