7:15 pm | 2 hr | NR | Concert film
Honoring one of the world’s most revered artists, Joni Mitchell, on her 75th birthday, The Music Center Presents Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration brings an incredible array of singers and musicians to cinemas across the US and Canada for a one-night-only celebration on February 7, 2019 in collaboration with global event cinema distributor Trafalgar Releasing and The Music Center, Los Angeles’ premiere performing arts center.
Captured live at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, this special event features Brandi Carlile; Glen Hansard; Emmylou Harris; Norah Jones; Chaka Khan; Diana Krall; Kris Kristofferson; Los Lobos with La Marisoul, Cesar Castro & Xochi Flores; Graham Nash; James Taylor; Seal; and Rufus Wainwright, who will perform many of Mitchell’s songs including A Case of You; Both Sides, Now; Down To You; For The Roses; The Boho Dance; and Two Grey Rooms; among others. Co-musical directors, providing the musical arrangements for the show, are percussionist Brian Blade, who recorded three studio albums and toured extensively with Mitchell, and, pianist, composer, arranger producer Jon Cowherd.
A music icon whose work continues to inspire generations of artists, Mitchell performed on the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion stage in 1972 and 1974, with the Los Angeles Times describing her 1972 concert as “Joni Mitchell in a Giant Living Room.”
With nine Grammy® awards to her name and 16 Grammy nominations, Mitchell’s catalogue of music spans more than five decades. In 2017, Mitchell’s 1971 album Blue was named number one on National Public Radio’s list of the 150 greatest albums made by women. Her work has no boundaries and crosses genres from Folk and Pop, to Jazz and World Music. Mitchell is also a prolific painter and was once quoted as saying, “I’m a painter first, and a musician second.” While Mitchell hails from Canada, she has called Los Angeles home for decades.
“We were so grateful to join with these incredible artists to honor Joni, an artist who pushed boundaries to reframe what songwriting and vocal music could be,” said Rachel Moore, president and CEO, The Music Center. “And now that the concert will be shown nationwide by our partners at Trafalgar Releasing, so many more people will have the chance to witness this once-in-a-lifetime concert celebration.”
JONI 75: A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION – Trailer from California Film Institute on Vimeo.