Joni Mitchell: Painting with Words and Music

Musical chameleon Joni Mitchell, captured live in an intimate in-the-round theater setting (featuring her extensive artwork on the walls) on the Warner Brothers lot, performs 18 songs from a career spanning a quarter century in this outstanding 1998 concert featuring the folk/jazz chanteuse mostly on mellow electric guitar, backed by a solid band comprised of Mark Isham on trumpet, Mitchell's ex-husband Larry Klein on bass, Brian Blade on drums, and Greg Leisz on additional guitars. Fans of Mitchell's pre-1975 oeuvre may be disappointed to find only a handful of tunes from that era--including "Big Yellow Taxi" and "Woodstock," but no "Chelsea Morning," "Both Sides, Now," "Help Me," "You Turn Me on (I'm a Radio)," etc.--but open-minded (and open-eared) viewers/listeners will find much to appreciate in Mitchell's edgier jazz-tinged post-'75 songs, including the sexy "The Crazy Cries of Love," the caustic "Sex Kills" and "The Magdalene Laundries," the lovely "Face Lift" ("happiness is the best facelift"), and the Hejira tracks "Black Crow" and "Amelia," not to mention crowd-rousing covers of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" and Marvin Gaye's "Trouble Man." Sure to surprise those who think of Mitchell only as a pioneering folk queen (which she certainly was), Joni Mitchell: Painting with Words and Music--presented in DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo sound--is a breath of fresh air, musically speaking, not to mention a wonderful evening with a singer/songwriter that All Music Guide's Jason Ankeny argues may be the "most important and influential female recording artist of the late 20th century." Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: C, P. (R. Pitman)[Blu-ray Review—Apr. 8, 2014—Eagle Vision, 204 min., not rated, $24.98—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1998's Joni Mitchell: Woman of Heart & Mind & Painting with Words and Music features a solid transfer with a DTS-HD 5.1/5.0 and LPCM stereo soundtracks. Extras include interview outtakes (15 min.). Bottom line: an excellent two-fer package, this Joni Mitchell set (folk) rocks on Blu-ray.]