Musician of the Day: Joni Mitchell

Back in what [[Oliver]] has taken to calling “the old times,” when [[Catherine]] and I lived childlessly out in Kingston and I had an office inside the [[Moses Mediaplex]], I often worked late on Friday nights, driving home around midnight.

One of those nights I was listening to Brave New Waves on CBC Radio and they announced that the two weeks thence would be playing an “all covers” show and they invited listeners to contribute suggestions.

So when I got home I emailed in a suggestion that they play Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell and then play the cover version by BB Gabor. And then I promptly forgot all about it.

Two weeks later, again driving home late on a Friday night, just I was cresting the last hill on the Kingston Road before reaching home, I turned on the car radio on a lark. Only to hear Brave New Waves host Brent Bambury announce my Big Yellow Taxi request. And so as I glided down home, I got to hear BB Gabor again, singing his excellent cover. And recall my own old times, years before, hunkered down on a Friday night in a smoky [[Trent Radio]] with [[John Muir]], who introduced me to the album, listening to him tell tales about chord changes and bass lines.

So on this Chelseaist of mornings, today’s musician is Joni Mitchell.