New York, NY (Top40 Charts) WFUV, New York (90.7 FM/wfuv.org) Ahead of Joni Mitchell's 77th birthday on Saturday, November 7, the radio station honors this influential and beloved musician in a significant way, reflecting her impact on songwriting.
On Friday, November 6, at 12 noon, EST, WFUV will premiere its original program, The Joni Project, a one-hour special of live covers of Mitchell's songs by ten artists who consider her to be one of their core influences.
The starry lineup of performers includes Margo Price,Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes), Son Little, Madison Cunningham, Matthew Caws (Nada Surf), and The Mountain Goats. Due to the challenges of the pandemic, performances were recorded at various locales over the past year, from musicians' home studios to venues like New York's Rockwood
Music Hall. WFUV is grateful for every artist's commitment to The Joni Project.
Mitchell's admirers on The Joni Project include Courtney Marie Andrews, who told us that Joni explains life and matters of the heart in ways that are universal and relatable. "Hearing Joni was like being seen for the first time, and being heard," says Andrews. "And I realized, as a writer, that if I could help somebody feel seen, understood and heard, then I would be doing my part."
"Joni Mitchell has always been a foundation artist for this radio station," says WFUV Program
Director Rita Houston. "She wrote the book on confessional songwriting and has stayed true to her own vision through the decades, making her a core influence for so many artists. Hearing them pay tribute to Joni through her songs illuminates those ties between them, and sheds new light on the genius her fans have connected with all along."
California native Madison Cunningham chose Mitchell's "California," from 1971's Blue, a track that helped her to conquer homesickness while on tour. On her 19th birthday,
Sarah Jarosz, who was suffering over her first romantic break-up, heard her friend Aoife O'Donovan play "Cactus Tree" from Mitchell's 1968 debut, Song to a Seagull - and never forgot the moment or the song. Flock of Dimes' Jenn Wasner told us that "Amelia," from 1976's Hejira, has "haunted me for 15 plus years," while New York siblings Bailen looked to Blue, for their version of "A Case of You" - a transformative album for Julia Bailen who cites Mitchell's open tunings as opening worlds for her as a musician. Son Little's
Aaron Livingston, who picked "
Woodstock" from 1970's Ladies of the Canyon, is struck by Mitchell's ability to address love and relationships boldly, "in a really poetic way."
"Joni is a pioneer, an original and a virtuoso," says Margo Price. "Her tuning and style have been - and will be - imitated for years to come. But there is only one Joni."
This artist-to-artist love letter, The Joni Project, is the second in a continuing series of Project programs from WFUV. The Joni Project follows just one year after WFUV's The Bruce Project, which marked Bruce Springsteen's 70th birthday with an hour of his hits - and lesser-known gems - covered by a panoply of his music peers.
While it's always illuminating to delve into artist influences in interviews, the realization of one artist's impact on another, via live performance, brings that respect to another level. The Joni Project features the following artists and songs: Bailen, "A Case of You" Courtney Marie Andrews, "Both Sides Now" Flock of Dimes, "
Amelia" Madison Cunningham, "
California" Margo Price, "
River" Matthew Caws, "Coyote" The Mountain Goats, "The Hissing of Summer Lawns"
Sarah Jarosz, "Cactus Tree" Son Little, "
Woodstock" Taylor Goldsmith, "Come In from the Cold"
The Joni Project will also be rebroadcast on 90.7FM on Saturday, November 7, Mitchell's birthday, at 3 p.m. and on Sunday, November 8, at 8 p.m., all times EST, streaming at WFUV.org. The special will be available on demand after broadcast at WFUV.org/Joni with more from the artists who participated.
