'Songs gain fresh life' in The Songs of Joni Mitchell at The Wedgewood Rooms

I clearly need to listen to more Joni Mitchell.

For years, I’d boxed her away as part of that sprawling Laurel Canyon scene — a musical spaghetti junction of artists, collaborations and producers feeding into one another. I’m also guilty of pigeonholing Mitchell as the soundtrack to the flower-power, Woodstock era, when her music is harder to contain.

From left: Richard Sears, Lail Arad, Naima Bock and Jesca Hoop perform The Songs of Joni Mitchell at The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea. Picture: Jim Barber

placeholder image — From left: Richard Sears, Lail Arad, Naima Bock and Jesca Hoop perform The Songs of Joni Mitchell at The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea. Picture: Jim Barber

The evening was originally conceived and curated by Lail Arad to mark Mitchell’s 80th birthday. I’d heard Cerys Matthews some time ago celebrating Mitchell on BBC 6 Music while making a roast. Jesca Hoop’s connection runs deeper: she presented the BBC’s Legend: The Joni Mitchell Story. Hearing those connections now, after this performance, made me want to go back and listen properly.

Across two sets, this was a celebration and education: an introduction to the breadth of Mitchell’s writing through the artists’ personal connections to her songs.

The audience being seated at The Wedge added to the gentle vibe, with people greeting and catching up at the right moments. I’d read about that community feel in recent reviews, and it was tangible here. Subtle lighting added to the intimacy; at times, it was pin-drop quiet.

I was seriously blown away by these voices. A Case of You, beautifully sung by Naima Bock, stood out. Her voice was pitch-perfect, precise and natural, at times almost like woodwind.

Lail Arad’s a cappella California was another jaw-dropping moment – a delicate delivery of a notoriously tricky song. Lessons in Survival, previously unknown to me, was a revelation as Jesca Hoop inhabited it completely.

Richard Sears played beautifully throughout, serving the songs with sensitivity; his instrumental Little Green revealed Mitchell’s craft.

The finale saw all the performers together for Woodstock, their mesmerising three-part harmonies bringing the two sets together. It was the song that put Mitchell in my flower-power box, now sounding like something far bigger than that.

The songs gained fresh life through the artists’ passion.

I arrived thinking I knew Joni Mitchell. I left knowing I didn’t. I’ll be listening to more Mitchell, and exploring Hoop, Arad and Bock further.