Joni Mitchell Revamps Jazz Era with New Box Set
The Asylum Albums (1976-1980) comes out June 21st via Rhino
A triad of road trips in 1975 and 1976 inspired Joni Mitchell to embark on a new musical journey that prompted a bold new era of creativity in her career.
That period, at long last, is finally getting remastered in a new box set, The Asylum Albums (1976-1980), that compiles four of her best albums: 1976’s Hejira, 1977’s Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter (with alternate cover art), 1979’s Mingus, and the 1980 live album Shadows and Light. The gorgeous set, with artwork taken from one of Joni’s paintings, comes with liner notes from acclaimed actress Meryl Streep, who honored Mitchell in 2022 with a MusiCares’ Person of the Year tribute.
It was during this time that Mitchell boldly declared her move from the “hit department” to the “art department.” The critics at the time were more interested in tabloid fodder than the trajectory of Mitchell’s creativity, and missed out on the artist’s most fertile period that’s only recently been properly reevaluated. These albums are jazz juggernauts that found Joni in session with the likes of such master players as Larry Carlton and Pat Metheny (guitar), Michael Brecker (saxophone), Herbie Hancock (keyboard), and Don Alias (percussion), as well as several members of Weather Report, including Jaco Pastorius (bass) and Wayne Shorter (saxophone).
“It’s not just the artifact—music and lyrics—that Joni gives us. Her artistry leaves us, ourselves, changed,” Streep writes in her liner notes. “She has shifted things around inside us. And that’s how artists change the world.”
The release of The Asylum Albums (1976-1980), excitingly, sets the stage for the Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 4, the next installment in the archival series dedicated to exploring Mitchell’s career through unreleased studio and live recordings. More details will be announced later this year.
In other news, Mitchell will perform at the Hollywood Bowl on October 19 and 20 for two highly anticipated sold-out shows. These are Mitchell’s first Los Angeles headlining shows in more than two decades. On both nights, she’ll be accompanied by the Joni Jam ensemble.
Below, listen to “Coyote (2024 Remaster),” from Hejira, along with the complete track list. The Asylum Albums (1976-1980) is out June 21 via Rhino.
The Asylum Albums (1976-1980)
Track Listing
Hejira
- “Coyote”
- “Amelia”
- “Furry Sings The Blues”
- “A Strange Boy”
- “Hejira
- “Song For Sharon”
- “Black Crow”
- “Blue Motel Room”
- “Refuge Of The Road”
Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter
- “Overture – Cotton Avenue”
- “Talk To Me”
- “Jericho”
- “Paprika Plains”
- “Otis And Marlena”
- “The Tenth World”
- “Dreamland”
- “Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter”
- “Off Night Backstreet”
- “The Silky Veils Of Ardor”
Mingus
- “Happy Birthday 1975”
- “God Must Be A Boogie Man”
- “Funeral” (Rap)
- “A Chair In The Sky”
- “The Wolf That Lives In Lindsey”
- “I’s A Muggin” (Rap)
- “Sweet Sucker Dance”
- “Coin In The Pocket” (Rap)
- “The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines”
- “Lucky” (Rap)
- “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat”
Shadows And Light
Disc One
- Introduction
- “In France They Kiss On Main Street”
- “Edith And The Kingpin”
- “Coyote”
- “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat”
- “The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines”
- “Amelia”
- Pat’s Solo
- “Hejira”
Disc Two
- “Black Crow”
- Don’s Solo
- “Dreamland”
- “Free Man In Paris”
- Band Introduction
- “Furry Sings The Blues”
- “Why Do Fools Fall In Love”
- “Shadows And Light”
- “God Must Be A Boogie Man”
- “Woodstock”
AUDIO: Joni Mitchell “Coyote”
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