Song is latest from forthcoming live album
The first song Joni Mitchell sang at a Joni Jam — the intimate gathering of friends she and Brandi Carlile hosted during her recovery from a brain aneurysm — was George Gershwin’s “Summertime.” Rhino has unveiled a mesmerizing new performance of the tune, recorded live during Mitchell’s surprise return to the stage at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival. The song is from her forthcoming At Newport live album, due July 28th, the same weekend Newport Folk Festival 2023 takes place.
Produced by close collaborator Brandi Carlile, along with Mitchell, the music will be released on CD, 2 LP black vinyl, digital and streaming services along with Dolby Atmos. A clear vinyl version of the 2 LP set will be available exclusively from indie retail and Barnes & Noble.
Mitchell was joined on stage at the Newport Folk Festival by a star-studded band led by Carlile, the 9x Grammy-winning singer/songwriter. Other performers included Carlile’s bandmates Phil and Tim Hanseroth, Wynonna Judd, Marcus Mumford, Celisse, Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of Lucius, Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes, and more.
Mitchell delighted the audience, blending her voice with the other singers on stage on classics like “Big Yellow Taxi,” “A Case Of You,” and “Both Sides Now.” For good measure, she even flashed her guitar prowess, playing a solo instrumental version of “Just Like This Train.”
Last month, Mitchell headlined an epic Joni Jam at the Gorge Amphitheater in Quincy, Washington, marking her first ticketed performance in 23 years. Mitchell mesmerized the sold out crowd and received multiple standing ovations alongside special guests Carlile (who opened the evening with her own set and introduced Mitchell), Lisa Coleman, Taylor Goldsmith, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth, Mark Isham, Annie Lennox, Lucius (Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig), Ben Lusher, Sarah McLachlan, Wendy Melvoin, Blake Mills, Marcus Mumford, Josh Neumann, Allison Russell, and Rick Whitfield. The nearly three hour set included beloved Mitchell classics such as “Both Sides Now,” “Big Yellow Taxi,” “California,” “Blue,” and “A Case Of You,” and unique interpretations of “Love Potion No. 9,” “Summertime” and “Young at Heart.”
Mitchell’s ongoing return to the public eye continued in March when she was awarded the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song at an all-star tribute concert in Washington, DC. The show featured performances by James Taylor, Graham Nash, Annie Lennox, Herbie Hancock, Cyndi Lauper, Angelique Kidjo, Ledisi, and Diana Krall, along with several artists from the Newport concert, including Carlile.
