Joni Mitchell

Canada, 1964–now

Canadian singer and songwriter who used unconventional open tunings and increasingly complex harmony, moving from the folk writing of Blue to the jazz collaborations of Hejira and Mingus.

MusicRoots documents 3 artists who influenced Joni Mitchell and 2 artists Joni Mitchell influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.

Who influenced Joni Mitchell?

• Wayne Shorter — Shorter played on ten of Mitchell's albums from Don Juan's Reckless Daughter onward, and his soprano became a voice inside her late jazz music - she edited his takes, he said, as if painting with them.
• Bob Dylan — Dylan was the songwriting benchmark Mitchell measured herself against and transcended.
• Miles Davis — Mitchell said she learned more as a singer from Miles Davis than anyone — 'Kind of Blue' and 'Sketches of Spain' gave her her expansive harmony.

Which artists did Joni Mitchell influence?

• Taylor Swift — Swift has called Joni Mitchell's Blue a formative influence on her confessional, diaristic songwriting.
• Ani DiFranco — The other half — open tunings and a guitar part that is the arrangement rather than an accompaniment to it.