The “formidable” musician Joni Mitchell said she spent years waiting for
Summing up a writer like Joni Mitchell is a tall task, for her ability as both a poet and a musician was unlike anything the musical world had ever seen.
There was simplicity in what she did, sure, but there was also a profound beauty there that you didn’t hear anywhere else. Following the rise of Bob Dylan, you didn’t have to look far to try to find a folk artist writing great music, but none were as good at it as her.
Some would even argue that Mitchell could one-up Dylan in certain aspects; for instance, David Crosby, when talking about her brilliance as a songwriter, spoke about how he believes she was better than one of the most famous folk artists of the time.
“She’s as good a poet as Bob [Dylan], and she’s ten times the musician and singer that he is,” he said, “I care about him, but the truth is she’s much better as a musician and much better as a singer”.
Given that Mitchell was establishing herself as a force to be reckoned with when it came to folk music, it was surprising for everyone when she turned her artistic efforts towards more of a jazz-infused sound, stepping away from that stripped-back atmosphere that she had so effortlessly made her own, and instead leaning into more of a full-bodied sound.
Despite dipping her toes in uncharted waters, she still had a solid idea about the kind of sound she was looking for, which really is a testament to her ability as a musician, wherein, regardless of going into the unknown, she was still able to work with other musicians and create a style of music that she was proud to put her name on.
One artist she particularly enjoyed working with was Jaco Pastorious, someone who was never in doubt about his ability as a bass player, as from a young age, he was aware he had a knack for rhythm that was truly something special. His brother Rory can attest to as much, as he recalled in the book Jaco: The Extraordinary and Tragic Life of Jaco Pastorious, an exchange that he and his brother once had: “He looked me dead in the eye and said, real seriously, ‘Rory, man, I’m the best bass player on Earth’. I looked back at him and said, ‘I know’.”
When Mitchell was looking for a bass player to work with, she wanted someone who didn’t worry too much about playing the root note and instead injected a swing into their playing by going higher up the fret. That’s exactly what she found with Pastorious, as he was never worried about dancing his way up the fret; in fact, he revelled in not playing like a conventional bassist. When they started playing together, she knew that she had come across someone special, and became excited by the prospect of playing together.
“He was formidable,” she said, “You can hear it in the mixes back then. He was very dominating. But I put up with it; I even got a kick out of it. Because I was so thrilled about the way he played. It was exactly what I was waiting for.”
