Joni Mitchell DVD Out Tomorrow

Brad, a regular guy from Burlington Vt., has waited at least three for years for Joni Mitchell’s 1979 concert video Shadows & Light to come out on DVD. Brad’s user review of the video on Amazon.com says so, twice-once in all caps. Now, we don’t agree with him when he writes “I’d rather see the musicians than video clips of James Dean and Joni in a big bird suit.” We love Joni Mitchell in a bird suit, big or small. But we can’t disagree with Brad when he states that “it’s quite a thrill see Jaco here, at his best.” Yes, Pastorius smokes all the way through this set, as do Michael Brecker, Pat Metheny, Don Alias and Lyle Mays-the rest of Mitchell’s backing band at the County Bowl in Santa Barbara, Calif. concert, and all familiar names to the jazz crowd.

Brad, I hope you are reading this, for 2003 is your year. In fact, tomorrow is your day. Shadows & Light has been encoded on DVD, with 15 minutes of extra footage and in 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound. The concert’s sound can also be output in stereo and the whole show runs over 75 minutes.

Mitchell directed this video project herself and it originally came out on videotape and laserdisc in the late ’80s. In addition to the extra footage, the DVD features a bonus section of 48 behind-the-scenes photos of Mitchell and her musicians on tour, taken by tour photographer Joel Bernstein. Mitchell chose the pictures and was the art director for DVD project. Shadows and Light is being released via Shout! Factory.

Track list:

In France They Kiss On Main Street

Edith and the King Pin

Coyote

Free Man In Paris

Goodbye Pork Pie Hat

Jaco’s Solo

The High and the Mighty

Third Stone from the Sun

Dry Cleaner from Des Moines

Amelia

Pat’s Solo

Hejira

Black Crow

Furry Sings the Blues

Raised on Robbery

Why Do Fools Fall In Love?

(sung with the Persuasions)

Originally Published June 23, 2003