Both Sides Now: The Music of Joni Mitchell

Prolific Singer, songwriter and painter, Joni Mitchell’s incredible life has been chronicled through her music, in a career spanning all realms of popular music, from folk through to jazz, pop and beyond. From her 1968 album ‘Clouds’ through to her final recording ‘Shine’, released in 2007, her music has changed the landscape of popular music, and influenced generations of singers and musicians.

Presented by Western Australian jazz vocalist Penny King, along with a band comprised of some of Australia’s finest jazz musicians, this show pays tribute to a mere snapshot of Mitchell penned tunes selected from some of her most well known studio albums; ‘Ladies of the Canyon’, ‘Blue’, ‘Court and Spark’, ‘the Hissing of Summer Lawns’, ‘Hejira’ and ‘Mingus’.

‘Opening the proceedings with the beautiful “My Old Man”, King’s lilting tones roamed and soared to achieve the technically difficult Mitchell song style. There was a wonderful chemistry onstage as well as with the appreciative audience. King wove a terrific narrative around the numbers and there was plentiful happy interaction between the band members.’ Claire Condry, Australian Stage

From classic tunes such as ‘River’ to perennial favourite ‘Both sides now’, through to the quirky ‘Dry Cleaner from Des Moines’ there is something for every Joni fan, or in fact, any fan of popular music.

Featuring:

Penny King - Vocals

Jamie Oehlers - Saxophone

Russell Holmes – Piano

Simon Jeans – Guitar

Pete Jeavons – Bass

Ben Vanderwal – Drums

More about Penny King:

Penny King is a seasoned and deeply respected jazz vocalist from Perth, Western Australia. A firm favourite of Perth jazz audiences for over twenty years, Penny has remained highly in-demand at Perth’s best live music venues and festivals throughout her career. Her style defies musical classification, moving effortlessly between jazz and contemporary repertoire whilst adding her own touch to much-loved standards and modern hits. Working exclusively with Perth’s leading jazz musicians, Penny performs with grace, refinement and an unmistakable signature sound that has been carefully honed over many years of performance and recording.

Penny received national and international recognition in 2013 with her album Journey, recorded with her quintet comprised of some of the leading lights in Australian jazz today. The album was subsequently shortlisted for Best Australian Jazz Vocal Album at the 2014 Australian Jazz ‘Bell’ Awards. The album features both original compositions and original arrangements of jazz and contemporary standards, and was met with widespread critical acclaim.

Penny has performed at numerous festivals including the Perth International Jazz Festival, Fremantle International Jazz festival, Jazz By the Bay Festival, the Fairbridge Festival and many more. Penny also teaches vocals in the jazz program at WAAPA.