Musicians honour Joni Mitchell at gala

Her lower lip dropping at times, her eyes fixed on the stage, Canadian songwriter Joni Mitchell smiled, giggled and swayed to the music Sunday as she was serenaded and praised by famous friends, including James Taylor, Herbie Hancock and Chaka Khan.

The legendary musician received a trophy from the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame with humour and warmth at its annual gala, laughing and wondering aloud what she should say as she took the stage in front of a standing ovation.

Her first song was written at about age 21, Mitchell recalled, "and as you know, I wrote a lot of them," she said to laughter.

"A lot of them are quite orthodox," continued Mitchell, draped in a flowing olive and mauve outfit.

"You know, I'm told that I'm really born with a scientific bent more than a creative [bent], I need to explore and discover and so that has given me, really, to some what seems like courage but really it's just in my stars, there's nothing I can do about it."

Earlier, Hancock described Mitchell's music as vital, and her songwriting "a map to the human heart."

"Joni had vision so far out on music's horizon that she would never stay in one place with one sound," said Hancock, a jazz innovator who collaborated with Mitchell on the 1979 album Mingus.

"The word that comes to me when I think of Joni is: unbridled. And her career is a story of freedom of expression."

Mitchell receives accolades

Hancock and Khan wowed the audience with a jazzy version of Mitchell's hit Help Me, while Taylor performed her song Woodstock.

"Joni, you've been a dear friend and a great wellspring of inspiration musically to me throughout these years," Taylor said before his acoustic performance. "I love you."

Country pioneer Wilf Carter, Broadway lyricist Raymond B. Egan and Montreal chanteur Jean-Pierre Ferland were also inducted into the hall of fame.

Ferland was also presented with a custom-made guitar by cousins and luthiers, Robin and Claude Boucher of Berthier-Sur-Mer, Que. Boucher, who have been making guitars for 35 years. Ferland was to be recognized in performances by francophone stars Isabelle Boulay, Laurence Jalbert and Mario Pelchat. French star Patrick Bruel sent in a videotaped address from Paris.

Ferland is considered a figurehead of Quebec music, receiving two major tributes from his peers in recent years.

Classic songs inducted at the ceremony included David Clayton-Thomas's Spinning Wheel, Ralph Freed and Burton Lane's How About You and Sylvia Tyson's You Were On My Mind, recorded with her then-husband Ian Tyson.

Mitchell, an accomplished singer, painter, poet and photographer, has won over audiences with versatile forays into folk, pop, rock and jazz circles.

Her songs have been covered by thousands of artists, including Judy Collins, Fairport Convention, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Aimee Mann and Sarah McLachlan.

The concert will be broadcast on CBC Radio on Monday and on CBC-TV in March.