Big Yellow Podcast

We’re wrapping up the final four of Joni’s studio albums today: ‘Taming the Tiger’ (1998), ‘Both Sides Now’ (2000), ‘Travelogue’ (2002) and ‘Shine’ (2007).As I mention in this episode…full transparency here: I’m not totally sure where this show will go from here. There likely won’t be consistent guests, but trust me when I say I’m always hearing about new people that I think would make excellent guests, the kind that are carrying similar artistic torches to the one Joni did and still is. If anyone out there has recommendations, I’m always ears.As always, thanks for listening x* Allison Get full access to Big Yellow Podcast at allisonrapp.substack.com/subscribe

I first learned of Courtney Marie Andrews, the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, via an album of Tom Waits covers called Women Sing Waits. That title speaks for itself, and Courtney does a brilliant version of “Downtown Train" on it.Personally, I love Courtney’s 2020 album Old Flowers, especially “Burlap String.” It was on repeat often during the early post-pandemic months when there still wasn’t much to do except take walks around the park. That’s all to say: I’m a fan. So it was a wonderful treat when she agreed to meet me in person at a bar in the East Village to talk about her brand new album Valentine, which comes out January 16, plus the ever-shifting influence of Joni Mitchell on her work. Courtney is as lovely to speak with as it is to listen to her music and I’m quite grateful to have spent a bit of solo time with her. Highly recommend checking out the new album and keeping an eye on her website — she’ll be touring behind the album this year!I hope you’ll excuse the extra background noise/music in this episode. It’s a bit distracting, but it’s the sound of two gals in a New York City bar talkin’ about Joni. Thanks for listening x* Allison Get full access to Big Yellow Podcast at allisonrapp.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the ‘90s era of Joni Mitchell! You may find some relief here from the over-produced sheen that was the ‘80s, but you will find music no less challenging on 1991’s Night Ride Home.Thanks for listening x* Allison Get full access to Big Yellow Podcast at allisonrapp.substack.com/subscribe

We are just chugging right along here with Joni’s ‘80s albums. Next up: 1985’s Dog Eat Dog.Thanks for listening x* Allison Get full access to Big Yellow Podcast at allisonrapp.substack.com/subscribe

As I mention in this episode, it’s possible the world may not have gotten to know Joni Mitchell the way it ultimately did without Judy Collins, who was an early champion of her work in New York’s Greenwich Village and whose covers of “Both Sides, Now,” “Chelsea Morning” and others helped put Joni in a position to continue soaring upwards.For those unfamiliar with the story: It was Judy who once got a call in the middle of the night from Al Kooper, who told her she simply must hear this new singer-songwriter. He put Joni on the phone, who sang “Both Sides, Now,” and Judy immediately recognized the magic.Judy has been a beautiful and inspiring force in the music world for 60 some years and she’s still out there, at 86, delighting audiences with her insight, charm and wisdom. Thrilled to say: here is the next episode of Big Yellow Podcast, featuring Judy Collins.Thanks for listening x* Allison Get full access to Big Yellow Podcast at allisonrapp.substack.com/subscribe

Cover bands get a bad rap. With the right people, they can be beautiful tributes to music that deserves to live on in local venues or online, made by musicians who care.Big Yellow Taxi, a cover band based in Massachusetts that performs the music of Joni Mitchell, is an excellent example of that. I recently spoke with two of its members, vocalist Teresa Lorenco and multi-instrumentalist Rich Cahillane, about bringing Joni’s music to audiences who might not otherwise get to hear it and how they’ve grown as artists themselves along the way. (You can check out their concert schedule on their website.)Not to mention…this marks the very first LIVE performance on Big Yellow Pod!!! I am overjoyed. Thanks for listening x* Allison Get full access to Big Yellow Podcast at allisonrapp.substack.com/subscribe

In the late ‘70s, an unlikely couple came together in the form of jazz legend Charles Mingus and singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. The result was 1979’s Mingus. Here’s a little look into how it got made.Thanks for listening x* Allison Get full access to Big Yellow Podcast at allisonrapp.substack.com/subscribe

Last fall, I traveled back to my hometown of Buffalo for the Thanksgiving holiday and what should I be greeted with? A Joni Mitchell tribute concert by Lauren and the Good Souls. Led by Lauren Faggiano, this group has it all — horns, harp, mandolin, etc. — and some great versions of Joni classics, deep cuts and fan favorites. Here’s my conversation with Lauren. You can check out the band’s website here.Thanks for listening x* Allison Get full access to Big Yellow Podcast at allisonrapp.substack.com/subscribe

For those of you into Joni Mitchell books, this is a good moment in time. Here’s an interview I did with Henry Alford, author of the new book I Dream of Joni: A Portrait of Joni Mitchell in 53 Snapshots. In involves stories of Prince, potential tours of the Soviet Union and many other incredible anecdotes from Joni’s life.Thanks for listening x* Allison Get full access to Big Yellow Podcast at allisonrapp.substack.com/subscribe

You may recognize Ian Grant’s name — he’s co-host of the Jokermen podcast series, which started out being about Bob Dylan and has since evolved into conversations about Lou Reed, Brian Wilson and more. Ian was kind and brave enough to personally volunteer himself to come on Big Yellow Pod to talk about a Joni Mitchell album he said he’d recently gone down a rabbit hole with, 1976’s Hejira. What I did not know before we hopped on Zoom was that Ian’s familiarity with Joni’s music apart from Hejira is limited. This excited me! Contrary to what some may think when they listen to these guest episodes, no one needs to be an expert on Joni to join. This is a show designed for listeners of all fan levels.So here, Ian and I discuss Hejira. Thanks for listening x* Allison Get full access to Big Yellow Podcast at allisonrapp.substack.com/subscribe

Joan Wasser, aka Joan as Police Woman, is an all around badass, in my opinion. A real force of talent who has played in bands, made solo records, toured the world and done it all with the kind of can-do attitude that doesn’t always come easily. She’s also a disciple of Joni Mitchell and someone who recognizes the hurdles that seem to have a persistent way of telling women in creative fields: you and your identity as a woman don’t belong here. You’ll learn more about Joan in this episode, in which we chat about that very thing. Thanks for listening x* Allison Get full access to Big Yellow Podcast at allisonrapp.substack.com/subscribe

It turns out Joni Mitchell’s influence literally runs in the Carlile family.Some of you, I’m sure, are already familiar with Brandi Carlile, the very talented singer-songwriter who befriended Joni in recent years and is one of the living, breathing reasons Joni has returned to performing. Brandi has spoken at length over the years about how much Joni’s life and career has impacted her own — Carlile’s family is from Washington state, not all that far from the Canadian border, and like Joni, Brandi grew up in a rural setting that was never going to be big enough for her dreams. Now, years after being introduced to Joni’s music herself, Brandi is evidently instilling some of that influence into the next generation of her own family. In this episode of Big Yellow Pod, I speak with Caroline and JayJ Carlile, Brandi’s niece and nephew. The two teenagers, along with their dad, record and perform their own original music under the name – you guessed it — the Carlile Family Band. Not to get too sentimental here, but this episode is one of my favorites so far — it’s comforting to see a couple of bright and inquisitive young artists pursue their dreams in spite of it all, as Joni once did and Brandi too. Every so often it lifts the spirits to see that the kids are alright. If you’d like to learn more about the Carlile Family Band, check out their website. They’ve got an EP release show coming up on Jan. 11 for those of you in the Nashville area, and as you’ll hear in this episode: there’s something in it for you if you go.Happy New Year and thanks for listening x* Allison Get full access to Big Yellow Podcast at allisonrapp.substack.com/subscribe

This is a historic moment for Big Yellow Podcast. This week’s episode marks the very first to have been recorded between myself and the subject in person, and it’s with none other than legendary jazz guitarist Bill Frisell.I first learned of Bill through my high school boyfriend (shoutout to Will who ended up an incredibly talented jazz guitarist of his own), and have interviewed him a handful of times over the years. (If you’d like to read those, here they are: Gentle Guitar Giant: Bill Frisell Is Still Learning and Bob Dylan's Town Hall History Honored With NYC Tribute ...)I’ve also seen Bill perform live a few times — always a treat — and have never really stopped keeping tabs on him. Aside from being arguably one of the most accomplished jazz guitarists alive today, he’s also undeniably one of the kindest, most humble people I’ve spoken with in this industry. (A few weeks ago, while on tour in Europe, he wrote me an email in which he misspelled my name by one letter, then followed it up with another email three hours later apologizing profusely and correcting himself.) So I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised when he offered to meet with me in person to talk about Joni. Yes, you’ll hearing a lot of ancillary noise in this recording, but just picture two people sitting at a sandwich shop talking about Joni, since that’s what’s happening here. As you’ll also hear in this episode, Bill insists he’s no Joni scholar. But really, who among us is? He’s a longtime fan, a fellow guitarist and — to make this episode even more historical — the first person on Big Yellow Podcast to have played with Joni herself. Thanks for listening x* Allison Get full access to Big Yellow Podcast at allisonrapp.substack.com/subscribe