the art historian's mixtape

Album cover for Turbulent Indigo

I first encountered Joni Mitchell on a mixtape my friend made me for my 17th birthday. Buried in a sea of Queen, Pat Benatar, and the Doors was "River" off of Blue. I never thought much about that track. She had a sweet voice and a piano, and I wasn't really into that. Joni came back into my life one spring Saturday. My friend and I drove down the mountain to sift through Carhartts in search of dresses at the Hammers in South Pittsburg. The windows were down and "This Flight Tonight" was on. I've loved Joni ever since. When Joni isn't writing she's painting. This weeks art historian's mixtape brings you a self portrait of Joni Mitchell as Vincent van Gogh, and "Turbulent Indigo," a song about the artist.