Eric Ford

Imogen Ryall: Imogen Ryall Sings the Charles Mingus / Joni Mitchell Songbook

by Neil Duggan
December 8, 2023

In 1976, bassist Charles Mingus was suffering from a degenerative condition which had left him part-paralysed and unable to play or compose in a conventional manner. He still had a mind full of musical ideas so needed a collaborator. He had become aware of Joni Mitchell and thought she might be the right choice. For her part, Mitchell had gradually been escaping the confines of her folky image, flirting with jazz structures in her albums and saw an opportunity to ...