at 21:23 on January 28, 2007, EST.
By CASSANDRA SZKLARSKI

TORONTO (CP) - Upon being presented with an acoustic guitar custom-made just for her, there was only one thing Joni Mitchell wanted to do: sit down and strum.

The music legend cradled the spruce instrument in her hands and caressed the strings while backstage at a glitzy gala tribute to her songwriting Sunday.

"The intonation is fantastic," Mitchell said grinning, a chunky gold necklace around her neck gleaming. "This is a pretty slack tuning - it's pretty good, thank you."

Looking relaxed and at ease as a clutch of photographers swarmed her, the notoriously reclusive artist chatted casually about the gift presented to her by Quebec cousins and luthiers Robin and Claude Boucher, of Berthier-Sur-Mer, Que.

The impromptu performance came minutes before Mitchell was to be serenaded onstage by famous friends James Taylor, Chaka Khan and Herbie Hancock.

Hancock, who collaborated with Mitchell in the late '70s as she experimented with free-form jazz, said backstage that he was honoured to have been asked to present the award to the Canadian songstress.

"I don't know how she does it," Hancock said of his friend's acclaimed songwriting, known for its musical complexity and astute lyrics.

"Everything that she writes sounds unbelievable to me."

Hancock and Khan were scheduled to sing Mitchell's classic "Help Me" and Taylor was to perform "Woodstock" at the star-filled event, also featuring jazz crooner Michael Buble, country singer Corb Lund, singer-songwriter Jim Cuddy and soprano Measha Brueggergosman.

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 the Boucher cousins, 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' "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.


©The Canadian Press, 2007

Very nice ~ thank you for sharing!

Did that tribute album ever come out?

MoonSongs said:

We posted at the same time.

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I hope someone's got tape or DVD burning, -- I'd love to see this !!!!!






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