Joni Mitchell has been famous for almost sixty years. Her early albums such as Blue, Court & Spark and Hejira soundtracked the lives of many who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s. Even though only one single, “Big Yellow Taxi,” reached the UK Top Forty, other Mitchell songs achieved fame when recorded by others, including Nazareth’s rocking version of the song that gave this superb concert its title — “This Flight Tonight.”
This Flight Tonight: the songs of Joni Mitchell is the creation of Welsh musicians and songwriters Paul Zervas, on acoustic guitar, and Kathryn Pepper on vocals and dulcimer. The pair have been working together for over a decade, but they’ve been performing this tribute only since 2023, showcasing songs from Mitchell’s first eight albums, beginning with 1968’s Song to a Seagull and ending with Hejira from 1976. Zervas and Pepper don’t merely present the songs in chronological order, however, they manage the setlist with an impressive feel for each song’s mood, pace and style — a reflection of the care which the duo clearly take with every aspect of the show.
The concert was part of the Summer at Snape programme, the 800-seat Snape Maltings Concert Hall was almost full and the large crowd — apparently the largest yet for a performance of This Flight Tonight — coupled with the hall’s impressive, almost mystical, setting within the Suffolk countryside, caused Zervas to feel somewhat nervous. He told us this more than once, but the nerves didn’t show in his expressive acoustic guitar playing, although they may have been responsible for him thanking us for coming out on a Thursday evening — as a few audience members pointed out, it was a Wednesday. He was happy to be corrected: there’s a warmth to these performers that readily translated to the audience and they soon formed a rapport with the crowd that lasted throughout the night.
Zervas and Pepper started the evening as a duo, the guitarist seated and the singer standing to his right. Pepper bore a startling visual resemblance to Mitchell in her singer/songwriter phase — long blonde hair, long white gown. Then she began singing and the illusion was complete. She matches Mitchell’s voice perfectly: her range, clarity of expression, intonation, distinctive vibrato and resonant lower register all come across in Pepper’s singing. This is no mean feat. The pair began with the upbeat and cheering “Chelsea Morning” followed by the more reflective and downbeat “Cactus Tree.” Zervas took a break as keyboard player Charlie Herbert joined Pepper for “Woodstock.” It’s still a beautiful song almost sixty years after it was written, although the misplaced optimism of the lyrics can make for tough listening today. Of all the eight albums, Zervas and Pepper gave Blue the most stage time: “Blue,” “California,” “All I Want,” “Carey” and “A Case of You” appeared in sequence to close the first half of the evening, with conga player and electric guitarist Sam Andrews and bassist Andrew Brown making their first appearance on “California” and Pepper adding dulcimer to the songs.
Zervas and Pepper opened the second set with “This Flight Tonight” (another song from Blue) and “For the Roses” before the rest of the band returned for half a dozen songs from Court and Spark, Hissing of Summer Lawns and Hejira. This set demonstrated Mitchell’s shift from the acoustic singer/songwriter approach of the first few albums towards a more complex, jazz-oriented, style. She began to record with leading jazz players including Larry Carlton, Victor Feldman and Jaco Pastorius: tough acts to follow, but the performers were well up to the challenge. Brown came into his own on these songs, while Andrews played some beautifully fluid lead guitar from his seat at the rear of the stage, mostly hidden behind his congas. The three songs from Court and Spark, the title track, “Free Man in Paris” and “Help Me,” were joyous. The show closed with “Coyote,” a beautifully crafted version of a song from Hejira, although Pepper recommended the recording Mitchell made with The Band on The Last Waltz. Quite rightly, in my view.
An encore was demanded and provided. Pepper and Herbert returned for a piano and vocal duet on another track from Blue, “River,” giving a perfectly-judged rendition of one of Mitchell’s loveliest and most heart-rending songs. The rest of the players reappeared for a singalong “Big Yellow Taxi” before the performance finished, unsurprisingly, with “Both Sides Now.” It was the end of a memorable evening. This Flight Tonight: the songs of Joni Mitchell is a fine and hugely enjoyable tribute to the performer and her work.
Photo credit: Britten Pears Arts
One Response
I have witnessed Zervas and Pepper and their musicianship, vocals, harmonies, taste in Joni’s music is to be admired and enjoyed. Simply put – I’ve not seen better – ever.
I dont have any more words – and none are required – if you love Joni’s work – you will simply love this.