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Joni Mitchell and Tracy Chapman Made for an Outstanding Grammys, but the Show Has Forgotten How to Spotlight New Artists: TV Review
Performances by Tracy Chapman and Joni Mitchell made for the best Grammys in years. But the refusal to book best new artist contenders leaves a hole.
Chapman’s reasons for eschewing almost all public appearances remain somewhat mysterious, but if the graciousness she exhibited in coming back and sharing a moment with a truly earnest acolyte didn’t make you want to cry, you don’t deserve “Fast Car.” The world has had a little time to get used to that idea, thanks to a very intermittent series of “Joni jams.” But given the tiny percentage of people who’ve experienced those performances live, you could imagine casual fans still being a little nervous about how she’d be on a stage now, after her aneurism nine years ago. As Mitchell was surrounded by her musical support system, a cozy-looking community of accompanist friends — including Allison Russell, Jacob Collier, Lucius, Blake Mills and, of course, Carlile — we didn’t just get back a performer we feared had been lost to us.
Or read this on Variety
