Music legend Joni Mitchell confirms new album after performing live for the first time in 20 years

Everyone is a fan of Joni Mitchell's music, as the Canadian singer's music resonated with the feelings of millions. The nine-time Grammy winner is best known for her authentic and original songwriting and her unique way of playing the guitar. Unfortunately, the singer suffered from a brain aneurysm, which left her unable to speak, walk or play the guitar, per NPR. However, the singer is now recovering and is all set to release a new live album.

She gave her fans a big surprise when she performed at the Newport Folk Festival in July this year. The surprised audience erupted as the singer-songwriter took the stage for the first time since suffering a brain aneurysm in 2015. Mitchell has now confirmed that her team is "trying to" turn this performance into a live album and her fans can't keep calm. She spoke to Elton John on his Apple Music radio show Rocket Hour in an exclusive interview, per The Guardian. 

John told her during the interview, "I’ve seen you through music. and, of course, your incredible rehabilitation, but music has helped you so much, and it’s beautiful to watch you evolve." He then went ahead and posed a very anticipated question, per The Los Angeles Times, "And people out there, you haven’t heard things from the Newport Folk Festival yet, but I think there’s going to be an album coming out of that one?"

Mitchell replied, "Yeah, we’re trying to put that out." Moreover, she revealed that she didn't have any rehearsals before performing at the festival. She added, "I couldn’t sing the key, I’ve become an alto. I’m not a soprano anymore, so I couldn’t sing the song. And I thought people might feel slighted that if I just played the guitar part, but I like the guitar part to that song." John noted that even though the singer only performed the guitar part, "it was very well received," by the audience. 

In addition to her new album, Mitchell also discusses the origins of her music which she thinks "made people nervous." She added, "People thought it was too intimate. It was almost like Dylan going electric. I think it upset the male singer-songwriters." However, she stated that today's generation accepted her music with open arms as "they seem to be able to face those emotions more easily than my generation." 

The album will be a collaborative performance with US Americana singer Brandi Carlile. It also featured singers like Blake Mills, Marcus Mumford, Wynonna Judd and more. According to Mitchell's website, "The last time Joni performed with guitar in hand in front of a paying audience was 8,660 days ago, on her 55th birthday." hence, it is a big comeback for the music sensation.

Just after the show, the 78-year-old told CBS that her experience of losing mobility and ability to speak was in fact a "return to infancy." It took years and a lot of effort for the singer to learn basic skills after the shocking moment in her life. She had to learn how to play the guitar again by watching her own videos "to see where I put my fingers." She has made a few public appearances since then, including a Chick Corea performance a year after her aneurysm and a Joni 75 birthday tribute event in Los Angeles in 2018. She discussed her health difficulties in a rare public appearance at the Kennedy Center last year.

She said, "I’m hobbling along but I’m doing all right." Mitchell has shocked even medical professionals with her recovery and that includes Dr. Anthony Wang, a neurosurgeon at Ronald Reagan UCLA Hospital. He told NPR, "To be able to recover to the point of being able to perform as a musician is really incredible."

Mitchell will lead her first headline show in 23 years next June at Washington's Gorge Amphitheatre as part of a two-night event titled Echoes Through the Canyon.