Joni Mitchell’s Hejira is the last in an astonishingly long run of top-notch studio albums dating back to her debut. Some vestiges of her old style remain here; “Song for Sharon” utilizes the static, pithy vocal harmonies from Ladies of the Canyon’s “Woodstock,” “Refuge of the Roads” features woodwind touches reminiscent of those in “Barangrill” from For the Roses, and “Coyote” is a fast guitar-strummed number that has precedents as far back as Clouds’ “Chelsea Morning.” But by and large, this release is the most overtly jazz-oriented of her career up to this point — hip and cool, but never smug or icy.

“Blue Motel Room” in particular is a prototypic slow jazz-club combo number, appropriately smooth, smoky, and languorous. “Coyote,” “Black Crow,” and the title track are by contrast energetically restless fast-tempo selections. The rest of the songs here cleverly explore variants on mid- to slow-tempo approaches.

Performances are excellent, with special kudos reserved for Jaco Pastorius’ melodic bass playing on “Refuge of the Roads” and the title cut. This excellent album is a rewarding listen. (AMG)

Vinyl, LP, Reissue, Remastered, 180 g, Gatefold

Tracklist:
A1 Coyote 5:00
A2 Amelia 6:00
A3 Furry Sings The Blues 5:03
A4 A Strange Boy 4:15
A5 Hejira 6:35
B1 Song For Sharon 8:30
B2 Black Crow 4:20
B3 Blue Motel Room 5:03
B4 Refuge Of The Roads 6:37

1976’s Hejira stands out as a testament to Mitchell’s artistic evolution. Its subdued instrumentation, coupled with her introspective lyrics, resulted in timeless tracks like “Coyote” and “Furry Sings the Blues” with Neil Young on harmonica.

Mitchell once said: “I suppose a lot of people could have written a lot of my other songs, but I feel the songs on Hejira could only have come from me.”

2024 Remaster by Bernie Grundman

Tracklist:
A1. Coyote
A2. Amelia
A3. Furry Sings The Blues
A4. A Strange Boy
A5. Hejira
B1. Song For Sharon
B2. Black Crow
B3. Blue Motel Room
B4. Refuge Of The Road