MITCHELL, JONI

Joni Mitchell reached a creative and commercial high-water mark with 1974's COURT AND SPARK, an album that signaled her move from folk toward a sophisticated, jazz-inflected pop sound. Recorded with the jazz-fusion ensemble the L.A. Express, the record became the most successful of Mitchell's career, peaking at #2 on the Billboard 200 and producing her highest-charting singles, "Help Me" (#7) and "Free Man In Paris" (#22). A critical juggernaut, the album earned three GRAMMYr nominations_including Album of the Year_and won for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) for "Down To You." Today, it remains a cornerstone of the 1970s singer-songwriter era.