Sarah Slean pays tribute to Joni Mitchell in concert with Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
In honouring one of her heroes, Slean aims for a state of harmony with nature, surrounded by a “wall of gorgeous sound”
Sarah Slean.
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra presents Sarah Slean: A Joni Mitchell Tribute on October 28 and 29 at 8 pm at the Orpheum Theatre
WHEN FOUR-TIME Juno-nominated singer-songwriter Sarah Slean gets behind the mic in front of an audience, she enters into what she calls a flow state. It’s a place of utter harmony that she has found herself in on stages across Canada, the United States, and Europe and while opening for artists like Bryan Ferry, Rufus Wainwright, Alanis Morissette, Feist, Ron Sexsmith, and Chris Isaak.
“I feel like it’s when the analytical CEO of my mind that’s so annoying and so critical and so judgmental and so constant releases,” Slean tells Stir by phone. “It goes to sleep, like it’s been hypnotized, and the rest of my brain comes out to play.
“It’s like I plug into light socket, into a current, and the current flows through, and this natural state of being is in harmony with nature,” she adds. “When we see people in that state—a great athlete or wonderful musicians—flowing downstream in harmony with their own nature and with the world, it’s almost like permission to do the same, to allow yourself to rest in that harmony. That’s what a good performance does for an audience.”
A master of that flow state, in Slean’s view, is Joni Mitchell. Slean will honour the influential legend who was once described as the yang to Bob Dylan’s yin alongside the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in Sarah Slean: A Joni Mitchell Tribute.
“I feel like Joni Mitchell's entire life is a testament to nurturing, creating, and maintaining that space to exist in a flow state,” says Slean, who’s also a pianist, composer, and arranger who has released more than a dozen albums in 10 countries and written scores for film and TV. “She was in treacherous, shark-infested water a lot of the time with temptation all around her. She could have just gone down this easy path to make this easy money….She refused all of the bait. She constantly listened to that inner harmony, constantly obeyed the call to consonance to her own nature, a skill that is very difficult to maintain. It takes great spiritual strength to maintain that space, to constantly check in and make sure you are agreeing with your own nature, honouring your own nature. She’s the hero of that to me.”
Joni Mitchell. Photo via Facebook/Joni Mitchell
When Slean makes her VSO debut, she’ll perform songs from Mitchell’s 2000 album, Both Sides Now, and 2002’s Travelogue, both of which Grammy-winning musician Vince Mendoza arranged for orchestra. Spanning much of the seminal artist’s entire career, Travelogue features hits and lesser-known songs, including “Woodstock” and “The Circle Game” from 1970’s Ladies Of The Canyon and “Trouble Child” and “Just Like This Train” from 1974’s Court And Spark.
The concert is not, Slean emphasizes, an “impersonation” of Joni Mitchell: “That would be a great disservice to both of us,” she says. Rather, it’s a chance to pay homage to the woman that Slean looks up to in so many ways.
“My enthusiasm for music has only intensified as I’ve gotten older,” Slean says. “That’s why Joni is my hero. She’s 78 years old, and young people are discovering the power of her work, the honesty and authenticity of it. What a treasure that authenticity is in this culture that is hypnotized by youth, wealth, fame, and extremely superficial things. Joni’s real worth is finally being acknowledged….Her work is global and incredible and impactful because it’s real.
“Art is timeless,” she adds. “Real art withstands the flow of generations, the rise and fall of empires, trends, social-media apps… Real art cannot be threatened by these tides. Joni made real art and people are still nourished by it. If I can use my voice, my commitment to art, to honour her—yes! I’ve committed myself to music and art, and people like Joni led the way.”
Slean has performed with more than 10 symphony orchestras across Canada. As for teaming up with the VSO—which will be led by conductor Karl Hirzer, a young Canadian musician fast gaining acclaim on the global stage— Slean says she anticipates creating the kind of transformative flow state she thrives on, for herself and audiences alike.
“The goal and challenge with symphonies is not to completely dissolve in the exquisite beauty of it,” Slean says. “I have to make sure I don’t faint and swoon. I just love it so much. It’s a very, very powerful experience to be surrounded by the wall of gorgeous sound.”
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