The pride of Queensland, Katie Noonan, is one of the finest singer-songwriters of her generation. So it’s fitting that she should lend her voice to the extraordinary work of another generation-defining songstress.
Joni Mitchell’s legendary album Blue is a collection of songs that holds significance for countless music lovers, but it was also an outpouring that was especially important to Mitchell herself. As she so perfectly put it: “It’s the purest emotional record that I will ever make in my life… there’s hardly a dishonest note in the vocals.”
Noonan is no stranger to pouring pure emotion into her music, earning her a reputation as one of Australia’s most dynamic and versatile performers, not to mention seven platinum records, 27 ARIA Award nominations and five ARIA Award wins. Alongside guitar virtuoso Ben Hauptmann, she will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of Blue by bringing her distinctive musicality to bear on timeless Mitchell classics like A Case of You and River.
“Blue is an album that unequivocally changed my life,” Noonan says. “From a compositional, lyrical and vocal performance point of view it has inspired me deeply. I love that the album was gifted to me from another female artist, and it is an album I regularly recommend to up-and-coming female artists also. Joni’s artistry and music genius is unparalleled, and I absolutely love singing her songs.”