In 1966 a little girl named Joni Anderson Mithcell played a 'coffee house' in Saginaw, Michigan. Joni had been in 'the states' only about 3 months and was living in Detroit off of Cass Ave. (Every Detroiter will know!) I was a college sophmore and my girl friend and I went to the show with another graudate student who played an 'audition set' betweeen Joni's sets. We all got to share a table for the 'artists' for the evening. She played The Circle Game in the first set and played it 3 more times that night at my insistent requests. Still may be my favorite out of her incredible music.
Several months later I moved to Detriot myself and lived in the Cass Corridor and found Joni lived up stairs. She separated from Chuck Mithchell and headed out for Califorinia in the wake of divorcce and the heart ache of placing her baby for adoption. We would sit at the Traffic Jam, a tiny neighborhood bar that is a upscale bar and restaurant today, and talk.
I have not seen her since, except in concert (opened for Dylan in Minneapolis in the late 1990s). I would love to be back in Saginaw at the Ginger Blue and sipping muddy expresso and watching a left handed guitar player on an upside down guitar with the voice and the words of an angel. I wonder if she remembers Detriot and Richard?
Richard
Several months later I moved to Detriot myself and lived in the Cass Corridor and found Joni lived up stairs. She separated from Chuck Mithchell and headed out for Califorinia in the wake of divorcce and the heart ache of placing her baby for adoption. We would sit at the Traffic Jam, a tiny neighborhood bar that is a upscale bar and restaurant today, and talk.
I have not seen her since, except in concert (opened for Dylan in Minneapolis in the late 1990s). I would love to be back in Saginaw at the Ginger Blue and sipping muddy expresso and watching a left handed guitar player on an upside down guitar with the voice and the words of an angel. I wonder if she remembers Detriot and Richard?
Richard