Joni Mitchell released her beguiling, jazzy masterpiece ‘Hejira’ in 1976 and it has been weaving its influential spell ever since. Two and a half years ago Oxford jazz guitarist Pete Oxley formed a 7-piece band called Hejira for a one-off gig in order to play the jazzier songs from Mitchell’s oeuvre.
It was so successful that they played another. And another. Yesterday evening’s concert in a sweltering Oxford Playhouse marked the band’s 100th show – a homecoming of sorts, and a sell out.
And it’s not hard to understand why; this band of Joni-heads played impeccably well through the evening’s two one-hour sets. And while they didn’t radically change the original arrangements of the songs, they did give themselves room to breathe and show off their impressive soloing abilities.
While the band leader was obviously Oxley, the spotlight was, of course, on singer/guitarist Hattie Whitehead when the rest of the band weren’t dazzling with their solo turns.
And rightly so, Whitehead not only has an impressively Joni-ish voice but never once tripped up on those reams and reams of poetic lyrics that Mitchell crammed in to her mid 70s songs.
We were treated to Song For Sharon, Amelia, Coyote and the title track from the Hejira album, which were lapped up by the appreciative audience, thanks in small part due to Dave Jones, who superbly emulated the late great Jaco Pistorius’ style on his fretless bass.
We also get firm fan-favourites Free Man In Paris and Help Me from 1974’s ‘Court and Spark’ and, in possibly the most daring move of the evening, the final song, A Case Of You was reworked in a lounge-jazz styling, complete with brushed drums and guitar solo.
Oxley penned instrumental aside, this was a wonderful evening when singing, lyrics, playing and arrangements came together to mesmerising effect.
THIS is the way to do ‘tribute band’ music. Here’s to the next 100 shows!
Hejira are playing extensively around the UK in 2025, many gigs already sold out. Book at https://www.peteoxley.com/gigs
EDWARD BLISS
