Muscle Shoals Meets the 70s rewind

Part 11: Don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone

Hey, Muscle Shoals Meets the 70s friends: Who's president of the Ashley Brown fan club? I need a membership card ASAP. I don’t know how it’s true, but Ashley’s MSM the 70s “Big Yellow Taxi” performance was my first time seeing her live. Whoa. What an amazing first impression. Color me starstruck, friends. I'm OBSESSED.

This next to last song of night two, set one was a laid-back unplugged performance full of kismet Fiddleworms juice. There were major folky chill vibes emanating from Florence’s historic Shoals Theatre. There were so many standout elements of Ashley's "Big Yellow Taxi." Where to even begin? First, Mitch Mann on the acoustic guitar immediately sucked me in, then I saw Cissy Guin in the back keeping the beat on the congas(?). By the time those Shoals Sisters — Marie Lewey and Cindy Walker — gave me “ooh bop-bop-bop,” I was a goner. I had a smile so big my face hurt.

This performance was pretty perfect, friends — it was everything it needed to be. I can’t help but think Joni was hiding out backstage somewhere coaching Ashley, Mitch, Cissy, Marie, and Cindy because this rendition of “Big Yellow Taxi had to be just the way Joni intended. Joni's timelessly profound message was delivered with powerful simplicity that Saturday night in Florence, Alabama. What a perfect homage to an iconic living legend. Never forget, the 21st century music landscape would look very different without Joni’s trailblazing, y’all.

Spending time with “Big Yellow Taxi” was kind of like cleansing our palates, too. It was so beautifully sparse compared to most of the other performances of the night. Ashley’s voice has such an angelic sweetness about it that is easy, but it’s also so very strong. She sings with a natural heart that can’t be learned, friends. Oh my goodness, y’all, I have goosebumps just thinking about Ashley's voice — it's a very special gift.

“Big Yellow Taxi” … talk about an iconic song with nine lives, y'all. I’m a little embarrassed to admit my first introduction to “Big Yellow Taxi” was likely via Amy Grant’s cover back in the 1990s. Mine wasn’t a Joni Mitchell household, friends. Truthfully, it wasn’t until the resurgence of “Big Yellow Taxi” via the Counting Crows in the 2000s that I was compelled to do a deep dive into Joni’s music. I’ll say this: Ashley made it clear that “Big Yellow Taxi” has many miles left to go and Joni Mitchell's legacy is alive and well, too.

Just like Ashley’s voice and this unique MSM the 70s performance, Joni Mitchell’s music is in a category of its own, too. Paradise.

Stay tuned … more to come.

Dig Worms.

Photo credit: Devona Hawkins