In many interviews, she's said that she "doesn't know what the word means". Sometimes she says that she generally doesn't work with "outside" producers 'cause she doesn't "want someone ELSE'S brush strokes" on her canvas.
That said, I wouldn't be the first person to notice that she gave some people a great amount of creative freedom to move around within her canvas. Jaco for example at the very begining of "Sweet Sucker Dance". Just before her vocal starts, he put this figure in that practically steps on her. Most people wouldn't have left that in there but it really builds tension in a jazz way. There's no way (in my opinion anyway) that a rock bassist like John Entwistle would have stepped into that particular space. It says oceans about Joni's thirst to collaborate in those days, and about the fact that she had some really, really wonderful players with her. Maybe there's chapter to be written called "Joni's sidemen". Hmmmmm. Stills, jt, Shorter, Erskine, Blade, Hancock, Jaco, Larry, shit! That's just for starters! Lama asked, >>>>>> I'm sure this has been discussed here before, but I can't remember it: why do Joni's albums not bear the credit "Produced by Joni Mitchell"?
