Joni Mitchell Debuts the First Ever Video for Her Famous Christmas Song, “River,” Following Kennedy Center Tribute

Last night Joni Mitchell was one of the five Kennedy Center honorees, wrapping up a year of celebrations for the beloved singer songwriter. This year has also been the 50th anniversary of her album, “Blue.” Last night Brandi Carlile sang “River,” Joni’s famous “it’s coming on Christmas” song” on the show.

This morning there’s a video for “River” for the first time ever. Director Matvey Rezanov and Shazka Studios use animated watercolor painting to capture the song’s lonesome mood while paying tribute to Mitchell’s prolific creativity as a painter. Well done! The video is in conjunction with two box sets from Rhino of Joni’s archived live performances, a must have collection.