In 1975 Joni Mitchell sang, "I lay down golden and woke up vanishing" on Sweet Bird which proved to be a moving observation on the aging process. While she may have faded from the mainstream public eye, her devout followers still consider her a vital presence in music. You can hear her voice in almost any new singer-songwriter today, for whom the album Blue is required listening—a baptism by fire. So many artists emulate or steal some crumpet of truth from it. Strangely, a proper tribute album has been absent, although one has been in the works since 1997 with artists from Stevie Wonder to Elvis Costello contributing, but it never saw the light of day.

In 2002 Joni switched labels from Reprise to Nonesuch, the latter being the home to the echelon of such musical stalwarts as Caetano Veloso, Ry Cooder, and Pat Metheny. Some of these label mates appear on Tribute performing Mitchell songs for the first time ever.

Tribute, as with many similar projects, has a fifty-fifty mix of straightforward covers and adventurous interpretations. Sufjan Steven’s "Free Man in Paris" surely falls in the audacious category. He completely deconstructs the original, adding gallant trumpets which give the song a madrigal-like quality by way of Yes. Whether you feel this is an egregious error or work of genius you must give him credit for avoiding a middle of the road attempt at one of Mitchell’s catchiest songs.

Other noteworthy covers that are worth the price of purchase alone include Bjorks’ restrained, but artful "The Boho Dance," Prince’s R&B ballad for "A Case of You," and Elvis Costello’s Mingus-esque "Edith and the Kingpin." Bjork’s sparse accompaniment lets the listener focus on Mitchell’s powerful play of words while sounding like an original of her own. Costello, who had long professed his love for "The Hissing of Summer Lawns" record from 1975, transforms "Edith" into a slow, burning orchestral jazz abstract worthy of adulation.

Some of the less adventurous tracks on Tribute are also the most enjoyable. Caetano Veloso’s "Dreamland" sounds unsurprisingly like his own work—percussive, swaying, social-political and colorful. K.D. Lang’s "Help Me" is a spot-on cover that inherits a breezy summer vibe worthy of repeated plays. Though, "The Magdalene Laundries," performed by Emmylou Harris, is the most achingly poignant. As Mitchell’s contemporary and having drunk from the same fountain of sorrow and emotion, Harris delivers an impassioned performance.

Unfortunately, there are some bumps in Tribute’s golden road. Annie Lennox’s "Ladies of the Canyon" is bogged down by mushy synthesizers. It’s no wonder that it was left off her own covers album, 1995’s Medusa. Cassandra Wilson’s husky jazzy take on "For the Roses" falls flat on its feet. While her voice sounds like a muscular version of Mitchell’s present day smoky quiver, the arrangement dilutes the character of Joni’s acoustic original. Finally, there is James Taylor’s Christmas cover of "River" which I can’t begin to say how inappropriate its presence is here. I could imagine at least 10 other songs of hers where he would have shined instead.

Overall, one cannot be disappointed with Tribute. There seems to be something for everyone.

What is shameful is that there aren’t more tribute albums on the market celebrating Mitchell’s work. A peer such as Bob Dylan has multiple such recordings. It seems like a crime that Joni has not been given the same treatment. Let’s hope that Tribute will be followed by a further wave of respect for an artist who has been a valuable influence on contemporary music.