Just found this cool list on Amazon of Dar’s top picks for albums she thinks her fans might enjoy. There’s a wide variety of artists included, some I know and some I don’t: Don McLean, Judy Collins, Joan Baez, the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush, Jane Siberry, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Brahms, Suzanne Vega, Cheryl Wheeler. Dar gives a line or two about why the particular album she is highlighting was inspirational to her music or career or childhood. Seems like pretty much every female folk artist is going to be influenced at least at little by Joni Mitchell, and for good reason, (I remember the first time I heard Joni Mitchell I almost gave up the idea of writing songs altogether. Here’s someone who already said everything I’ve ever felt and so much of it before I was even born! What’s left?) but it’s kinda neat to have Brahms thrown in there too.

I always love finding out the influences of my favorite artists. It just goes to show that no one creates in a vacuum, and quite often I’ll discover some new favorite musicians!