Washington, DC, fall 2012 –\u00a0<\/em>Over the course of six beautiful albums in nearly 15 years,\u00a0Elizabeth\u00a0Mitchell<\/strong>\u00a0has invited listeners to join her, husband Daniel Littleton, their daughter Storey, and other friends and relatives to become part of an extended musical family. On\u00a0Blue Clouds\u00a0<\/em>(out October 23), she raises her special kind of family-centric music to new heights by bringing clarity and beauty to a surprising range of songs. Breathing contemporary heart into traditional folk songs, and transforming classic rock songs by David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, Van Morrison, and others\u00a0into<\/em>\u00a0folk songs,\u00a0Mitchell continues to grow that family of listeners with each album and concert. And while the family has grown, with well over 100,000 of her records bringing comfort and joy,\u00a0Blue Clouds<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0still makes\u00a0Mitchell\u2019s audience feel like they are part of a small picnic jam session.<\/p>\n

The recordings on\u00a0Blue Clouds<\/em>\u00a0are illuminated by elegant and simple arrangements, with acoustic guitars, harmoniums, banjos, pianos, fiddles, glockenspiels, and gentle drums and bass creating a soulful atmosphere forMitchell\u2019s clear and loving voice. The songs range from new compositions (\u201cRollin\u2019 Baby,\u201d \u201cArm in Arm\u201d) to traditional tunes (\u201cHop Up, My Ladies,\u201d \u201cFroggie Went a-Courtin\u2019\u201d), to several unexpected covers.\u00a0Mitchell\u00a0looks to her childhood memories of 1970s radio on road trips in the family station wagon, and the resulting versions of \u201cKooks\u201d by David Bowie, \u201cMay This Be Love\u201d by Jimi Hendrix, \u201cBlue Sky\u201d by The Allman Brothers Band, \u201cEveryone\u201d by Van Morrison, and \u201cI Wish You Well\u201d by Bill Withers display\u00a0Mitchell\u2019s care in presenting popular material in a family music context.<\/p>\n

On an album full of moving performances, perhaps the most beautiful is \u201cCircle of the Sun,\u201d recorded in honor of Storey\u2019s cousin, Destry, who tragically died at just four years old. \u201cBlue Clouds,\u201d the title track, was written by Daniel Littleton as a lullaby for Storey when she was only three and is a fitting way to close this loving collection.<\/p>\n

Mitchell\u00a0is also a founding member of the veteran indie rock band Ida and is one of Smithsonian Folkways\u2019 best-selling artists alongside Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Ella Jenkins. Her previous Smithsonian Folkways releases are\u00a0Little Seed: Songs for Children by Woody Guthrie<\/em>\u00a0(2012),\u00a0Sunny Day<\/em>(2010), and\u00a0You Are My Little Bird\u00a0<\/em>(2006). Starting with the album\u00a0You Are My Flower<\/em>, recorded in 1998 in a single afternoon as a gift for friends and family,\u00a0Mitchell\u00a0has developed into an accomplished artist with a devoted fan base and critical acclaim.<\/p>\n