“Archives, Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963–1967)”

What did Joni Mitchell sound like before she became Joni Mitchell? That provocative question is answered, literally and figuratively, on this five-cd set. The first disc features songs she recorded in 1963, 1964 and early 1965, back when this Canadian troubadour performed under her birth name of Roberta Joan Anderson. She changed it in June 1965, after wedding fellow musician Chuck Mitchell in his native Detroit.

Their marriage was short-lived, but the new name stuck. Even so, it would not be until the release of her 1968 debut album, the David Crosby-produced “Songs to a Seagull,” that she really began to become known as Joni Mitchell. By 1970, she was rightly hailed as one of the most gifted and influential singer-songwriters the world has ever known.

“The Early Years” offers a welcome chance to trace her artistic evolution. It begins with Mitchell in coffeehouse folkie mode covering such standards as “John Hardy” and “House of the Rising Sun.” It then charts her dizzying growth as a golden-voiced songwriter who repeatedly soars. Focusing primarily on live recordings and radio broadcasts, this 119-track collection features early versions of such Mitchell classics as “Chelsea Morning,” “Both Sides Now” and “The Circle Game.” As an added bonus, the accompanying 40-page booklet includes a recent interview that San Diego’s Cameron Crowe conducted with Mitchell, who is still recovering from the life-threatening brain aneurysm she suffered in 2015.

Jma/rhino; five CDS; $48.90