With her fifth solo release Jude Johnstone - Quite Girl, Jude
Johnstone has crafted another memorable chapter in her library of songs
written as short stories with musical accompaniment. Imposing lyrics,
emotionally charged arrangements, and a guest list of musicians such as Emmylou
Harris, Clarence Clemons, Maxayn Lewis, Jimmy LaFave, Susan
Cowsill, John Cowsill, and John David Souther, makes this
release one for the collectors of music with heart, soul, and depth.
Jude Johnstone -
Quiet Girl
Jude Johnstone - Quite Girl: Quiet Girl; I Don't
Wanna Go Home; Josephina; Don't Wake Me Up; I Pray For Rain; On That Train; Cry
For New Orleans; It's Gonna Take a While; Angel At Your Door; The Smell of
Summer
Personnel: Jude Johnstone: Piano, Organ, Vocals,
Synth, French Horn Sample; Charles Duncan: Bass, Drums, Percussion, Guitar,
Drum Programming, Baritone Guitar, French Horn Sample, Vocals; Freddy Koella:
Guitar; David Mansfield: Mandolin, Pedal Steel, Violin, Viola; Emmylou Harris:
Vocals; Ray Duncan: Vocals; Sal Garza: Violin; Bob Liepman: Cello; Jimmy
LaFave: Vocal; Clarence Clemons: Tenor Sax; Vocals: Maxayn Lewis; Mary Ramsey:
Viola; John David Souther: Vocals; Susan Cowsill: Vocals; John Cowsill: Vocals;
Vicki Peterson: Vocals; Rodney Crowell: Vocals; Ken Hustad: Upright Bass; Danny
Frankel: Drums; Craig Nuttycombe: Guitar; Bryan Albanese: Violin; Justin
Brewer: Organ; John Edwards: French Horn
Jude Johnstone - Quiet Girl was produced by Jude Johnston and Charles Duncan and released on the BoJak Records label and
is the fifth release for this talented singer/songwriter/performer; see the Music
Scene section to read reviews of Jude
Johnstone's Mr.
Sun, Blue
Light, and On
A Good Day. A musician who has had her songs covered by a Who's Who of
musicians, Jude ventured out from behind the scene over 8 years ago and has
rewarded her growing audience with 5 masterful releases, and Quiet Girl adds to her legacy.
The release opens with the title track Quite Girl, which is a signature Jude Johnstone track that combines
her triple threat of powerful vocals, emotional lyrics, and an arrangement that
culls it all together, as well as a guest vocal appearance by Emmylou Harris. Quiet Girl is a song of love ventured,
love found, and love lost; a track that connects with her audience on many
different levels.
The track I Don't
Wanna Go Home features Jimmy LaFave on vocals with Jude as they bring to
life the feeling of separation and the pain of going home alone. You can cover
up your feelings through friends and a night out, but in the end "I'm still
standing in these shoes." Josephina
is a song about friendship and about that moment when the bond is needed most, your
friends are not there to lean on; a poignant song with an arrangement that
carries Jude's touching vocals with a gentle sweep of the drums and the heart
rendering echo of the French horn.
Don't Wake Me Up,
featuring Clarence Clemons on tenor saxophone, captures the fantasy of a
beautiful dream that has you smiling in your sleep, of the memories of a
special evening and how you wish you could tell those around you "Don't Wake Me
Up," let me enjoy the moment for a little longer. Jude's lyrics and arrangement
captures the flight of fantasy that happy dreams made from special moments can
bring.
The song On That Train
features John David Souther on vocals and the haunting cello of Bob Liepman.
The track "talks" about the desires of wanting, of the decisions that you did
not make, and of the excuses made to justify who and where you are; Jude
captures where many people find themselves during these tough economic times,
as they contemplate the opportunities lost and their future.
The song Cry For New
Orleans was written for those who have and are still suffering from the
tragedy of hurricane Katrina that devastated New Orleans. The arrangement features the
moving vocals of Susan and John Cowsill of the late 60's early 70's rock band
The Cowsills, who lost their brother in the Katrina tragedy; emotionally
charged lyrics that harmonize flawlessly with the musical arrangement.
Jude lets her engaging vocals capture your soul on the song Angel At Your Door that also features
vocals by Maxayn Lewis. This is one of more engaging songs that Jude has
written for herself, and her vocals capture the moment a she sings "There's an
angel waiting at your door, and she knows the shape you're in, You can't hide
it any more,.... You're gonna have to make a start." The arrangement's use of the
organ to complement the vocals is pure magic, as are the segments with the
inspiring guitar and drum work that opens up the tempo showing that there is
hope.
Other arrangements on the release include I Pray for Rain with accompanying vocals
by Maxayn Lewis, It's Gonna Take a While,
and The Smell of Summer. Jude
Johnstone's songs are short stories accompanied by musical arrangements that
bring the stories to life.
Websites where you can procure Jude Johnstone - Quiet
Girl are CD Baby, Amazon,
eMusic,
Village
Records, J&R, F.Y.E. and CD
Universe.
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