Mister D: Jude Johnstone had her first Bette connection as the harmony vocal on “My Eye on You” from Bette’s No Frills CD. The next connection came when Bette recorded one of her songs, “The Girl Is On To You”…Now she has her own CD out, so you might want to check her out…
Jude Johnstone
Coming Of Age
(BoJak Records)
Listening to the songs of Jude Johnstone is like resting on a comfortable sofa in front of a warm fire with a glass of wine in your hand. It’s soothing, tender and makes you feel at home. A songwriter with cuts on albums by diverse artists from Stevie Nicks, Bonnie Raitt and Bette Midler to Trisha Yearwood and Johnny Cash — including the title cut of his Grammy-winning CD Unchained — Johnstone has long been respected for her lyrical and melodic craft. And her own debut CD feels like the work of a veteran performer as well, with her raspy and somewhat nasally voice — which sounds like a cross between Kim Carnes and Fleetwood Mac-era Stevie Nicks — emoting with convincing timbre, tone and control.
The opening track of this collection, “Cry Wolf,” is a hauntingly majestic piece of Americana/pop and sets the tone for a wonderful, often mellow auditory experience. Other fine tunes include the sprightly “Not Long for This World,” the aching “Hearts In Armor” and gospel-tinged “Unchained.” Guest appearances on the CD, which says a lot about the respect Johnstone has earned from some legendary performers, include Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Jennifer Warnes and Trisha Yearwood. This is a top-flight CD for fans of the singer/songwriter genre.
To Buy:
Coming of Age
Official Site: Jude Johnstone’s Official Site
