On Jude Johnstone’s third effort Blue Light I discovered a rare new talent that had enormous potential. On Mr. Sun, that potential comes bursting through every song in the most beautiful untarnished way. The session prior to this is what spurred Jude on to get into a creative groove that kept going so they just continued to record and got enough material together to put out this new recording.
This is Jude’s ode to all the musicians that contributed to the sessions and the inspiration to create she found calling to her inside the music. A wellspring of ideas came flowing forth effortlessly just as the music pushed her to croon out the title track and ten more fine compositions after that with heartfelt emotion and spirit.
“Mr. Sun” is as warm as the title-there is something about the song that gives you that special tingly feeling that only a classic song can. It conveys something so strong that no other song could possibly match it. Not to say that this is not a very strong effort, indeed it is. This is the kind of album that needs some attention and will easily find it in due time once these tracks hit the airwaves or find their way in digital formats all over the internet and web radio.
Incredibly, Jude wrote all of these songs, no obligatory jazz standards, covers or nods to influences are on this CD, it is all pure Jude. This is the reason it all works so well, I do not think anyone wanted to do anything different on this project. Again David Pitch (upright bass), Danny Frankel (drums, percussion), Freddy Koella (guitar), and Marc Macisso (sax) show up for the event. In addition to the regulars Dean Parks, Mark Goldenberg (guitar), Jan Osssman (upright bass), Daniel Savant (muted trumpet, flugelhorn), Stephen Bishop, and Maxayn Lewis who provided background vocals step in to help. I had to mention them all because each person played their own quintessential role into making this Jude Johnstone’s masterpiece. If this one does not break her out, well I cannot see how anything else could, it is that good.
Jude goes from slinky late night burners “Baby, Don’t You Call My Name” and “Winding Back My Heart” where she sings, “I can turn myself into a ghost if you want me to,” facing the inevitable loss of her love, to the less musically complicated laments like “So Bad.” Her vocal chords are the main instrument and it all builds into a mountain of feeling and an excellent musical production that this album is consistently from the first note to the last.
Indie jazz simply does not get any better than this.
Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-August 13, 2008
