Diva Taunia's Backstage Pass Official Blog: DIVA MUSIC

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1/18/10 MUSIC FEATURE: JONATHA BROOKE

One of my all-time favorite singer-songwriters is Jonatha Brooke. She blends folk, pop, and rock in a way that’s accessible for everyone to listen to. I first heard her a few years ago when a friend of mine let me borrow her “Steady Pull” album, and I was completely hooked. After listening to her song for the fifth time in a row, I sang along with her and was completely entranced in the song. She’s right up there with Paula Cole for me in the “musicians I wish I could be” category – with some of the strongest songwriting skills that a girl could envy. Her voice is meticulous – she has an instantly recognizeable sound, very different and unique, and I want to be her.

Jonatha’s music has been featured in movie soundtracks like Disney’s” Return to Neverland “and TV shows like “The Hills,” and “Buffy The Vampire Slayer.” The first song I played on the radio program was the very first song I ever heard from her, “Linger,” and you can hear it on her website at www.jonathabrooke.com.

In 2006, after being completely obsessed with her music, I saw Jonatha live for the first time with my brother at Tupelo Music Hall in Londonderry, NH. My brother Derek has always been a huge music fan, and very open-minded about music. Still, he’s also always been more partial to a heavier rock sound, so I wasn’t quite sure how he would react to Jonatha’s music. His reaction? He LOVED her, and to this day is a big fan. In fact, at his wedding this past fall, he played one of Jonatha’s songs “Everything I Wanted” (from “Back in the Circus”)as part of his wedding music.

And now Jonatha has that shared connection with us: I’m also going to request permission to use one of her songs at my wedding next year. I fell in love with her latest album, “The Works,” and in particular, “King of My Love.” It’s a lovely piano-focused song that prompts Alice-in-Wonderland-visions of characters dancing. My fiancée Rob and I are huge poker players, and the card metaphors in this song couldn’t be more perfect for us as a couple starting a new life together.

I could go on and on about my love of “The Works.” I think it’s a masterpiece for Jonatha. The lyrics of Woodie Guthrie set to Jonatha’s music with an impressive list of music’s finest musicians (Keb Mo, Joe Sample, Steve Gadd, and Christian McBride). Every song has magic in it, and it touched me in a way that not many other pieces of music have. There’s one lyric penned by Woodie Guthrie and delivered musically by Jonatha that particularly comforts me:

“I’ll will never fear the day I will die, because my sunset is somebody’s morning sky.”Those lyrics are from the song “My Battle.”

In that moment – when she sings this – if it doesn’t prove that there’s magic, peace, comfort and beauty from music, then I don’t know what ever will. Jonatha is a musical treasure, so I encourage you to stop by her website and purchase many of her CDs. Buy the works, the whole works.

Posted by Diva Taunia at 09:14 PM in BACKSTAGE PASS RADIO PROGRAM, DIVA MUSIC, NEW MUSIC FEATURE, RADIO REVIEWS, REVIEWS | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)