Jonatha Brooke is a phenomenal singer-songwriter, who is not as well-known as she deserves to be. Her career began while she was attending Amherst College, where she met Jennifer Kimball, and the two partnered up and began writing and singing songs. They called themselves "Jonatha and Jennifer" and performed as many college duos or groups do when first starting out. Eventually, they got a backup band together and called themselves "The Story." In this incarnation, they produced two albums, Grace in Gravity and Angel in the House. Jennifer Kimball left the group in 1994, and Jonatha went on to release Plumb under the name "Jonatha Brooke and the Story." But it was Ten Cent Wings that finally established her as a solo artist. She went on to do Jonatha Brooke Live, and has just released her latest, Steady Pull this February.
Jonatha's genre can not be easily labelled, she's somewhat folk, somewhat pop, somewhat acoustic. But her artistry and musicianship speak for themselves. Her voice is gorgeous, her songs moving, her writing evocative. Her fans tend to also like Sarah McLachlan, Tori Amos, Ani DiFranco, Shawn Colvin, Rickie Lee Jones, etc. But she's not just about "chick music" -- she writes and sings about many subjects, from breakups to war to mermaids to angels. She's a gifted lyricist and songstress, who (like so many artists out of the mainstream) possesses so much more talent than the schlocky singers and groups given air time and huge record deals.
If you're at all interested in expanding your musical horizons, or your CD collection, with the work of an inimitable singer-songwriter, I suggest you pick up Angel in the House or Live to start. Put the CD player on repeat and give it a few whirls. I think you'll really appreciate what Jonatha Brooke has to offer.
This is a discography of Jonatha's major recording works. It does not include albums or songs on which she appeared as a guest vocalist or musician for other artists.
Steady Pull (2001)
Live (1999)
Ten Cent Wings (1997)
Plumb (1995) (Jonatha Brooke and The Story)
Angel in the House (1993) (The Story)
Grace in Gravity (1991) (The Story)
Jonatha's official website is http://www.jonathabrooke.com.