''Blue Stories'' is the fourth studio album from American singer and multi-instrumentalist

Mindy Jostyn Mindy Jostyn (June 5, 1956 – March 10, 2005) was an American singer and multi-instrumentalist. Jostyn was born in Long Island City and grew up in San Jose, California and Wellesley, Massachusetts. When she was eleven years old she founded her ...

, released by Prime CD in 2002.

Background

Jostyn described ''Blue Stories'' as "an album of songs about people and their plights", adding that "I've tried to treat these people compassionately. I'd prefer the CD not be an experience in darkness - rather, one in a semi-pale shade of blue. Twilight blue, say, with a smattering of stars." Both "Don't Turn Away" and "East of Eden" feature

Carly Simon Carly Elisabeth Simon (born June 25, 1943) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records; her 13 Billboard Hot 100, top 40 U.S. hits include "Anticipation (song), Anticipatio ...

on backing vocals, synth and percussion. The album also includes a cover of Simon's 1971 hit "

That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" is a song performed by Carly Simon, and the lead single as well as the opening track from her self-titled debut album ''Carly Simon'' (1971). Her friend and frequent collaborator Jacob Brackman wrote ...

", which features lyrics by

Jacob Brackman Jacob Brackman (born 1943) is an American writer, journalist, and musical lyricist. After graduating from Harvard University in 1965, he went to work for ''Newsweek'' as a journalist. He remained there for six months and was then hired by ''The ...

, whom Jostyn later married. Jostyn described the song as a "despairing view of marriage". "Rock City Road" features harmonica which Jostyn considered to be "train-style harmonica a la

Sonny Terry Saunders Terrell (October 24, 1911 – March 11, 1986), known as Sonny Terry, was an American Piedmont blues and folk musician, who was known for his energetic blues harmonica style, which frequently included vocal whoops and hollers and occas ...

Critical reception

Scott Alarik of ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

'' described ''Blue Stories'' as "a soft thrill of a CD". He added: "In a voice sparkling with wit and personality, Jostyn sings songs of loss and healing, all delivered with the eloquence that made her a favorite accompanist for Carly Simon, Billy Joel and John Mellencamp. Seth Rogovoy of ''

The Berkshire Eagle ''The Berkshire Eagle'' is an American daily newspaper published in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and covering all of Berkshire County, as well as four New York communities near Pittsfield. It is considered a newspaper of record for Berkshire Coun ...

'' wrote: "The album's folk-pop tunes have a strong Anglo-Irish folk influence, and the music veers towards barrel-house jazz on 'Empathetic Woman'." Jay Miller of ''

The Patriot Ledger ''The Patriot Ledger'' is a daily newspaper in Quincy, Massachusetts, that serves the South Shore. It publishes Monday through Saturday. History The paper was founded on , as the weekly ''Quincy Patriot'' by John Adams Green and Edmund Butl ...

'' praised Jostyn's lyrics on the album, which he found to be "witty commentary, incisive self-examination and moving depictions of the simple truths in life". C. Michael Bailey of ''

All About Jazz ''All About Jazz'' is a website established by Michael Ricci in 1995. A volunteer staff publishes news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts and other events having to do with jazz. Ricci maintains a related site, ''Jazz Near ...

'' described ''Blue Stories'' as "an exceptional solution of folk, blues, Dixieland, pop, rock, Celtic and country, all simmering into a truly distinctive sound".

Track listing

Personnel

- vocals, ukulele (track 1), guitar (tracks 2, 4, 14-16), violin (tracks 2, 6-7, 9, 13, 15), tiple (track 2), accordion (tracks 3, 6-7, 10-11, 13), banjolin (track 3), penny whistle (track 3), piano (tracks 4-6, 8-9, 12-13), harmonica (tracks 5, 8, 12, 14), chimes (track 5), synth (tracks 7, 9, 15), mandolin (track 16), recorder (track 16) *

- vocals (track 1), featuring (track 5) * Catherine Russell - backing vocals (tracks 2-4, 6) *

- backing vocals (tracks 4, 6), synth (tracks 4, 6), percussion (tracks 4, 6) * Janie Barnett - backing vocals (tracks 9, 11, 16) * Dave Phillips - backing vocals (track 9) * John Putnam - electric guitar (tracks 2-3, 5, 14), ukulele (track 10) * Marc Muller - electric guitar (tracks 4, 9, 15), dobro (track 6), guitar (track 8) * Geoff Patterson - pedal steel guitar (track 9) * Stuart Kimball - acoustic guitar (tracks 9, 12) *

Tommy Mandel Tommy Mandel (born June 2, 1949) is an American keyboardist most notable for playing with Bryan Adams from 1981 to 1998, starting with the album ''You Want It You Got It''. Career Prior to joining Bryan Adams' band, Mandel released a self-title ...

- piano (tracks 5, 8, 13), synth (track 13) * Joel Diamond - piano (tracks 6, 11), Hammond organ (tracks 6, 12) * Aaron Heick - clarinet (tracks 8, 13) * Alfredo Scotti - bass (tracks 2-3, 6, 14), guitar (tracks 3-4), backing vocals (track 14) * Paul Adamy - bass (tracks 4, 8-12, 15) * Conrad Korsch - upright bass (tracks 5, 13) * Jeff Berman - drums (tracks 2, 5, 8, 10-11, 15), percussion (tracks 4-5, 9, 15) * Graham Hawthorne - drums (tracks 3-4, 6, 9, 12-14), percussion (track 15) * Rick Bausman - percussion (tracks 3, 14)

References

{{Authority control 2002 albums Mindy Jostyn albums