Deborah Liv Johnson

“It is not surprising that Johnson's luxuriant alto is the album's most affecting instrument...take Johnson's tackling of the standard, Georgia on my Mind. The result is a presence, a spatiality, a soulful, elegant simplicity that is unique among the hundreds of renditions extant.”

“Stark emotional honesty coupled with adventurous forays into different musical styles makes The Good and Bad of It her best yet. From the raw energy of Chicken Bone and the country ride of Palomino to the bluesy title cut and the sassy Too Bad, the crackling collection smashes any preconceived notions of the reserved Lutheran minister's daughter who sings hymns and ballads.” - Beth Wood

“Johnson is clearly capable of matching Baez and Collins for vocal power. But what makes her version [of Amazing Grace] so appealing is the understated tenderness she brings to the song...” - George Varga

“No question to my ears. Johnson has one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard.” - Mark Gallo

“Not since Judy Collins has there been a country/folk singer with such a pure tone...her cover of Georgia on my Mind is as evocative a piece of singing as one is likely to hear this side of Ray Charles.” - Jim Trageser

“Deborah Liv Johnson is the kind of singer/songwriter who, once you hear her magnificent voice, you can't understand why everybody doesn't have her recordings.” - Scott Barker

“Half-way into hearing her rendition of Georgia on my Mind on KPFK-Los Angeles, I was forced to pull over before I drove off the road completely! It was unlike anything I'd ever heard...”

“The high level of quality Johnson achieved with her first four albums continues on this stirring collection of traditional Christmas favorites. Johnson's strong, soaring voice and impassioned delivery are well-suited to these simple yet elegant songs, and she benefits from the uniformly tasteful accompaniment of guitarist Peter Sprague, harpist Melissa Morgan, pianist Barnaby Finch and multi-instrumentalist Dennis Caplinger. The result is another gem by a local treasure.” - George Varga

“Deborah Liv Johnson has a gorgeous voice, strong feeling for orchestration, good sense of tempo, and excellent songwriting skills. In short, she has everything a performer needs to become a star... The Good and Bad of It is Deborah's eighth album on her Mojave Sun label. Her brilliant writing is on ten of the album's twelve tracks. Along with the pulls-no-punches bluesy 'Your Mind Don't Run No More,' the songs' arrangements vary from contemporary folk and country to a smoky cocktail lounge sound to contemporary Nashville. The supporting cast here is outstanding: bass, percussion, piano and guitars — simple but also effective in making each cut stand alone. Deborah Liv Johnson has produced an outstanding CD here.” - Vic Heyman