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    <title>THE WAILIN' JENNYS</title>
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    <description><![CDATA["The band's tight harmonies and pretty folk songs haven't changed at all on their second album, Firecracker. In fact, they've even gotten better. All three Jennys are also great songwriters, and everything on the album is well done. 4 out of 5 stars. - Marisa Brown, All Music Guide.

Three extraordinary voices, two founding singer-songwriters, one singular vision: The Wailin' Jennys continue to evolve into far more than the melodious sum of their individual talents five years after blowing in on a fresh acoustic breeze from Canada's mid-western heartland.

Spurred onward by a growing fan base that swoons at their intuitive harmonies and revels in their engaging stage presence and uplifting repertoire, the Jennys embarked on a giddy blur of activity following the release of their second album, Firecracker, in August, 2006. Numerous head-turning reviews ("quiet, warm, subtle, mellifluous, almost too good to be true," noted British daily The Independent) greeted a recording produced by David Travers-Smith (Jane Siberry, Harry Manx) and featuring a crew of ace musicians led by guitarist Kevin Breit (Norah Jones, k.d. lang). The trio wooed progressively larger audiences throughout North America while also making successful forays to Australia, the U.K. and continental Europe. And foremost among an unfolding series of life moments have been a second Juno Award nomination in Canada, the continuation of a much-cherished relationship with A Prairie Home Companion (Garrison Keillor's popular National Public Radio show) and a memorable date alongside Rosanne Cash at the prestigious Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow.

"One Voice," a live staple and highlight of the Jennys' Juno- winning debut album 40 Days, remains a metaphoric statement of intent that to this day underlines the group's original mandate: three individuals with unique gifts combining seamlessly into a single beatific entity. Soprano Ruth Moody (guitar, banjo, accordion, bodhran) and mezzo Nicky Mehta (guitar, harmonica, ukulele, percussion) are charter members who've anchored the Jennys since the first line-up formed in their Winnipeg hometown. The critical third voice, an alto who fills out the chordal range of the group's vibrant three-part harmonies, has been filled in turn by Cara Luft, Annabelle Chvostek and, now that the latter has returned to her own solo career, new recruit Heather Masse.

Launching what fans are fondly calling version 3.0 of the Jennys, Heather is a New York-based singer and pianist who finds the middle ground between contemporary bluegrass (through her work with roots supergroup The Wayfaring Strangers) and jazz vocals (which she studied at the New England Conservatory of Music). She gelled immediately with Ruth and Nicky during an impromptu audition in a bathroom backstage in Philadelphia. Singing raw versions of "Amazing Grace" and an old Hank Williams song, the three women quickly nailed the essence of the Jennys' exquisite sound while hinting at exciting new possibilities that will flower in the months of touring and studio sessions that lie ahead.

"Heather fits in astonishingly well with us," enthuses Nicky. "She's got a smoky, enveloping kind of style. People will go nuts when they hear her." Adds Ruth, who first learned of Heather from their mutual friend, Crooked Still's Aoife O'Donovan: "We found a perfect vocal blend the first time with Cara, then we captured it in a different way with Annabelle. So naturally we were thinking, 'Oh man, can it really happen again?' But we have stumbled on such a rich treasure. Her voice is just so round and warm."

Ruth Moody has long understood the power of three. She grew up in an accomplished musical family singing with two sisters, then spent five years fronting Winnipeg's Scuj MacDuhk. When the popular Celtic/roots road warriors broke up in 2001, she again craved what she calls "the sense of completeness and wholeness that can only come with three female voices. The Jennys provide a sense of continuity that threads through my entire life."

For her part, Nicky Mehta was on track for post-graduate studies in communications when she released a buzzworthy solo debut CD and, not long after, signed on as a first-generation Jenny. "The group sort of just happened to us," she says, laughing. "The idea was to present our individual visions in a larger collective, but before we knew it things had taken on a life of their own. We've constantly been playing catch up ever since. What's great is that nothing has been premeditated and we keep being surprised in the most creative, interesting ways."

"Now we've closed another chapter in the Jennys' story and opened a new one," says Ruth. "We're thrilled to be writing it with Heather. She's a kindred spirit. That we can find the magic while laughing and singing together in a dimly lit bathroom says it all really." ]]></description>
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      <title>Arlington  </title>
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      <pubDate>Wed, 16 May 2007 23:45:57 -0700</pubDate>
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      <title>One Voice</title>
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      <pubDate>Wed, 16 May 2007 23:43:47 -0700</pubDate>
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      <title>Long Time Traveller</title>
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      <pubDate>Wed, 16 May 2007 20:46:53 -0700</pubDate>
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      <title>Starlight</title>
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      <pubDate>Wed, 16 May 2007 20:44:37 -0700</pubDate>
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      <title>Glory Bound</title>
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      <pubDate>Wed, 16 May 2007 20:41:05 -0700</pubDate>
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      <title>2</title>
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      <pubDate>Wed, 16 May 2007 17:47:05 -0700</pubDate>
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      <title>1</title>
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      <pubDate>Wed, 16 May 2007 17:46:35 -0700</pubDate>
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      <title>Jennys on the Georgia Straight</title>
      <link>http://virb.com/thewailinjennys/posts/text/128650</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Jennys are featured on the cover of the currect issue of the Georgia Straight. Read the full story at http://www.thewailinjennys.com]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 12 Jul 2007 14:44:23 -0700</pubDate>
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      <title>Ten days at home</title>
      <link>http://virb.com/thewailinjennys/posts/text/58344</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Home for ten days...after almost seven weeks! Still coming down from the exhilaration and exhaustion of the last stretch, which ended with two shows on 'A Prairie Home Companion'. It was a great tour. We played 23 shows in 32 days and stepped foot in 17 states. We recorded two lullabies in Montreal and then flew to California for less than 24 hours. We ate BBQ in Memphis, added our names to the Graceland wall (and took stupid pictures in front of it for two hours), partied something serious in Northampton, Ma, recovered something more serious in Barrie, Vt, jammed it up in Park City, Ut, drove a lot in the Midwest, ate Jamie's home-made ice cream in Hamilton AND Boston (we love you Jamie!) hung out with our dear friend Mike Morgan from Alaska (we love you Mike - see you in AK in February) and his lovely friend Mary, in Utah, almost missed our show in Park City due to cancelled flights but got there somehow, had a blast on 'A Prairie Home Companion' in Wolf Trap Virginia, discovered 'Legacy chocolates' in Menomonie, Wi, rocked out to Neil Young 'Live at Massey Hall 1971' in the van, and played to the most supportive audiences ever, in Hamilton, St Cloud, St Louis, Barrie, and Boston, just to name a few. Grant, our faithful road manager and sound-man, mistook raw kashi for breakfast cereal on our first morning in Montana and then proceeded to giv'er like never before for the rest of the tour. Does eating uncooked grain really sustain you longer? Jeremy (aka J-Diz) found many experiences, food items, and luggage products to be of exceptional quality and gave them the highest honour of 'Penner certification'. Nicky tried to convince us all that her suitcase (kick drum) is red, not pink, and discovered the beautiful art of violent meditation that is playing the drums. Heather brought Aaron Neville back into our lives with her uncanny impersonation and immediately lived to regret it. I conjured up a male German blow-up doll during one legendary 'stupid photo' session and will never live it down (stay tuned for pictures). My banjo suffered a broken neck from a fall in transit and Jim at Mouradian guitars (Cambridge, Ma) fixed it overnight. Nicky, in search of a ukulele that would play in tune (huh?) bought a new guitar instead. We got to meet Heather's lovely parents, as well as her Grandma who came all the way from Florida to see our show in Manchester. Jeremy and I experienced the unrivaled hospitality of the O'Donovans in Boston (we love you guys). Nicky, Grant, Heather, Jeremy, and I each went to the gym at least once on the tour.

The shows were so much fun... Heather's groovin' on the bass, Nicky's rockin' on the drums, and Jer's wailin' on the mando. Me? I work on my clogging routing every night after the show, in the private safety of my hotel room. Someday I will get up the nerve to unveil it to the world.

~Ruth
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 29 May 2007 19:24:14 -0700</pubDate>
      <guid>http://virb.com/thewailinjennys/posts/text/58344</guid>
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