The Wailin' Jennys
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| The Wailin' Jennys | |
|---|---|
| Origin |  Winnipeg, Manitoba |
| Genres | Folk Folk rock |
| Years active | 2002 – Present |
| Labels | Jericho Beach |
| Website | www.thewailinjennys.com |
| Members | |
| Ruth Moody Nicky Mehta Heather Masse |
|
| Former members | |
| Cara Luft Annabelle Chvostek |
|
The Wailin' Jennys are a Juno Award-winning Canadian folk trio from Winnipeg, Manitoba, and New York, consisting of soprano Ruth Moody, mezzo Nicky Mehta, and alto Heather Masse. All members also play instruments (acoustic guitar, electric upright bass, mandolin, banjo, accordion, bodhran, drums, harmonica, and violin). Recently, the Jennys have also toured with fiddler and mandolinist Jeremy Penner. The Wailin' Jennys have released several albums and tour regularly through North America and Europe. Their album Firecracker made it to number two spot on the Billboard Bluegrass charts in 2006.
The group is featured regularly on Garrison Keillor's show A Prairie Home Companion. The group's name is a pun on the country singer Waylon Jennings.
Contents |
[edit] History
The group was founded in 2002, when a guitar shop in Winnipeg - called Sled Dog Music[1] - brought three soloists (Ruth Moody, Nicky Mehta and Cara Luft) together for a joint performance. The show was well received and the owner scheduled a follow-up, which was also a great success. The owner then "offered that they might go on tour and call themselves the Wailin' Jennys."[2]
In 2004, Luft left to pursue her solo career and was replaced by Annabelle Chvostek, a singer/songwriter from Montreal.
At the 2005 Juno Awards, the group won Roots and Traditional Album of the Year (Group) for their 2004 album 40 Days.[3]
In 2006, the group was nominated for two awards at the North American Folk Alliance, one for contemporary artist of the year and for best contemporary release, Firecracker.[4]
At the 2007 Juno Awards, their album Firecracker was nominated for Roots and Traditional Album of the Year (Group), and their producer, David Travers-Smith, was nominated as Recording Engineer of the Year for his work on The Devil's Paintbrush Road (composed by Chvostek) and Prairie Town (composed by Moody).[5]
In 2007, Chvostek left to pursue her solo career and was replaced by Heather Masse, a Maine-born singer with a background in jazz and blues as well as folk, who also fronts the Brooklyn-based Heather & the Barbarians.
In September 2008, the band announced that they would take an 'extended breather' from time on the road, in order to 'rest, write and start planning the new album'.[6] They insist, however, that they will return in a few months at full strength.
All of the members of the Jennys maintain solo careers, in addition to their efforts with the group.
[edit] Discography
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Bluegrass | US Heat | US Indie | ||
| 2003 | The Wailin' Jennys EP | — | — | — |
| 2004 | 40 Days | — | — | — |
| 2006 | Firecracker | 2 | 23 | 27 |
| 2009 | Live at the Mauch Chunk Opera House | 3 | 25 | — |
[edit] References
- ^ Sled Dog Music
- ^ Notes the 2005-05-21 episode of A Prairie Home Companion, viewed 2006-10-10
- ^ Article at Guilford
- ^ Folk Alliance nominees article from CBC.ca Arts (downloaded 2007-02-13)
- ^ 2007 Juno nominees (downloaded 2007-02-13)
- ^ The Wailin' Jennys - What's New (entry Wednesday, September 17, 2008, downloaded 2008-09-27)
