Wailin' Jenny's
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Wailin' Jenny's

This is the sound of voices three
Singing together in harmony
Surrendering to the mystery
This is the sound of voices three
--"One Voice", Ruth Moody

Ask for the story behind The Wailin' Jennys and you will receive an oft-told account of how three established singer-songwriters took a one-off performance and turned it into a full-blown career; just two years ago, Cara Luft, Nicky Mehta and Ruth Moody united for a night of music and fun at a guitar shop in Winnipeg, and ended up following this unexpected muse to become one of Canada's most sought- after roots ensembles. But this brief factual account says nothing about the true heart of the Jennys' story or the mystery behind it.

Though the quick rise of the trio may speak of the profile each member brought to the project, there is something less tangible at work here--it's the thing that provokes goose bumps and chills at the sound of their three voices combining. It's also what has made critics and audience members alike refer to the Jennys' harmonies and songwriting as "spine-tingling", "angelic", and "breathtaking". Wailin' Jennys performances inspire the kind of visceral, emotional response that comes from a rare encounter with life's mystery, serendipity, and grace. It's the kind of delight that comes with the unexpected and unplanned.

The true magic may also lie in the way these three artists interact personally and musically; it's as if unity occurs because of difference, not despite it. Just as each member's voice occupies a unique vocal range, the individual artists of The Wailin' Jennys bring with them exceptionally varied songwriting and performing talents and influences. When combined, these elements create an overall sound that is at once diverse and strangely unified.

Alto Cara Luft, otherwise known as "Jenny Van Halen", is known as much for her vibrant comical demeanor as for her powerful guitar playing. Born to folk-singing parents, her early exposure to traditional music combined with her self-directed love of 70s and 80s rock music has resulted in an exciting fusion of driving acoustic rhythms and lively word play. She has played Lilith Fair and England's International Guitar Festival and her first full-length album was nominated for a 2001 Prairie Music Award.

Mezzo Nicky Mehta has been called a poet and songwriter of exceptional depth and maturity whose ability to "walk with sorrow" has made her music vital and hopeful; Mehta's songs reflect a wisdom sometimes hard-won but never uncelebrated. Her first album "Weather Vane" was nominated for a 2002 Canadian Music Award for Outstanding Roots Recording and she was recently counted among the most promising up and coming singer-songwriters in North America by the venerable Sing Out! publication.

Soprano Ruth Moody, former lead singer of the Juno-nominated roots act Sruj MacDuhk, rounds out the group with her pure voice and impressive multi-instrumentalism. A classically trained vocalist and pianist known first as an accomplished, versatile singer of traditional and Celtic music, her own writing shines in its diversity and maturity. She is known equally for her moving and haunting ballads as her down-home, upbeat numbers and her first recording "Blue Muse" as well as her writing for the Jennys, reveals an exciting new talent.

Audiences speak of a common thread running through the trio's material; though unique in their individual expression, the Jennys' original songs refer to similar hopes in life, a desire to highlight our common humanity and a wish for unity. Ultimately, if the subject matter of their music isn't enough to convince us of the ever-present promise of life, then those three voices combined surely will.

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