The Wailin Jennys - 40 Days

Sure they have a witty name. But don't be fooled into thinking that 40 Days is some kinda countrified hoe-down because Ruth Moody, Nicky Mehta and Cara Luft are on a mission to restore tasteful three part harmony and good old fashioned melody back to its proper place in the forefront of intelligent pop music The Wailin Jennys 40 Days

Sure they have a witty name. But don't be fooled into thinking that 40 Days is some kinda countrified hoe-down because Ruth Moody, Nicky Mehta and Cara Luft are on a mission to restore tasteful three part harmony and good old fashioned melody back to its proper place in the forefront of intelligent pop music.

You remember melodious harmony, don't you? Once upon a time it used to be a major mainstay of pop music, as made manifest by such primo practitioners of the art as the Everly Brothers; the Kingston Trio; Peter, Paul and Mary; the Pointer Sisters; and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young.

And speaking of Young, it's no surprise that the Jennys cover Neil's "Old Man" on track seven because long before that you're already being reminded of albums like Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere and After The Gold Rush.

Tonally, there's more than hint of Joni Mitchell when she was in her vocal prime, but there's also the kind of understated powerful authority that subtly evokes echoes of Grace Slick at her most confident.

All three women are ace songwriters in their own right, with my own particular favorites being Cara's aching "Untitled" and their shimmering a capella cover of the standard "The Parting Glass."

So if you like tasteful acoustic guitars and violins accompanying three women who actually know how to sing?as opposed to the egotistical ululating that passes as singing these days?then this album is for you.

File under: Intelligent, Harmony, Melody, It's About Time.

Reviews

Cara Luft, Nicky Mehta, and Ruth Moody were each enjoying substantive individual careers on the Canadian folk music scene when they joined forces for an impromptu show at a friend’s guitar shop Cara Luft, Nicky Mehta, and Ruth Moody were each enjoying substantive individual careers on the Canadian folk music scene when they joined forces for an impromptu show at a friend’s guitar shop. One show led to another and a band was born. Now the estimable Red House label brings the Jennys Stateside with their first full-length release, 40 Days. Consisting of two traditional Celtic tunes, two covers (Neil Young’s “Old Man” and John Hiatt’s “Take It Down”), and a democratic showcase of their own compositions, the album practically bursts at the seams with an infectious, collaborative energy. Unpredictable vocal arrangements feature short solo turns that subtly blossom into choir-robe-perfect harmony, each lady staking claim to a unique vocal range and handing off ownership of the melody. The writing is appealingly diverse in style, yet unified by a soulful, lyrical quality, vigorous rhythm guitars, and those exquisite harmonies. Impeccably produced by David Travers-Smith, this is one of the most exciting new folk bands and albums of 2004.

Alibi's Best Picks for This Week

Just an observation here; but every time a musical genre makes a resurgence, its purveyors tend to mill about in rather amorphous territory for awhile, flirting with different influences until one or a few of these "revivalists" gets it right Just an observation here; but every time a musical genre makes a resurgence, its purveyors tend to mill about in rather amorphous territory for awhile, flirting with different influences until one or a few of these "revivalists" gets it right. It's true that folk music, real, folksy folk music in the tradition of Kate and Anna McGarrigle, never actually died, but it took the Wailin' Jennys to get it off life support. Brilliant three-part harmonies combine with rich guitar phrasing on their debut full-length, 40 Days (Red House), and their live shows are rumored to be vivacious and thoroughly enriching. See them Friday, July 29, at the Rio Grande Zoo, as part of the "Summer Nights" concert series and Friday, July 30, at their AMP House Concert.

Thrillside Festival

My 30 years of enjoying music/folk festivals goes back to the first Winnipeg Folk Festival in 1974 in my hometown. But if I've ever had a better time at a festival than this weekend at Hillside, the memory has faded My 30 years of enjoying music/folk festivals goes back to the first Winnipeg Folk Festival in 1974 in my hometown. But if I've ever had a better time at a festival than this weekend at Hillside, the memory has faded. I'm tempted to call it "the weekend where everything went right," but out of caution I'll tone that down to "the weekend where everything went right as far as I could see."

The obvious place to start is the weather, which went from great Friday and Saturday to perfect on Sunday - the sort of weather capable of pushing good Hillside vibes straight through to exuberance.

I've quibbled with festival organizers at times in the last few years about not having enough workshops where various musicians interact on stage, or even about having too many spoken acts and not enough music at the intimate Sun stage.

No complaints this time, though. There were top acts from the folk festival circuit, including The Wailin' Jennys, The Bills and the Juno Award-winning Le Vent du Nord, plenty of music on the Sun Stage and no shortage of nifty workshops.

The toughest task at a music/folk festival should be deciding which show in any given time slot to go and see, from among rich offerings. That was the case this year at Hillside, but festival organizers tossed in one truly diabolical choice - between the big-name musical comedy trio The Arrogant Worms on the main stage at 8:00 pm Sunday and The Wailin' Jennys, one of Canada's most sought-after roots ensembles, whose solo concert was on the lake stage then.

As soon as they got on stage, the Worms called having to make this choice "tragic" - and then they proceeded to make jokes about whose audience was bigger and better. And then they took it one step further, creating the first " dueling audience" routine I've ever seen at a festival. They abruptly stopped singing when a cell phone went off and was answered by one of the Worms who pretended - we thought - to be debating just that point with one of the Jennys. Then, on cue, a huge roar went up from inside the Lake Stage, delighting the mainstage crowd with the realization that it was a genuine phone conversation. The mainstage crowd roared back to show it was bigger and better. Loud chanting followed as the two crowds - which couldn't see each other - duelled, prompted by their entertainers. A classic "Hillside moment," in my view, at a festival that put comedy on its main stage for the first time this year.

As for me, I ended up watching the Worms and buiying the Jennys' latest CD. You can't win with a concert choice like that, but I guess you also can't lose.

The Wailin' Jennys - 40 Days

"40 Days" (Jericho Beach Music) is the first full-length CD of The Wailin' Jennys, a Canadian folk-roots vocal trio that will startle you: Together singing in harmony their voices shimmer like clear lake water "40 Days" (Jericho Beach Music) is the first full-length CD of The Wailin' Jennys, a Canadian folk-roots vocal trio that will startle you: Together singing in harmony their voices shimmer like clear lake water. One can especially hear those tingling harmonies on "Saucy Sailor" and on the ever so tender closer "The Parting Glass."

At some magical moments on the CD it seems as if voices are actually musical instruments.

The three singersǃ

Editorial Reviews--Amazon.com

The Wailin' Jennys--Cara Luft, Nicky Mehta, and Ruth Moody--are three Canadian singer-songwriters with already established careers who first got together for a one-shot gig in 2002 and, to their surprise, discovered that their voices blended in an almost magical harmony The Wailin' Jennys--Cara Luft, Nicky Mehta, and Ruth Moody--are three Canadian singer-songwriters with already established careers who first got together for a one-shot gig in 2002 and, to their surprise, discovered that their voices blended in an almost magical harmony. They decided to put their solo endeavors aside for a while to see where this gift would take them, and the appealing folk-pop vibe of 40 Days is the result. They perform an eclectic selection of material, including covers of John Hiatt's "Take It Down" and Neil Young's "Old Man" plus lovely versions of the old English folk songs "The Parting Glass" and "Saucy Sailor." However, it's the original songs that stand out most. As you would expect, each Jenny has a distinctive voice and writing style, but the amazing vocal harmonies help Luft's spiky, rock-inflected songs, Mehta's poetic and mysterious meditations, and Moody's lively Celtic-tinged melodies blend into a seamless whole.

A wail of a trio

Blossoming folk group breaks into mainstream country radio Blossoming folk group breaks into mainstream country radio

Catch them at: Little Stage on the prairie, Fri., 12:30 pm; Snowberry Field, Sat., 12:45 pm (Cara Luft only); Green Ash, Sat, 2:30 pm (Nicky Mehta, Ruth Moody); Snowberry Field, Sun 11 am; Shady Grove, Sun, 3:45 pm

You’re being hailed as something a folk-pop supergroup, your first album is out on one of the country’s foremost folk labels and you release a gentle, acoustic version of a Neil Young song as your first single and video.

And what happens?

The Wailin’ Jennys’ cover of Old Man becomes a hit at country radio and gets added to the rotation at CMT, Canada’s country music video network.

Go figure, eh?

But what’s another curveball in the life of the Winnipeg folk trio comprised of Cara Luft, Nicky Mehta and Ruth Moody?

After all, this is a group that wasn’t even meant to be a group. So if country radio wants to help spread the word on this sweet-voiced threesome, then so be it. The road followed by the Jennys has been filled with similar happy accidents.

Still, being added to commercial country radio playlists across Canada is enough to give Mehta and Moody pause to think as they sit discussing their music in the caf_

The Wailin' Jennys - 40 Days

The Jets are gone from Winnipeg, but the city can still boast of harbouring one of the country's best music acts: The Wailin' Jennys THE WAILIN' JENNYS

40 Days

Festival Rating 5 stars

The Jets are gone from Winnipeg, but the city can still boast of harbouring one of the country's best music acts: The Wailin' Jennys.

Coming together two years ago at a Winnipeg music store, the trio of Ruth Moody, Cara Luft and Nicky Mehta are musical sisters who write, sing and play exquisite music together. 40 Days opens with Moody's One Voice, a lovely composition on which Moody's lead vocal resembles Alison Krauss, and where Kevin Breit colours the spaces with his mandolin and mandocello. The traditional Saucy Sailor has an Irish lilt, and Mehta's Arlington gets a dark, rhythmic pulse highlighted by the women's vocal harmonies and the evocative violin solo by Richard Moody.

The Jennys' version of Old Man remains true to the Neil Young original, right down to the world-weariness in Cara Luft's voice. Special mention goes out to Breit, who brightens the record with string contributions: dobro on the funky Beautiful Dawn, and electric guitar on This Is Where.