Voices three
Gorgeous harmonies from Canadian singer-songwriter trio the Wailin’ Jennys at Caltech
By Bliss 02/25/2010
This is the sound of one voice / One spirit, one voice … / This is the sound of voices two / The sound of me singing with you … / This is the sound of voices three / Singing together in harmony … / This is the sound of all of us / Singing with love and the will to trust / Leave the rest behind it will turn to dust”
Close harmony singing is an alchemical trick of light and sound. It’s not enough to just hit the right notes; singers need to contrast yet complement one another like sandpaper and stone. Canadian trio the Wailin’ Jennys are exemplars of the art of uniting multiple voices in one musical breath, with Ruth Moody, Nicky Mehta and Heather Masse’s voices twining in a sibling-tight blend. No wonder Moody’s “One Voice” has become their theme song.
Their name, a riff on Waylon Jennings’ moniker, hints at their musical sensibilities (melodic folk with instrumental and rhythmic flavors of bluegrass, blues and pop) as well as their humor. The initial Wailin’ Jennys trio came together almost as a joke, for what was supposed to be just one performance by Moody, Mehta and co-founder Cara Luft. All three were already established as independent singer-songwriters and recording artists, but response to their harmonies and material was so strong they pressed on.
Three personnel changes over the past decade threatened to deep-six the increasingly popular trio, but each change proved artistically fruitful. When Luft left in 2004 to resume focus on her solo career, she was replaced by Annabelle Chvostek, who departed a few years later. Her slot was filled by New York-based pianist and singer-songwriter Masse, whose big alto is the best match yet for Mehta’s mezzo-soprano and Moody’s silvery soprano. The vocal chemistry sparked by Masse’s warmth and jazzy sophistication brought a new dramatic urgency to the Jennys’ repertoire on last year’s concert offering, “Live at the Mauch Opera House,” a tasteful set comprised of originals, fresh arrangements of traditionals like “Motherless Child” and Leadbelly’s “Bring Me Lil’ Water Silvy,” and covers of contemporary artists such as Jane Siberry and Gillian Welch.
The festival favorites are currently slated to release a new album this spring, which they’re working on when not performing. Frequent appearances on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion” show have expanded the fan base that supports a touring schedule that regularly routes them through the Midwest, Northeast and Canada.
This weekend the Wailin’ Jennys venture west: They appear in concert at Caltech’s Beckman Auditorium, 332 S. Michigan Ave., Pasadena, 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27; $26, $21, $16 ($10 for youth). Call (626) 395-4652 for info. thewailinjennys.com.
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