Fans of premier folksters the Wailin' Jennys, even those unable to catch the 2010 tour, have been having themselves a real field day. Fans of premier folksters the Wailin' Jennys, even those unable to catch the 2010 tour, have been having themselves a real field day. Over the past year, the group has put out three excellent albums on St. Paul's Red House Records. There's been Live at the Mauch Chunk Opera House by the trio and, also from Red House, a pair of solo turns, Heather Masse's Bird Song and Ruth Moody's The Garden.
It's a delight, actually striking, to encounter on Live at the Mauch Chunk Opera House performances that, incredibly enough, are richer still than the studio albums for which the Wailin' Jennys are internationally lauded. There are 14 songs, eight of them new, all featuring golden-throated fare.
There are powerful lead vocals by each of the members (Nicky Mehta, mezzo; Heather Masse, alto; Ruth Moody, soprano) and marvelous harmonies. The energy, whether uptempo like the bright Emmylou Harris cover "Deeper Well" or their beautifully somber take on the traditional "Bold Riley" makes for in-concert artistry at its essential bestǃ