Heather on Prairie Home Companion today!

Very last minute news:

Just wanted to let you know that Heather Masse of the Wailin' Jennys will be on Prairie Home Companion tonight singing some tunes with Garrison and the amazing singer Jearlyn Steele as well as Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks big band. The show broadcasts at 5:45pm eastern standard time Saturday (3pm in a lot of places on the west coast) and then a rebroadcast on Sunday. Check http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/ for more info. Hope you can tune in!

And yes, Heather is a current Shining City artist... I am booking a tour for her and Aoife O'Donovan of Crooked Still in the Northwest in late April. You can contact me or go to the Shining City web site for more info on that. Also, I highly recommend Heather's new 5-song EP with the great Jed Wilson, Many Moons.

The Flutter Effect

I have just discovered that one of my favorite singer-songwriters and friends, Beth Amsel, has a new blog, mostly political. From checking out what she's posted so far, and from knowing her for years, I can tell you has a lot to say about politics and it would behoove you to read it. Go there and leave her a comment welcoming her to blogland.

Heather Masse in the NW!

So next up is a short Northwest tour for the Heather Anne Band, that would feature Ms. Heather Masse of The Wailin' Jennys. You get a gold star if you see the irony re the last post here. :) Heather is amazing, and since I'm in a hurry to go meet her for coffee, I will cheat and use other people's word to describe her.

Please come see her (and me, but not on the stage) in Tacoma, Bainbridge Island, Bellingham, or, Portland on Sunday night! Details of shows are here.

UPDATE: Tacoma on Thursday has been canceled and there will instead be a house concert in Seattle at the home of Eli West. You can contact me for info. Leave your email address in a comment if you want to come, and I'll tell you where it is.

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A melange of soulful, thoughtful songs, Heather's newest project, The Heather Anne Band, crosses the borders between country, jazz, blues, and folk. With Heather Masse's expressive voice, and Jed Wilson's extraordinary piano playing at its core, the band creates an expansive, timeless sound that engages and inspires. The Heather Anne Band plans to record a full-length album of Heather's original songs and music this winter.

"What a voice! Every once in a while I happen on a voice so pure, with such great texture, intonation, time and phrasing that it stops me in my tracks. Heather Masse has all that and more." - John Ziegler, KUMD

"Heather Masse has a stunningly beautiful voice and impeccable musicianship. You don't want to miss a chance to hear this singer." - Jazz musician Dominique Eade

"The icing on the cake [of Joy Kills Sorrow] though, is vocalist Heather Masse, whose voice hovers somewhere between Alison Krauss and Maura O'Connell, with the versatility to take on material as widely diverse as Johnny Cash's "I Still Miss Someone", Hank William's "Weary Blues from Waitin'," Paul Seibels's "Louise" and old time standards like "Train on the Island," yet give them each her own intriguing twist." - Sing Out Magazine

"Masse may be the perfect catch for The Wailin' Jennys, which is rounded out by Ruth Moody and Nicky Mehta... Of course, there's also her voice: Masse's surprisingly deep vocal sent a ripple of reaction through the audience. It's a throaty voice, fit for sultry jazz, and it was best showcased on a spooky a cappella rendition of Lead Belly's Bring Me Little Water Sylvie." - Uptown Magazine, Winnipeg