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Jenny Whiteley Offers to Forgive or Forget On New CD For Black Hen Music Coming February 16 VANCOUVER, BC – Black Hen Music announces a February 16 release date for singer/songwriter Jenny Whiteley’s new CD, Forgive or Forget, distributed in the U.S. by Burnside Distribution. Forgive or Forget is the fourth CD from the two-time Juno Award winner (Canada’s Grammy) and her third collaboration with Black Hen president and award-winning producer Steve Dawson, who produced her CDs Hopetown (June Award for “Roots/Traditional Album of the Year – 2004) and Dear (2006). Jenny also won that same Juno Award for her debut album in 2002. Forgive or Forget features nine original new songs, plus a cover of Felice and Boudleaux Bryant’s “Raining in My Heart,” originally recorded by Buddy Holly. Whiteley’s songs sound not so much written as torn from the cloth of hard won experience. The new CD is bursting with authentic touches of country and bluegrass, a nod to Jenny’s background in those genres, while remaining firmly in the Americana singer/songwriter tradition. Jenny’s integrity and commitment emanate from every syllable she sings, as she shares her tales of life on the road less traveled. Her voice has taken on a deeper resonance than ever before, as she takes her time to share what may be the best collection of songs she’s ever offered. The songs on Forgive or Forget trace the arc of love relationships as they wax and wane with the passage of time. From the optimistic joy of love’s new sheen reflected in “Ripple Effect” to the decline and fall of “Cold Kisses” and “Final Season,” Whiteley proves that there is a place for heartfelt love songs that reflect the realities of an adult world. As deeply personal as Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks, these songs of love, renewal, and dusting oneself off to start all over again will send shivers down listeners’ spines no matter how many times they’re played and heard. Forgive or Forget is full of stellar instrumental performances. Grounded by the rock solid rhythm section of John Raham (Be Good Tanyas) on drums and Darren Parris on bass, Whiteley and her band travel through some very exhilarating musical territory as they bring these songs to life. Steve Dawson’s heartfelt pedal steel that graces “Day Without Words” and Joey Wright’s impassioned arch top guitar and mandolin work on “Slack” and “Raining in My Heart” show that Jenny hasn’t forgotten her bluegrass roots. Add to that the crunching electric riffs that punctuate “Final Season” and “There Was Love”, and it’s obvious that Forgive or Forget is a string lover’s delight. And, as if to prove that good music stands outside of time and fashion, the album features an array of keyboard textures ranging from funky organ wails to ‘70s Mellotron flourishes played by Chris Gestrin.(Randy Bachman). Bluegrass legend Tim O’Brien (Steve Earle) adds gorgeous backing vocals throughout the album. The daughter of celebrated Canadian songwriter/musician Chris Whiteley, Jenny first came to national attention while singing and playing with Heartbreak Hill, the groundbreaking bluegrass group from Ontario that was nominated for a Juno Award in 1999. After going solo with her debut album in 2002, her career really started to gather momentum when she began collaborating with Steve Dawson on the Hopetown CD, which became her first release on the Black Hen Music label. Jenny Whiteley tours regularly both solo and with her band across Canada, the U.S. and Europe, performing at both showcase clubs and folk festivals. For more information, visit www.jennywhiteley.com and www.blackhenmusic.com. |
