Calamity Janes

Calamity Janes combine fiddle, guitar, drums and bass with four female voices in rich harmony, playing original music composed by all. Singer-songwriters Jenica Rayne and Lynne Hanson join forces with percussionist Les Casson and fiddler extraordinaire
Danielle Lennon to create a powerful new sound. Individually, the members of Calamity Janes bring a wealth of musical experience to the group, each with a solid pedigree in performing, writing and recording.

Danielle Lennon enlivens the Janes’ sound with her passionate solos and energetic fiddle tunes. She is a rare combination—a classically trained violinist, a wild and abandoned fiddler, and a gifted blues soloist. Her performance pedigree reflects this versatility, beginning with her 9-year, 3 CD sojourn with the Blazing Fiddles in Caledonia, Ontario, and continuing the Celtic tradition in Kingston with Boru’s Harp. She is a frequent guest soloist with many local bands and has performed and recorded most recently with Kyra and Tully, The Swamp Ward Orchestra, Kris and Dee and Ianspotting. Last but not least, Danielle is currently a section violinist with the Kingston Symphony and a member of the classical string group, the Limestone Trio. She teaches both fiddle and violin, and is presently recording her own original instrumental compositions, to be released as an EP in 2012.

Jenica Rayne is a compelling songwriter, accomplished guitarist and seasoned performer: a storyteller who draws her audience in with lyric driven songs that speak from the heart. Her music has been described as “intimate, evocative and haunting”, and critics have coined her “a poet of consequence, an advocate for personal and social change.” Jenica has released three critically acclaimed CD’s—Hall of Memories (1999), Essential Elements(2005) and her most recent release Live Rayne (2007)—and her music gets regular airplay on college stations, the CBC and local stations. She is a graduate of Vancouver Island University’s jazz music program, and regularly tours across the country both as a solo artist and with her band ‘The Rayne Makers.” Jenica has an established, enthusiastic and loyal following, and she is equally comfortable alone on stage or with a band, always engaging her audience with personal stories and humour.

Les Casson spent over a dozen years as the percussionist for the critically acclaimed folk ensemble, Night Sun. Anchoring their “superb rhythm ensemble” (SOCAN), she is featured on the band’s best known releases—Home (1996), One Moment of Grace (1999) and Drive (2004)—weaving drum kit, hand percussion, and vocals. Having lugged her gear all across Canada and the Northern US, from major festivals to tiny coffee houses (and everywhere in between), Les now brings her “innate sense of rhythm” (Greenman Review) to the Janes.

Lynne Hanson is a singer/songwriter who plays both bass and guitar with the Janes. Her songwriting is soulful and moving, with delicate melodies and compelling turns of phrase, and her voice is reminiscent of Norah Jones and Alison Krauss, pure and unaffected. Lynne’s debut CD The Garden has been aired on CBC, and was named one of 2007’s top albums by Fresh Air’s host, Jeff Goodes. Her second CD, All the Time” (2008), has received nationwide airplay on CBC, including a feature on “Canada Reads.”