Jenny MacDonald

"...A small, but mighty force, Jenny MacDonald offers a performance that is at once bold and brassy, delicate and fragile, and quirky enough to leave you smiling, laughing, and crying. With a personality as generous as her talent comes a charismatic performance - fulfilling from start to finish"
- Ottawa Blues Society

"Audiences and performers stand to benefit from an upcoming songwriters’ circle at Bauer Theatre.

“The idea behind the show is not only to support local acts, but to also bring acts from other parts of the province into Antigonish that people might not have had a chance
to see, and help musicians who may not have played in that area” performer and organizer Jenny MacDonald said.

“The best way that the music industry is run is through helping each other out instead of competing.”

MacDonald, Betsy MacDonald, Mike Aube and The Hupman Brothers will perform April 9 at the Bauer. MacDonald said audience members can expect the performers to add a little something to each others’ songs..."

(see link for full article) - The Casket

Jenny Kissed Me

-Artist releases debut-

An Antigonish musician is celebrating the release of her first CD.

Jenny Kissed Me, Jenny MacDonald’s debut album, features 12 songs penned by the artist. Antigonish music scene mainstays Mike Dalton, Greg Melchin and Drew Martin fill out her band for the record. R.M. Scott of Mishra’s Dream appears for one song.

“Recording the album was a lot of work, but a lot more fun than work, I think,” MacDonald said.
Jenny recorded the album at Scott Ferguson’s Ferguson Music Productions in Dartmouth.

“It was the perfect match,” MacDonald said. “We both had the same vision for the album.”

MacDonald’s syrupy voice will be spreading across the nation when she embarks on a Quebec and Ontario tour later this month. The songstress will be back for two Festival Antigonish shows August 23 and 24.

“It’s a summer full of dates,” she said.

The NSCC music performance student said she got her start with Antigonish theatre. Her next album may be on the way soon, she added.

“It’s already going in my head, but financially, It’s a big step.” - The Casket Newspaper

Jenny Kissed Me

-Artist releases debut-

An Antigonish musician is celebrating the release of her first CD.

Jenny Kissed Me, Jenny MacDonald’s debut album, features 12 songs penned by the artist. Antigonish music scene mainstays Mike Dalton, Greg Melchin and Drew Martin fill out her band for the record. R.M. Scott of Mishra’s Dream appears for one song.

“Recording the album was a lot of work, but a lot more fun than work, I think,” MacDonald said.
Jenny recorded the album at Scott Ferguson’s Ferguson Music Productions in Dartmouth.

“It was the perfect match,” MacDonald said. “We both had the same vision for the album.”

MacDonald’s syrupy voice will be spreading across the nation when she embarks on a Quebec and Ontario tour later this month. The songstress will be back for two Festival Antigonish shows August 23 and 24.

“It’s a summer full of dates,” she said.

The NSCC music performance student said she got her start with Antigonish theatre. Her next album may be on the way soon, she added.

“It’s already going in my head, but financially, It’s a big step.” - The Casket Newspaper

"Just put your disc in, and the sound is nothing like I thought it would be. I am so blown away! This is amazing! I love the whole sound. This is a trip into the best part of music. Rock, blues, roots you name it, all perfectly packed into one song, then into the next! And you know what? It gets better as I listen. Great job, and I know this will break you out! out!" - Jerry Neville

"Just put your disc in, and the sound is nothing like I thought it would be. I am so blown away! This is amazing! I love the whole sound. This is a trip into the best part of music. Rock, blues, roots you name it, all perfectly packed into one song, then into the next! And you know what? It gets better as I listen. Great job, and I know this will break you out! out!" - Jerry Neville

"Jenny MacDonald, originally from Antigonish, Nova Scotia but now living in Wolfville, appears to be a sweet, young, frail thing but she pulls a big voice out of her well-worn boots and a lot of sound from her over-sized guitar...her voice is so much larger than you’d expect.

Songs like “Homesick” and “Warm Hands, Cold Heart” suggest an artist who loves the lifestyle and gets her material from life on the road. Another closet jazz vocalist, her folkish charm would detour into areas of gentle swing, country blues or toughen up with a more aggressive rock stance.

A young talent, she’s clearly refining as she goes and the world will ultimately prove to be her oyster. You can bet on it.

All in all, an exceptional night of far-ranging entertainment and truly an embarrassment of riches. Nothing could be finer. - Roots Music Canada

“…MacDonald is clearly going places”. (Jeremy Webb) - Chronicle Herald

“…MacDonald is clearly going places”. (Jeremy Webb) - Chronicle Herald

“MacDonald sounded like the proverbial ‘old soul in a young body’" - Stephen Cooke - Chronicle Herald

Jenny MacDonald sings, "Bye Bye, Mr. Bluesman"
Album Preview

In a room lined with sweaty bodies, noise, and smoke, appears the tiny silhouette of a delicate looking young woman - seemingly no match for the rugged crowd. She opens her mouth; the room goes silent.

Although new to the Annapolis Valley region, Jenny MacDonald is no stranger to the stage. Releasing her debut album, "Jenny Kissed Me" in 2008, MacDonald has since performed alongside a number of Canada's favorite artists including; Gordie Sampson, Charlie A'Court, Ian Sherwood, Coco Love Alcorn, and Christina Martin, and has become a favorite among CBC listeners.

MacDonald's upcoming release, "Bye Bye, Mr. Bluesman", weaves through stories of 'hellos', 'goodbyes', frustrations, and butterflies in a unique mix of blues and 20s-inspired swing - with a mix of country and folk sprinkled on top.

Jenny explains that she has been writing these songs since her first release in 2008, and fifteen tracks were chosen out of "probably hundreds" of original compositions. The title track, "Bye Bye, Mr. Bluesman" was written somewhere in the middle of those years, and was chosen as the title to offer the listeners an idea of what they can find on the album, both in genre and content.

"This is the first time I went into the studio with a very clear idea of what I wanted to come out with - although I had no idea it was actually going to work!" Jenny laughs. "I think of each track as it's own entity, and somehow they just seem to tie together in the end. I guess I approached it in an 'organized chaos' sort of way - kind of like real life. It's raw and rough in some spots, quirky and funny in parts, and it's gentle and sensitive in others; it's kind of a reflection of myself I suppose!"

The album was recorded by East Coast Music Award recipient Scott Hupman (The Hupman Brothers), and features a number of the east coast's favorite musicians including; Ian Sherwood, Rob Crowell (The Mellotones), Matt Myer (Gypsophelia), and the valley's own Ryan Hupman (The Hupman Brothers), Ariana Nasr (T@B), Caleb Miles and more.

"I really love working with Scott [Hupman]. He believes in making honest music, which is one of the reasons I wanted to work with him. Music should sound like real people playing real instruments...One of my favorite things when listening to an old, live album is when you hear one of the players yell 'YEAH!' after something really exciting happens. You can put all the notes and words and rhythms together, but it's passion that makes good music and connects people."

For more information please visit: www.jennymacdonald.com - The Grapevine

"...excellent live performances such as Jenny MacDonald's haunting renditions of Johnny Cash's 'God's Gonna Cut You Down' and 'Bang Bang, My Baby Shot Me Down'..."

(See link for full article) - Xaverian Weekly

"When Jenny picks up her guitar, it’s incredible to discover that her husky voice and thoughtful lyrics can come from such a tiny frame.

...She has made a name for herself amongst talented Nova Scotian musicians with her ability to swing between rock, jazz and the blues, and always writing soulful and
quirky lyrics."

Tara MacInnis
- Xaverian Weekly

"...beautiful voice, great talent, and great new album."

"I've listened to the album beginning to end. My wife completely loves it...hats off to [Jenny; she] did a great thing!"

Dwayne Keller - 98.9FM The Fox - Dwayne Keller - 98.9FM The Fox