Biography
“Amazingly charming,” - Don Ross, Canadian guitar icon
“The best of both folk and jazz,” - AOL Spinner
"The Jessica Stuart Few's playful indie rock could be one of the most charming takes on the genre to come along in some time." - Canadian Musician Magazine
The Jessica Stuart Few is one of the hottest groups to emerge from the Toronto eclectic indie folk scene. Inspiring the term “folk-jazz power trio”, Stuart brings the lyrical playfulness and vocal facility of Joni Mitchell to the unique sound of the traditional Japanese koto (13-string zither) alongside double bass (Dan Fortin), drums (Tony Nesbitt-Larking) and guitar. The combination is unconventional, but clearly works, having earned the trio main stage performances at some of Canada’s top festivals (North By NorthEast, Canadian Music Week, Islands Folk Festival, TD Toronto Jazz Festival, Vancouver Chutzpah! Festival, Opus Mundi World Music Festival etc.), two 2012 Toronto Independent Music Award nominations (Best Live Performance, Best Recording), and landing their music in regular rotation on CBC Radio One and Two.
The Jessica Stuart Few’s sound transports the listener – storytelling set to music that takes chances, all the while maintaining the sing-along hooks that make the group accessible to the roots audience, from folk club, to house concert to festival. In early 2013, ‘The Few’ will launch their sophomore album, Two Sides To Every Story, the much anticipated follow-up to their critically acclaimed debut, Kid Dream. Two Sides To Every Story, mixed by Ian Bodzasi (Sam Roberts, Hey Rosetta) muses with the idea of work vs. play, right vs. wrong, and the lead single ,’Don’t Ya’, which was pre-released earlier this year, was chosen as “Song Of The Week” on CBC Radio One, and called “the perfect 3-minute pop song”, by music critic & CBC host, Errol Nazareth.
All members of The Jessica Stuart Few are active in a wide variety of musical scenes, sharing the stage with some of Canada’s best: Serena Ryder, The Creaking Tree String Quartet, The Odds, Maylee Todd, Steve Poltz, Elizabeth Shepherd & By Divine Right. The Jessica Stuart Few’s charismatic live shows and distinctive sound have made for a busy performance schedule since the launch of Kid Dream in 2010, with extensive touring throughout Canada, and a major tour of Japan in Fall 2013, following the launch of their new album at Canadian festivals next summer.
“a gorgeously light voice…, and heavy musicianship chops to match.” – Eye Weekly, Toronto
“The Few meld their undeniable pop instincts with a playful non-linear approach to jazz and crank up the charm.” – Bob Klanac, London Scene Magazine
Artist descriptions on Last.fm are editable by everyone. Feel free to contribute!
All user-contributed text on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply.
