I Heart Edmonton

Jill Hennessy's "Ghost In My Head" (2009) BY EMIL TIEDEMANN "W HEN I began writing these songs, the floodgates opened to my whole life," admitted Edmonton-born singer-songwriter & actress Jill Hennessy , referring to her debut album Ghost In My Head . "It's the embodiment of a lifetime of work." But most people who even know who Jill Hennessy is, most likely know her from her work on the small screen. From 1993 to '96 Hennessy, 41, played assistant district attorney Claire Kincaid on Law & Order , and then was tenacious medical examiner Jordan Cavanaugh on Crossing Jordan , from 2001 to '07. The mother of two also showed up on the big screen in between her TV gigs, with supporting roles in RoboCop 3 (1993), The Paper (1994), I Shot Andy Warhol (1996), Autumn In New York (2000), Wild Hogs (2007), Lymelife (2008), and many others. But Hennessy has been focusing on her musical ambitions as of late, a lingering passion that had ...

"Ask Me No Questions" (2008) by Wendy McNeill G ROWING up in the Canadian Prairies Wendy McNeill was exposed to everything from Dolly Parton to Black Sabbath , and the musical plethora in between. The sounds of ABBA , Pink Floyd , and Supertramp also hogged her radio in McNeill's early years, but by high school her tastes had shifted to include Velvet Underground , The Cure , Blondie , and Sisters of Mercy as well. She tested the waters in a haze of other artistic platforms, such as poetry, photography, and even contemporary dance, but her attention eventually focused squarely on music. The singer-songwriter had learned to play multiple instruments by this time, as her preference had now favoured the likes of Leonard Cohen , Stevie Nicks , and Woody Guthrie . In 1997 the former bartender released her debut album, To Whom It May Concern , after winning a songwriting contest. The Edmonton-based folk musician continued with 2001's What's Your Whiskey, Baby? , 200...