Moriarty is a Franco-american music group founded in 1995. It is made up of 5 artists of French, American, Swiss, and Vietnamese origins. The members of the group were mainly raised in France. The group named itself Moriarty in honor of Dean Moriarty, the hero of On the Road by Jack Kerouac. Previously, the groupe had three other members: the singer Charlène Dupuy, the drummer Médéric de Vanssay, and the saxophonist Davide Woods. Rosemary Standley, Arthur B. Gillette, Thomas Puéchavy, Charles Carmignac, and Stephan Zimmerli are the current group members. The group covers standards, sings the blues, and creates rock compositions. After a concert in 2005, the group was spotted by Jérôme Deschamps and Macha Makeïeff, who would later co-produced their first album with Naïve Records. At the same time, they won the Prix Paris Jeunes Talents. The group was noticed during a concert at the Printemps de Bourges in 2006 and 2007. Jimmy, the first single from their first album Gee Whiz But This is A Lonesome Town (2007), was a success which allowed Moriarty to play at La Cigale. The album sold more than 50,000 copies in a few months and was certified gold a year after its release. The group went on a long tour that took them to Canada, Switzerland, Spain, Germany, and England. In 2008, Moriarty performed at the Soliday festival, the Festial of Eurockéennes de Belfort, the Francofolies de La Rochelle, and the Fête de l'Humanité. The group takes its inspiration from traditional Celtic music, country, and blues. The group plays around one mircophone during their concerts. En 2008, Mariarty was one of 10 artists nominated for the Constantin prize. www.myspace.com/moriartylands
