The Lesters

THE LESTERS
Analog Music in a Digital World

Some music feels like it was made for vinyl — rich, real, and timeless. That’s the sound of The Lesters. Inviting comparisons to Norah Jones and Lake Street Dive, The Lesters blend three-part harmony, lush instrumentation, and honest emotion into music that feels analog in a digital world.

Twenty years ago, long-time friends Tory Cassis, Jeff Ulster, and Murray Foster got together to play the music they loved: 1930s and ’40s vocal jazz by artists like Fats Waller and Nat King Cole. They called themselves The Lesters and started playing shows. Since then, they’ve written originals and added covers by Tom Waits, Paul Simon, and Joni Mitchell to create a sound that’s entirely their own — intimate and intricate, swinging and soulful, crafted for the needle and the groove.

Each member brings a lifetime of musical experience to the mix:

• Tory Cassis, a JUNO nominee for Best New Solo Artist and a former Holly Cole collaborator, infuses every lyric with lived-in storytelling and the warmth of a bourbon-soaked baritone.
• Jeff Ulster, a Berklee grad known for his precision and subtlety, anchors the band’s sound with arrangements that are both sophisticated and effortless.
• Murray Foster, a JUNO nominee from Great Big Sea and Moxy Früvous, brings harmony and heart, a master of turning shared voices into a singular sound.

Their 2017 debut EP, The Promise, recorded at Blue Rodeo’s Woodshed Studio, introduced six original songs that shimmer with warmth and detail. In 2025, The Lesters return to the studio, continuing their tradition of making music that sounds best when it spins.