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The Taylor O'Donnell Quintet: JAZZ + SOUL

Contemporary vocalist Taylor O'Donnell returns to the Dance Hall with a powerful quartet to pay tribute to the soulful voices who have influenced her unique, commanding sound over the years. This group performs an array of inventively arranged R&B and soul favorites, along with original compositions by O'Donnell. Using their deep roots in jazz, the musicians will interpret tunes by artists such as Donny Hathaway, Roberta Flack, Stevie Wonder, and Michael Jackson. The quartet includes Chris Klaxton on trumpet, Tom Robinson on rhodes, Seth Lewis on bass, and Les Harris Jr. on drums.

Highlights of O'Donnell's performing career have been an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show working with producer David Foster, performing at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in NYC, working as a studio vocalist in Miami with Grammy award winning producer Rudy Perez, performing the National Anthem for the NFL Miami Dolphins' home games from 2010-2011, and singing background vocals for singer-songwriter Ben Folds. Most recently, Taylor can be seen performing with the original Retro-soul group Mother Superior & the Sliding Royales, visual art/jazz performance group "In Ears 'N Eyes," and performs regularly with numerous bands around the Seacoast. Currently, she is a voice instructor at Bowdoin College and Portsmouth Music & Art Center, and is Artist Faculty in Jazz Voice at the University of Southern Maine where she teaches applied jazz voice and ensembles.

"Taylor O'Donnell's vocals are demurely beautiful. They help to crystallize the burrowing, textured sounds of the track with precision, gauging each with tempered expertise." -Liz Choi. Earmilk Online

"Taylor had all the melodies, vocal turns and intervals that makes Mitchell's songs so alluring and challenging to sing. And, while the performances were so true to the original performances by Mitchell, Taylor owned the songs in her own right last night with both her personal convictions to the lyrics and an unabashed tribute to the Mistress of Confessional Songs." - Audience Member

"O'Donnell sings with demanding prowess and originality. Her voice is a refined instrument, demonstrating a unique mixture of textures and sounds." Review of August 2014 performance at the Music Hall Loft.

$12 in advance and $15 at the door