Jennifer Louise Taylor (Twowheeler/Threewheeler)

"... definitely worth a listen." - Monday Magazine

"... definitely worth a listen." - Monday Magazine

"Jennifer's velvety contralto [is] magical." - Focus Magazine

"Jennifer's velvety contralto [is] magical." - Focus Magazine

"Jennifer captures the west-coast feel in a way few others can." - Brentwood Bay Times

"Jennifer captures the west-coast feel in a way few others can." - Brentwood Bay Times

By Amanda Farrell

07/30/2008 8:00 AM
What do yoga, acupuncture and roots music have in common?

For Jennifer Louise Taylor, inspiration came at the end of an acupuncture needle. The local musician and illustrator was racking her brain about finding a local venue to perform an intimate concert with her friend, former Wailin’ Jenny Annabelle Chvostek, during an acupuncture session when the idea clicked, err, pricked.

“I was lying there at Hemma with needles in my arms and legs and Michael, one of the people who owns it and does acupuncture, was humming along as he usually does and I thought, ‘Oh my god, this is the perfect place,’” she recalls.

Taylor says using Hemma as a venue for Friday’s pillow concert (BYOP) was a no-brainer once she saw the centre’s yoga studio space. “I’ve talked to [Hemma owners] Michael and Aase before about community building and what that means to them. I’m very interested in that aspect of life and that’s why I do music, because I love to share with people,” she says. “I find a setting like that is much more conducive to sharing music, because they’ve already set a path that is about community.”

There will definitely be some sharing of music at Friday’s show, as Taylor and Chvostek’s longtime friendship means one can expect some musical collaborations. Both artists also have fairly fresh material to showcase: Taylor released an album, Love Heals, last year, but hasn’t been playing much due to a recent car accident, and Chvostek has just put out her first post-Jennys disc, Resilience...

While Friday’s concert may be small, rest assured there will be more than enough room for both Chvostek’s and Taylor’s songs in the studio. Just don’t forget your pillow.

-----------------------------

Annabelle Chvostek
(with Jennifer Louise Taylor)
7pm Friday, August 1
Hemma, 1274 Moss
Tickets $15 • 294-0434
- Monday Magazine

By Amanda Farrell

07/30/2008 8:00 AM
What do yoga, acupuncture and roots music have in common?

For Jennifer Louise Taylor, inspiration came at the end of an acupuncture needle. The local musician and illustrator was racking her brain about finding a local venue to perform an intimate concert with her friend, former Wailin’ Jenny Annabelle Chvostek, during an acupuncture session when the idea clicked, err, pricked.

“I was lying there at Hemma with needles in my arms and legs and Michael, one of the people who owns it and does acupuncture, was humming along as he usually does and I thought, ‘Oh my god, this is the perfect place,’” she recalls.

Taylor says using Hemma as a venue for Friday’s pillow concert (BYOP) was a no-brainer once she saw the centre’s yoga studio space. “I’ve talked to [Hemma owners] Michael and Aase before about community building and what that means to them. I’m very interested in that aspect of life and that’s why I do music, because I love to share with people,” she says. “I find a setting like that is much more conducive to sharing music, because they’ve already set a path that is about community.”

There will definitely be some sharing of music at Friday’s show, as Taylor and Chvostek’s longtime friendship means one can expect some musical collaborations. Both artists also have fairly fresh material to showcase: Taylor released an album, Love Heals, last year, but hasn’t been playing much due to a recent car accident, and Chvostek has just put out her first post-Jennys disc, Resilience...

While Friday’s concert may be small, rest assured there will be more than enough room for both Chvostek’s and Taylor’s songs in the studio. Just don’t forget your pillow.

-----------------------------

Annabelle Chvostek
(with Jennifer Louise Taylor)
7pm Friday, August 1
Hemma, 1274 Moss
Tickets $15 • 294-0434
- Monday Magazine

Published: November 19, 2008

It’s been a rough several months for Jennifer Louise Taylor. A car accident in March derailed her life as she knew it; doing work as an illustrator became nearly impossible. But she still had music, which has helped her in recovery.

“It has been a really wonderful solace for me,” says the self-described folkie in a telephone interview from her Victoria home. “I just can’t even bear to think what would have happened if I couldn’t play and do art at the same time.”

For direct link visit:
http://www.bclocalnews.com/richmond_southdelta/richmondreview/entertainment/34772139.html

The folk musician plays Britannia Heritage Shipyard tonight (Thursday), bringing a brand of music 38 years in the making.

Growing up, Taylor had a world music education like no other. At the age of six months, Taylor left Canada with her mother and father, whose job took him around the world.

First it was Kenya for three years. Then California. Then Iran for another three years. There was also Malaysia, Korea and Cambodia before Taylor settled in Victoria.

It was a world education she feels lucky to have. Her mother is a classically trained pianist and a “wicked” accordion player. And both her parents are folk dancers with a keen interest in global cultures. Travelling was an opportunity to learn.

“We didn’t just live overseas in isolation, we really enjoyed what every country that we lived in had to offer. Every trip was an amazing experience,” says Taylor, adding that music gave her an instant connection with people who spoke other languages.

Taylor never sought formal music training, although her mom tried to teach her piano.

“I was a terrible, terrible student,” she says with a laugh. “That’s why I think folk music was more for me.”

Taylor only decided to take her voice to a stage as a 20-something living in Korea. That’s why at her shows, she encourages people to sing along—even those who don’t believe they have the right stuff.

Her music reflects an interest in all musical genres, but it’s pure folk...
“When I think of folk music, I think of music that has qualities that stand the test of time. It can be a melody or it can be that lyrically it speaks to the human condition. I definitely consider myself a folk musician, because that’s what I strive for. I strive for music that is really accessible to people and that helps them to relate to themselves.”

As a songwriter, Taylor has enough songs to fill a drawer. And last year she put some out there with her first album, Love Heals. Writing melodies and lyrics come to her suddenly, says Taylor, who already has designs on two more CDs.

“I’ll be driving down the road, or having a walk, or even a conversation with someone, and I just get a feeling there’s a song coming on. I stop, and just sit down, and oftentimes they just pour out within 20 minutes.”

In her business as an illustrator—she’s drawn over 40 children’s books—Taylor is hard on herself, staying up for hours perfecting her drawings. But with music, she takes it a little easier.

“When it comes to music, I cut myself a great big amount of slack because I just love to do it. I’m never bored in my life, because if I have a guitar—or if my guitar’s not there, I’ve got my voice—I feel fulfilled.”

- Richmond Review

Published: November 19, 2008

It’s been a rough several months for Jennifer Louise Taylor. A car accident in March derailed her life as she knew it; doing work as an illustrator became nearly impossible. But she still had music, which has helped her in recovery.

“It has been a really wonderful solace for me,” says the self-described folkie in a telephone interview from her Victoria home. “I just can’t even bear to think what would have happened if I couldn’t play and do art at the same time.”

For direct link visit:
http://www.bclocalnews.com/richmond_southdelta/richmondreview/entertainment/34772139.html

The folk musician plays Britannia Heritage Shipyard tonight (Thursday), bringing a brand of music 38 years in the making.

Growing up, Taylor had a world music education like no other. At the age of six months, Taylor left Canada with her mother and father, whose job took him around the world.

First it was Kenya for three years. Then California. Then Iran for another three years. There was also Malaysia, Korea and Cambodia before Taylor settled in Victoria.

It was a world education she feels lucky to have. Her mother is a classically trained pianist and a “wicked” accordion player. And both her parents are folk dancers with a keen interest in global cultures. Travelling was an opportunity to learn.

“We didn’t just live overseas in isolation, we really enjoyed what every country that we lived in had to offer. Every trip was an amazing experience,” says Taylor, adding that music gave her an instant connection with people who spoke other languages.

Taylor never sought formal music training, although her mom tried to teach her piano.

“I was a terrible, terrible student,” she says with a laugh. “That’s why I think folk music was more for me.”

Taylor only decided to take her voice to a stage as a 20-something living in Korea. That’s why at her shows, she encourages people to sing along—even those who don’t believe they have the right stuff.

Her music reflects an interest in all musical genres, but it’s pure folk...
“When I think of folk music, I think of music that has qualities that stand the test of time. It can be a melody or it can be that lyrically it speaks to the human condition. I definitely consider myself a folk musician, because that’s what I strive for. I strive for music that is really accessible to people and that helps them to relate to themselves.”

As a songwriter, Taylor has enough songs to fill a drawer. And last year she put some out there with her first album, Love Heals. Writing melodies and lyrics come to her suddenly, says Taylor, who already has designs on two more CDs.

“I’ll be driving down the road, or having a walk, or even a conversation with someone, and I just get a feeling there’s a song coming on. I stop, and just sit down, and oftentimes they just pour out within 20 minutes.”

In her business as an illustrator—she’s drawn over 40 children’s books—Taylor is hard on herself, staying up for hours perfecting her drawings. But with music, she takes it a little easier.

“When it comes to music, I cut myself a great big amount of slack because I just love to do it. I’m never bored in my life, because if I have a guitar—or if my guitar’s not there, I’ve got my voice—I feel fulfilled.”

- Richmond Review