“…Taylor O’Donnell’s fiercely prodigious voice. With a sharp-edged swagger and a vocal range bigger than Louisiana, she consistently steals the show.  O’Donnell’s Janis Joplin-inspired vocals are as infectious as they are powerful. At every turn, the Royales’ scintillating debut and talented cast meet lofty expectations.”  -Review of Mother Superior

Kittery, Maine- Contemporary vocalist Taylor O’Donnell comes to The Dance Hall in Kittery on Friday, October 28 at 7:30pm with a powerful quartet to pay tribute to the soulful voices who 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 trio includes Tom Robinson on rhodes, Rob Gerry on bass, and Eric Von Oeyen 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 most recently, OURBigBand.  Currently, she is a professor at Bowdoin College teaching Jazz and Contemporary Voice, and Artist Faculty in Jazz Voice at the University of Southern Maine where she teaches applied jazz voice and ensembles.  

Tickets are $12 advance and $15 door and can be purchased at TheDanceHallKittery.org and Brownpapertickets.com. 

“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.