Since the release of Awake Again, I’ve had several wonderful opportunities to share my songs. In July, I opened for Jon Shain, Molly McGinn and Sam Frazier at Doodad Farm in Greensboro, and in August I went on a very fun mini-tour in Virginia and Maryland with Tokyo Rosenthal and Michael Daughtry. September was busy, with a performance at a Pinnacle View private event, sharing the Cary Theater stage with NC songwriters Wyatt Easterling, Kirk Ridge, Rebekah Todd, and Dean Driver, and playing for a great crowd at Steel String Brewery for the Carrboro Music Festival. As I follow my heart — the heart of the little girl who always loved to sing — I continue to be grateful and amazed at the support of friends, fans, and fellow musicians. Singing brings me a lot of joy — thanks for listening and letting me share my joy with you!

The next couple of months will be less busy, by design. I like to focus on my family and friends during the holiday season, and I’m also making time to do more songwriting. I have just a couple of performances before the New Year arrives, and am working on 2017 bookings. Please subscribe to my mailing list if you’re interested in getting updates. Remember: music heals!

Isabel’s debut CD Awake Again is now available through CD Baby! You can order a physical or digital copy of the CD.

The CD release party on June 11 was a huge success! Playing to a standing room only crowd, Isabel was joined by producer and guitarist Jon Shain, sound engineer and bassist FJ Ventre, Ed Butler (drums), Lynn Blakey (backing vocals), Tim Stambaugh (banjo and dobro) and Kaye Saunders (piano). The party included a debut of a video for ‘Take Me Flying,’ produced by Parker Bruer.

A show to celebrate the release of Isabel Taylor’s debut CD Awake Again will be held at The Trails community clubhouse, 8920 Coachway (off of Dodson’s Crossroads) in Chapel Hill on Saturday, June 11 at 8pm.

Produced by award-winning songwriter and guitarist Jon Shain and engineered by FJ Ventre (longtime Shain collaborator and bassist for the Swang Brothers, Mary Johnson Rockers, and more), the CD features twelve original tracks on self-reflection, lessons learned, and the path forward. Along with Shain and Ventre, joining Taylor will be Ed Butler (drums), Lynn Blakey (of Tres Chicas; vocals), and Tim Stambaugh (banjo), all highly-respected and accomplished musicians who contributed to the tracks. Read the full press release.

Care to help spread the word? Download and print this 8 1/2″ x 11″ poster and tack it up on your community bulletin board or local telephone pole!

Carrboro Music Festival at Steel String Brewery, Sept. 27, 2015

Performing with guitarist Joshua Cohen

So…another year of performances is winding down. 2015 has been  tremendous fun, with music- and friend-making, and growth in my songwriting, performance, and even guitar skills. I am so grateful to be part of our musician community and to share my passion for singing meaningful songs.

These photos were taken at the Carrboro Music Festival, where Joshua Cohen and I played an almost-all originals set (we perform a jazzy version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”). The beauty of playing the Festival is that the audience really listens – the schedule is packed with great acts all day, and there’s a lot of musical variety to choose from. We had a really nice turnout of friends and newcomers. We made some new friends!

I have a couple of bookings in October (see Dates), and then, as in the past, I will likely take November and December off from performing to focus on other things – family, songwriting, and…working up my songs for my first ever CD! More details on that as they develop – suffice it to say that I’m extremely excited to take this next step in my music career. Thanks for following along and supporting me on my journey!

A couple of months ago, my husband Keith and I were on our way to a wedding near Atlanta. I was enjoying the beautiful, unfamiliar scenery when we crossed a bridge with a river running underneath. In that moment I heard a lyric in my head. I sang it to Keith, melody and all, and recorded it on my phone. I worked on the song for about a month and was having trouble finishing it when I left for the Southeast Regional Folk Alliance conference in Montreat, NC. It was there I met fellow songwriter Kipyn Martin, whom I’d heard perform and admired. While talking about songwriting over breakfast, I mentioned that I had brought an unfinished song to the conference and was having trouble finishing it, even in that idyllic setting. Kipyn graciously offered to listen and offer me her suggestions. The result is “What the Water Knows.” I’m grateful to Kipyn for her kind insights, and to those of you who’ve heard the song, identified with it, and have even been moved by it. I could not ask for more.

Last weekend I had the great pleasure of meeting singer-songwriter David Wilcox and playing a few of my songs for the intimate crowd gathered for Pinnacle View‘s “I Belize In You” benefit event. The benefit raised funds to send inspirational books to children at the Zion School in Belize, where children regularly go without school supplies that we consider basic.

We videotaped my performance so I could share the experience. I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed singing that night. The house-concert atmosphere meant everyone was there to listen, and I was grateful for their attentiveness and graciousness as they waited for David to start his show. If you’ve seen him, you know what an engaging performer he is. Having some one-on-one time with David and talking about songwriting and music was icing on the cake. It was a very special night! Thank you, Elizabeth 🙂