Music
Press
"Jessica Parsons-Taylor performs her emotional musical portraits with a thoughtful lyrical touch that defies her delicate, distinctive, almost childlike voice. She sings with hushed intimacies held with a gentle hand to melodies that float on an often breezy, sometimes somber but always skilled piano-based delivery. Rich in jazz and pop tradition, her songs have a graceful simplicity of style. She chooses her words and notes sparingly and adorns them with only the most essential elements of musical decoration. The result: songs that resonate softly but with a purpose and clarity that both illuminate and celebrate her youthful take on life. Her voice is fresh and original, her songs exquisitely crafted, her performances fun and engaging and, most importantly, her future bright and limitless. A wonderful new talent." - Dave Curtis, former Sr. VP Sales and Marketing, Sony BMG.
“Here’s a girl who’s not afraid to be happy, although her songs aren’t always… [She is] a bright spot on the local scene.” - Serena Markstrom, The Register Guard
“Effortlessly brilliant…All she does bursts with passion and poise.” - Carsie Blanton, musician
"The album, [The Slower Side of Time], features songs whose subjects belie the tender age of their creator, songs at once complex and universal that pair a clear, emotive voice with poignant piano stylings. It's the perfect album to complement the sweet sadness of a Sunday afternoon." - Jon Stinnett, The Cottage Grove Sentinel
Discography
the slower side of time, 2007
Photos
Bio
Jessica Parsons-Taylor grew up in a little house fashioned from an 18-foot canvas yurt in Cottage Grove, Oregon. Situated on a hilltop overlooking Dorena Lake, Jessica spent her early years running wild on her family's 10-acres of forest. Rumored to have begun singing at the age of 6 months (a mostly-butchered, but thoroughly adorable version of Frere Jacques), Ms. P-T's musical tendencies began to itch violently at the age of 3, when her family inherited a piano. From then on, she could be found perched atop a piano bench, picking out show tunes, old jazz songs, Sting, Bonnie Raitt, Bach, made-up ditties and everything in between, and trying in vain to reach the pedals.
Jessica's passion remained fiery and consistent, and she immersed herself in piano lessons, voice lessons, choirs, operas and musicals over the next 15 years. At the age of 16, Parsons-Taylor recorded and released her first full-length CD—a compilation of piano/vocal jazz tunes from the 40s and 50s—which immediately impressed listeners with its depth and maturity, so starkly contrasting the youthful face and 4’11 frame of its creator.
A recipient of numerous scholarships and awards from sources including the University of Oregon School of Music, the Willamette Valley Folk Festival, Kiwanis Club, the Pleasant Hill Jazz Festival, and the Plowshares Songwriting Contest, Jessica has continued to wow audiences in the Eugene and Portland areas with her new all-original album, The Slower Side of Time, released in March of 2007. A singer and pianist of the pop/jazz persuasion, Jessica’s original music has been likened to the styles of Norah Jones, Diana Krall, and a young Joni Mitchell. Her achingly honest lyrics and ethereal vocal style combine to evoke something at once deeply familiar and charmingly fresh, and have garnered her a consistent and enthusiastic following wherever she goes. To learn more about Jessica, please visit: www.jessicaparsonstaylor.com.
Links
