Born in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and raised outside of Edmonton, Alberta, Jenie Thai is building a musical presence with the electric energy she brings to the stage and the old soul that’s conveyed through her songwriting.
Jenie Thai will be making her solo debut at Café Paradiso in Fairfield on Sunday, March 31, 8 p.m.
Vocally, she has been compared to an early Maria Muldaur, but she also soaks in the musical influences of Tom Waits, Bonnie Raitt, Memphis Slim, Muddy Waters, Ella Fitzgerald, and Ryan Adams. As a performer, songwriter, singer, and instrumentalist, Jenie Thai combines classical technique, jazz harmonics, and a lifelong appreciation for blues and folk to produce a unique charm as a singer-songwriter on the Canadian folk, roots, and blues music scene.
Her training on piano began at age five; she spent her early school years performing difficult repertoire at workshops, camps, and annual festivals, receiving national accolade. At seventeen, Jenie continued studying classical piano at Augustana University, and in 2008 she attended Grant MacEwan Jazz and Contemporary Music Program. Upon graduation Jenie was offered a teaching position at Grant MacEwan University and was accepted into Paul McCartney’s international music school in Liverpool.
Jenie was nominated for several Edmonton Music Awards (2013, 2014) for “Artist to Watch” and “Female Artist of the Year.” In January of 2014, she represented Northern Alberta as a semi-finalist in the 30th International Blues Challenge held in Memphis.
Tickets for the March 31 concert at Cafe Paradiso are $10 in advance (cafeparadiso.net or at the café), $12 at the show.