Press
October 2022
"Jenie is professional, enthusiastic and joins in all the festival festival magic, but it is her voice that you will remember” Terry Wickham, producer, Edmonton Folk Festival
August 24th, 2017
With a combination of contemporary and traditional blues piano, and a fiery passionate voice, Jenie “Thai” Nolan has been making a name for herself across the country and the world. View Article
- Vue Weekly, Stephan Boissonneault
July 1st, 2017
"If anyone thought about the combination of traits required for a timeless and impactful career, they would most likely be describing the same traits possessed by the featured artist in this edition of Notes & Quotes: Jenie Thai. Although self described as someone who is just emerging onto the music scene, she has an impressive resume in both music academia and press reviews." View Article
- Maple Blues Newsletter, Erin McCallum
Jan. 27th, 2017
"Pianist/singer Jenie Thai from Edmonton, now residing in Toronto: Jenie came with questions and loads of confidence." View Article
- FYI Music News, Bill King
Jan. 12th, 2017
"Musical Siblings Jenie Thai and Joe Nolan look forward to a busy 2017.... Jenie Thai is effervescent, finding her greatest power in swaying to or belting out blues and soul." View Here
- Edmonton Journal, Roger Levesque
Sept. 14th, 2016
Live Performance on CTV: View here
April 29th, 2016
"Jenie Thai is an uncommon talent, full of life and zest and sparkling energy. While based in the blues, this woman's music is passionate pop with style and guts and a cheeky smile that will light up audiences wherever and whenever she plays."
- Flohil and Associates Publicity and Concert Promotions, Richard Flohil
Feb. 28th, 2016
"...transform[s] mundane into art.... she has a quirky, unique on-stage presence that lends itself to an honest re-telling of life on the road."
- The Voice, Shannon O' Connor View Article
May 29th, 2015
"Jenie Thai is one of the most naturally gifted musicians we've ever worked with. She has the uncanny gift of making familiar songs sound brand new - and when we heard her original songs, it felt like we had known them for years."
- Music By The Bay Live Concert Series, Lori and Paul Murray
Feb. 1st, 2015
"Only the Moon, is a mix of tender songs and bluesy ballads reminiscent of many great female voices that I have heard. Her piano punctuates her singing with a precision that could only come from the artist herself … A delightful experience, like Jenie herself!" View Article
- TravelnBlues, Ian Royce
Jan. 19th, 2015
"Jenie Thai is one of the most inspirational Roots piano players I have seen in a long, long time. She brings both a Blues & Boogie Woogie sensibility to her music and then, infuses it with her young exuberant songwriting. It is an infectious mix of old & new, raw & pristine, sad & joyous and they all work. It is Jazz, It is Blues, It is Roots but it is also a modern style of popularity that sucks you in the way Norah Jones does…..
"Only The Moon' is one of my favourite albums of 2014! Try it you'll like it."
- Host of Sunday Morning Soul, Johnny Max
Nov. 4th, 2014
"After playing 19 shows over 30 days and attending two conferences with five showcases, blues crusher Jenie Thai considers the 8,000-km cross-Canada tour (done in a Civic she bought three days prior) to be a success." View Article
- Edmonton Examiner, Trent Wilkie
October 6th, 2014
"...rockin’ blues piano and scorchin’ hot vocals". View Article
- Wadena News, Charlene Wirtz
July 10th, 2014
"....Thai appears to be riding her subtly sultry vocals and absolutely stellar piano skills ever higher into the Canadian blues music landscape." View Article
- The Province, Dylan Toigo
December 10th, 2013
"... Jenie Thai brings a cheerful approach to career challenges.... [and] has a fondness for the whole spectrum of blues and soul sounds..." View Article
- Edmonton Journal, Roger Levesque
December 3rd, 2013
"...the 20-something year-old classically trained pianist with a love of jazz and blues is ready to fly far with Only the Moon, a beautifully crafted nine-song album of original songs showcasing a voice that has warmth and beauty..." View Article
- New Canadian Music, David Farrell
October 24th, 2013
“....one of the best pianists in the city, splitting time between smoky blues and elegant piano-pop”. View Article
- New Music Michael
August 22nd, 2013
"[Only The Moon] offers insight and effort as well as a breathy talent that flows from song to song." View Article
- Fort Saskatchewan Record, T. Wilkie
July 20th, 2013
"On 'Only The Moon' she's produced a nine-track collection that's complex and layered, yet incredibly easy to engage with." View Article
- Leicester Bangs, UK Blog
March 20th, 2013
"We welcome local blues and folk musician Jenie Thai with her unique bar room deliver combined with smoky, sultry vocals." Nominated for an Edmonton Music Award, Jenie Thai performs live on Breakfast Television: Watch Here
July 3rd, 2012
"If adventure can flow through the veins like music through the fingers on a keyboard, Jenie Thai, born in Chiang Mai, was birthed with the call of the wild.... she managed a "lickety splickly," Tom Waits-style adventure out onto the open road... [and] one can hear the "allegro, allegro, allegro" pounding in this young woman's soul as she kicks her way through the long piano runs..." View Article
- Kelowna Capital News, J. Smith
May 16th, 2012
"....this girl is truly an old bluesy soul with a style all her own and a drive to succeed that will undoubtedly lead to a life of music, fame and fortune." View Article...
- SPIN NewsMagazine, A. Earle
May 1st, 2012
Established in 2002, and called “the songwriting competition to take note of” by the New York Times, the International Songwriting Competition (ISC) is the world's foremost global songwriting event. This year it was the most competitive of any year in terms of quantity and quality of entries, and winners were selected from over 16,000 songs submitted from 112 countries worldwide. Judges included iconic artists Tom Waits, Jeff Beck, McCoy Tyner, Kelly Clarkson, Janelle Monae, Ozzy Osbourne, Lucinda Williams, Tori Amos,Wynonna, Keane, and many more. In addition to the high-profile artists, the roster of judges also included five record label presidents as well as other industry leaders, offering songwriters the unprecedented opportunity to have their music heard by influential decision-makers. Jenie Thai was recognized for her song "Lady Flower" and received an "honourable mention" as a young artist under the performance category.
View Official Press Release...
March 1st, 2012
A plug from the Edmonton Journal announcing Jenie Thai's finalist standings in the International Songwriting Competition:
View Article...
- Edmonton Journal
November 17th, 2011
"Energetic, vibrant, talented, dynamic and diverse... Jenie Thai is all the regular words you might use to describe an amazing young musician only more so... [she] dances and jumps and sways while she sings and plays her piano... Jazz, pop, folk, blues, ballads and screamers, Jenie is well worth it no matter what you want or need in a show... look to her recordings to savour the range and depth she brings to her song writing skills. Acoustic, electric, solo, full band, coffee shop, festival stage, Jenie Thai does it all in style."
- CBC Producer, C. Martin
August 7, 2011
“Pianist/vocalist Jenie Thai has an incredible voice – possibly the best voice of anyone the entire weekend.” (Pertaining to performance at Edmonton Folk Music Festival) View Article...
- New Music Michael, www.newmusicmichael.com
July 7, 2011
"...Jenie Thai played to an intimate and enraptured audience… She beamed ear-to-ear and danced in place behind her keyboard, playing boogie woogie and jazz tinged blues on her keyboard… delivered soulful vocals... scatted a little in between lines… I enjoyed her quirky lyrics and sense of humour, not to mention watching her dance, I was impressed with her vocal range, but more-so by her keyboard playing skill…" View Article...
- L.A. Beat, R. Amery
June 2nd, 2011
"After hearing Jenie sing for only :30 seconds, I knew she was a star in the making .. easy to work with, very nice personality .. and a beautiful soul."
- Global Television, Morning Host Sienna Collins