For the first time in her rich musical history, Vineyard musician Kate Taylor is prepared to release an album with a distinctly personal touch: she has written, or cowritten, all the songs on the album. And throughout Fair Time! — the title track is a reference to the West Tisbury Agricultural and Livestock Fair — she weaves heartfelt tributes to Islanders who have helped to make her Vineyard home.

“It kind of runs the gamut,” Ms. Taylor said of the album, in a phone interview preceding a Sunday night concert in Albany, N.Y. She became a year-round resident of the Vineyard in 1969, settling in Aquinnah to raise her children. “I have been reaping the rewards of living on Martha’s Vineyard for all that time,” she said. “There are a lot of great stories and situations to write about from living on the Vineyard.”

Take the fair, an annual Vineyard event that has come to characterize the casual and unfussy nature of an Island summer. “When the fair is on, it’s a time to celebrate, put the work down for a little while and go have some fun,” said Ms. Taylor. After working through the winter to record the album, she approaches its release as an opportunity to kick back and enjoy her latest effort. “I thought it was an appropriate title,” she added.

Ms. Taylor’s distinct musical style draws influence from her southern upbringing in North Carolina, her collaboration with musical family members including brothers Livingston and James, and her connection with her Island environment. “I think the natural environment of the Vineyard is very inspiring in terms of things to write about,” she said. “I think being so closely related to the natural world really adds to the craft.”

This year, and this album, also brings an opportunity to enjoy Ms. Taylor’s music in a different setting. In the past, she’s often held concerts in Edgartown’s Whaling Church. On Thursday, she will hold her CD release concert at Union Chapel in Oak Bluffs. Joining her to celebrate the release are Bill Derby on guitar, Sam Cucchinni on drums, and Dave Anderson on bass. “We’re pretty excited about it,” she said. “[We’re] just telling some stories and having some fun.”

Many of these musical stories offer fans a taste of Vineyard life, and an introduction to members of the Island community who have left a lasting impression on Ms. Taylor.

King of the Pond pays homage to the late Willaim Vanderhoop, a Wampanoag tribal leader from her hometown. Mr. Vanderhoop was an Island fisherman, and the song describes an opportunity Ms. Taylor had to observe him at work collecting scallops and quahaugs. “It was one of those moments when you can see something that people have been doing for generations and generations, and to have the privilege of being a part of it,” she explained.

Another song, Make It Count, describes former Aquinnah chief of police, the late Kenny Belain. “He had his own brand of justice,” explained Ms. Taylor, “The [song describes] his dealing with a situation in his own way that took care of business.” She described Mr. Belain as a town protector, and an official dedicated to helping steer wayward citizens back on track. “If he saw someone was heading towards trouble, he would head it off at the pass,” said Ms. Taylor.

Red Tail began as a poem inspired by the death of Ms. Taylor’s husband, Charlie Witham, in 2001. In the last week of his illness, the couple was hassled by a red-tailed hawk that perched on a cedar tree outside the house. He continued his noisy racket for several days, until the couple was forced to travel to Boston for emergency medical attention for Charlie. He passed away shortly thereafter, and Ms. Taylor was surprised to spot a red-tailed hawk at his funeral service in Gay Head. She spotted the same kind of bird again on her daughter’s birthday and on the day that would have been their wedding anniversary. When the bird made an appearance on Charlie’s birthday, Ms. Taylor decided to write about it. “[I] wrote down a poem about it ...identifying that it might be a visit from Charlie through the red-tailed hawk,” she explained. She later collaborated with Billy Derby to put the poem to music, creating the song as it appears on the album.

The release of Fair Time! closely precedes another exciting release for Ms. Taylor and her family. DocuTunes.tv and Film-Truth Productions are releasing a DVD entitled Kate Taylor: Tunes from the Tipi and Other Songs from Home. The documentary includes live performances and interviews, archival footage of the Taylor family on the Vineyard and in North Carolina, and performance footage from the 1970s. The filmmakers are Liz Witham and Ken Wentworth, Ms. Taylor’s daughter and son in law. The film will premiere on August 13 at the Capawock Theatre in Vineyard Haven.

Kate Taylor’s Fair Time! release concert begins at 8 p.m. in Union Chapel on Thursday, July 23. For ticket information, visit katetaylor.com.