....Just saw this act last night in Provincetown, Cape Cod.

Wow.

Don't miss it if she comes to your town.

Absolutely incredible talent and amazing original arrangements of songs (inc. Wild Horses & JJF).

you will not be disappointed.

Well worth the price of admissions....as stated: Don't miss out.

Playing what feels good: Lisa Fischer performs at Blue Note Napa

Zak Fennie Sep 19, 2018



Lisa Fischer has spent four decades performing as both a solo artist and backup vocalist to legendary acts such as The Rolling Stones, Sting, and Luther Vandross. Beginning on Friday, Sept. 21, she will be performing four shows over two nights in a row at Blue Note Napa. Fischer will be accompanied by her new band, Grand Baton.

Fischer performs a variety of material at her live shows, including original songs as well as works from other artists with whom she has performed. With such a diverse mix of musical influences, her setlist incorporates multiple genres including rock, R&B, pop and soul.

When asked how she composes her setlists drawing from such an eclectic catalogue of music, Fischer said, “It really is in the moment. You know every day we wake up and it’s different; some days you just have the emotion to play a particular thing. I just want to play what feels good.”

Detailing her musical influences growing up, Fischer says she was influenced by “mostly Motown stuff. My parents were teenagers when they had me, so by the time I was old enough to want to play music I would listen to records like Aretha Franklin, Bobby Lewis and Johnny Mathis.”

Fischer also faced some significant hardships during her youth, including the death of her mother and absence of her father as a teenager, which led to Fischer having to step up and raise her two younger brothers.

How these challenges influenced her as a musician? “I think it makes it all genuine, really,” she said. “I think in every life there will be something, and on paper you can chalk it up to ‘this was this or that was that,” but every individual is going to face emotional discomfort and it’s what you make of it in the moment. It’s an even playing field, we’re all getting the same things from different perspectives.”

Fischer kick-started her musical career in the 1980s working as a session singer and backing vocalist to Luther Vandross, whom she continued to work with for 22 years until Vandross’ death. During the same time, she also toured extensively with The Rolling Stones and gained fame for her live duet performance of “Gimme Shelter” with Mick Jagger.

Fischer won her first Grammy as a solo artist in 1991 for her debut hit single “How Can I Ease The Pain.” Since then, she has continued to balance her career as both a solo artist and session/backup vocalist.

“Trying to balance everything at the time had nothing to do with balance at all, it was just the luck of the draw,” she says. “It was grace, honestly. I had nothing to do with it. I would just go from one day to the next, keeping an ear out for new work and new opportunities. It was years before I had to make a decision between going out with Luther and the Rolling Stones, and it was heartbreaking when I had to do it.”

What fans can expect from an evening with Lisa Fischer and Grand Baton? “Connection and living in the moment,” Fischer says. “Sometimes you hear the words ‘I love you’ over again, but in the moment you want to see the emotion. We want to make sure the moment is pregnant with love and connection.”

Lisa Fischer performs at Blue Note Napa on Friday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., and on Saturday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., respectively. Tickets start at $55. Blue Note Napa is at 1030 Main St., in Napa. For tickets and more information, visit www.bluenotenapa.com.

[napavalleyregister.com]

Just echoing stickyfingers101 here... I saw Lisa & Grand Baton earlier this year in Portland, Oregon. It was a wonderful show. Lisa seemed really to be enjoying every minute of it, and the arrangements were quite interesting. I'd go again in a heartbeat if she came to town. She also did a really cool arrangement of Led Zep's Rock & Roll.

Quote
stickyfingers101
....Just saw this act last night in Provincetown, Cape Cod.

Wow.

Don't miss it if she comes to your town.

Absolutely incredible talent and amazing original arrangements of songs (inc. Wild Horses & JJF).

you will not be disappointed.

Well worth the price of admissions....as stated: Don't miss out.

I hope the Stones will have her back again in South America in 2020/2021, or Europe 2022.
Sure one sexy woman, and a Golden Voice.
jeroen

Yes, absolutely agree, I saw them back in 2015 (I think) at a Jazz CLub. Very intimate setting, and we were mere feet from Lisa, so our 20 feet from stardom and have to agree, it was fantastic. Very worthwhile for any music fan but a must see for Stones fans IMO>