NEW CD "THE POETRY OF GROOVE" OUT NOW!
Singer-songwriter-poet Lisa B (Lisa Bernstein) creates
Playful, poetic rap and sultry choruses
over jazzy hip-hop grooves!
Imagine Ani DiFranco + The Digable Planets, Joni Mitchell + Jill Scott, throw in a dash of the Verve Remixed series...
In short, she's an original. Listen for yourself.
CHRIS SPECTOR, MIDWEST RECORD: "Three years ago, B established herself as our fave Catwoman since Julie Newmar and now we find her moving back to her writer self and bringing her poetry slam side to the fore. Much more Jill Scott than Rod McKuen, B continues to ride the progressive tip with a creative abandon that makes it seem easy to break convention and get away with it. As sexy as you can sound without being a ...70s diva."
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EARLY FAN COMMENTS ON THE NEW CD:
" '[The] Poetry of Groove' is everything you loved about Lisa B, orchestrated into one masterwork.... When I wanted the music to go a way I could feel, it didn't, but tantalized me a little more. When I thought I knew how the groove would unfold, it orchestrated even better - clearly showing who's the boss through this sensual journey of new hits and remixes... With 'Poetry of Groove,' guaranteed you'll be allured from the first hearing and won't want to escape its primal chimera." -- Tom Johnson on CDBaby
"An expressive and unique vocalist. 'The Poetry of Groove,' co-produced by Lisa B and Jim Gardiner, showcases the talents of this very creative vocalist/poet. One feels transported to another dimension as she weaves her sultry voice around danceable hip-hop grooves and incisive, intelligent lyrics. A very hip and unique approach to jazz and rap. The production and musicians on this project are topnotch! Love 'Trane's Ride (Naima)'!" -- The Musical Ear on iTunes
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Lisa B is a pioneer in interweaving poetic rap and spoken word within her originals and new versions of standards/covers. Her spoken word draws you in with crystal-clear imagery, storytelling, and a voice that seems to speak directly to you.
And she can sing. Noted jazz critic Ted Panken writes, "Her voice is a lovely instrument...and she possesses an emotional range that makes lyrics sound like truth."
Her publications include The Transparent Body (Wesleyan University Press), Anorexia (Five Fingers Press), and poems in many prestigious literary magazines. She has won creative writing grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and is an educator in poetry, lyrics, and performance to college students and kids.
Each of Lisa B's previous CDs was heard on more than 120 radio stations across the U.S. and internationally, including heavy rotation and charting, in jazz, college, smooth jazz, adult alternative, and women's formats. Based in Oakland, California, Lisa B performs widely with her trio.
SOUNDBITES FROM CRITICS:
~~~~ Jonathan Takiff, PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS: "Daring, dexterous singer/songwriter/poet Lisa B catches 'The Center of the Rhyme,' an imaginative set of originals with appeal to both traditional and contemporary jazz tastes and even, on occasion, hip-hop hipsters."
~~~~ ALL MUSIC GUIDE: "Lisa B's mix of spoken word poetry (think rap for the uptown swing crowd) and passionate jazzy, high-register vocalizing is …hard to resist.â€
~~~~ JAZZ TIMES: “A singer, spoken-word artist and poet with an incisive way of chronicling situations, memories, and emotions… a pliable, expressive voice dipped in blue… saucily suggestive… imagistic…â€
~~~~ JAZZIZ, Women in Jazz Issue: “Great pipes… talented songwriter.â€
SOUNDBITES ON "WHAT'S NEW, PUSSYCAT?":
~~~~~JAZZUSA.COM: “...a great set that delivers a view into the nine lives and times of a jazz cat… Lisa’s voice is flexible and harmonious, beautifully altering between the highs and lows of her sympatico range...a hip listen!â€
~~~~SOUNDSTAGE.COM: "Sultry and witty and not at all precious...Her own songs are fun and sexy, and she brings a fresh voice to well-known songs... I play it all the time, and like it more with each listen... impressively played and sung."
~~~~ALL MUSIC GUIDE: "...she is really singing about human situations on jazzy, playful originals... infectious... memorable and clever." ~~~~
~~~~TALKINBROADWAY.COM: “The inclusion of two Cole Porter songs is what attracted me to this album... Then, my ear was caught, too...â€
~~~~MIDWEST RECORD RECAP: "Lisa B is a wild ride...the two of you become old friends and you are satisfied to let her entertain you...you don't trip over pipes like these everyday."
ON LISA B'S PERFORMANCES:
~~~~Michael Ross, msnbc.com, Vibe, Entertainment Weekly: “…an iconoclastic poet, vocalist, and tunesmith who can work a room with energy…Like Joni Mitchell, she knows the value of lyrics that summon visions instead of cliches…â€
~~~~Gary Hamada, Jazz and Blues Company/KRML-FM, Concert Manager: "She totally captivated the audience. She is an originator, her arrangements are mesmerizing, and her band is great!"
