There are certain vocalists we feel we know from the first time we hear them sing - Lisa Roti is that kind of singer. The interpretation of each lyric and the intimacy of her delivery draw us in so closely that her whole personality seems to take shape in our imagination.
Lisa has an immediately appealing voice with great versatility. It is warm and smoky with sincerity and soulfulness that speak directly to the heart, which is why she has been embraced by fans all over the world. She sings in English, Italian, French, Portuguese and Spanish and has traveled extensively through Europe, Asia, North, Central & South America. She has had the opportunity to perform for such dignitaries as the ambassadors to Brazil, Portugal, Thailand, Guatemala and Germany as well as members of the Canadian Government and even the Princess of Tonga. She has also had the opportunity to study and play with such ’dignitaries of Jazz’ as Gene Bertoncini, John Harmon, Franz Jackson, Fred Sturm, Terell Stafford and Janet Planet.
"Lisa has an innate sense of time. She really knows how to "pocket" a feel and expose her heart with a lyric. She also has one of those tones that I miss so much in today’s world of pop divas. Watching her sing, reminds me why I started... pure joy" - Jazz Vocalist, JANET PLANET
"Lisa Roti’s essence is warmth and she brings all of this plus great taste" - GENE BERTONCINI
"I was very moved by your feeling. You really have a lovely approach - not over done and very musical..." - SHEILA JORDAN
"Thanks again for a sterling performance... you will always be welcome at The Jazz Corner. Best wishes for continued success" - Bob Masteller, THE JAZZ CORNER
"Roti is for real, bringing an understated sensuality to what she sings, and with grace and a smile, at that. She sings from the heart without losing her head, and that’s pretty much the name of the game." TimeOut Chicago 1/24/08
JAZZ REVIEW (excerpts)Roti Finds Magic, With Wizard’s Help By Howard Reich | Tribune critic February 4, 2008
...she forced a hitherto unruly audience to sit up and listen.
In a creative arrangement (by Bassist Chris Carani) of "If I Only Had a Brain" (from "The Wizard of Oz"), Roti turned the beloved but timeworn tune into a showcase for unusual melodic leaps and a disarmingly sweet, semi-comic interpretation...and in the Gershwins’ "The Man I Love," she rode an unexpected funk backbeat into the edgiest, quirkiest, boldest performance of this set. Hitting off-beats hard, rewriting the famous melody line and otherwise holding her own against her colleagues, Roti belatedly reminded listeners (and perhaps herself) why she was standing stage center. At last she showed some grit. The rhythmic aggression and expressive urgency she brought to "The Man I Love" hushed the crowd and affirmed Roti’s status as a vocalist of real promise. To a smaller degree, so did her work earlier in the set — at least when one could hear it.
Obviously an artist who prefers subtlety to ostentation, Roti acquitted herself best when she veered far from conventional readings of traditional repertoire. Fats Waller’s "Honeysuckle Rose," for instance, has been done to death. Yet Roti’s take on the tune — in guitarist Dan Effland’s exceptionally creative arrangement — bristled with angular lines, off-kilter rhythms, splashes of dissonance and stylish turns of phrase. Roti and the band went further out on a limb in a vintage Cyndi Lauper hit, "Time After Time," a tune that long has appealed to jazz musicians. Once again, guitarist Effland’s unorthodox arrangement encouraged Roti to take flight...she’s on the right trajectory, and when she believes in herself, she can excite an audience.
Lisa Roti - Comes Love