Born in Brussels (Belgium) in 1957 as Françoise Helmann, she was soon introduced by her parents to the sound of Jazz music, especially after the family had lived in the US in the late 50's and they brought back home the memories of upcoming artists they had the opportunity to hear in the NY Jazz clubs...(i.e. young Sachmo...). She grew up hearing her father playing Jazz standards on the piano (as a student, he used to entertain at Polythechnics before the DJ's era!) as well as classical music, and by age 4 she had already started learning... She got her degree in piano at the Royal Conservatories of Mons and Brussels (Belgium) in 1978.She spent some years abroad, in Mexico, California where she came to meet Belgian Jazz veteran Baron Toots Thielemans, and Israel, living and mingling with the natives as she got to speak their languages fluently, in addition to the 2 Belgian national languages, and besides teaching the piano and organ everywhere she was, she has been the accompanist for a choir in the Middle East in the early 80's. She is a friend (and fan!) of Dee Daniels, to whom she dedicates her stage name "LizaDee", since diva's 5 years stay in Belgium in the mid-80's. Back in Belgium again in the 90's, she dedicated herself to social working for the refugees and displaced, a job where she could use both her language skills and a strong feeling for communicating with people from other cultures.Using various kinds of arts to express herself, she has been successfully drawing portraits, becoming a registered "Artist of the Community", designing and creating jewellery, and writing in 2 or 3 languages (a "rap" performed at Royal Crommelinck Lyceum in the 90's and, more recently, some songs...).She now feels perfectly content singing Jazz standards for the public (she has performed as a guest with some of Belgium's top Jazz musicians such as Vermeulen, Castellucci, Blass, La Rocca, G. Houben, Verderame, Ramos... and her style can best be described as a solid crooner's. She lately interpreted a song from colleague Bai Kamara Jr. at one of her gigs.She is preparing for various concerts in Belgium and abroad (Luxemburg, France: see: "Events"), and she admits she has never been as happy before... She wishes to thank all those who had faith in her, and particularly that one person who knew there was a horse inside the stone...She now cruises at steady speed with some excellent musicians, among which she can pride herself to count some great names like famous drummer Bruno Castellucci and also Laurent Vigneron, pianist Mathieu de Wit, double bassists Ben Ramos and Chris Mentens, bass guitarists Yannick Lodahl and Daniel Romeo, guitarists Christophe Astolfi, Paolo Radoni, Julien Tassin and Guy Raiff, and also Jean-Paul Esievenart (trumpet), Vincent Brijs (Baryton sax) and Simon Girard (trombone). New projects include some Big Bands, like the Big Band of the Army of Luxemburg (conductor: international trumpet virtuoso Ernie Hammes) and she sang last season with "The Real Music Band" in Belgium (conductor: Frans Lauwers of the Musique des Guides). She is having a ball playing the old standards for happy crowds, each time presenting a lively group linked by great complicity while keeping a style of their own. New projects include experimental Jazz impro and electronic/ambient along with composer J. H.C.O'Callaghan (Neon Waves, to be heard at Café Novo Brussels).NEW CD JUST CAME OUT: "It Could Happen To You" (prod: LizaDee2008)
Intimacy, complicity and elegance are the main threads of this exquisite album, where music is being processed in a rather "chamber music" manner...
Worth discovering!...
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