Forget dinner and a show; try these Valentine's dates | www.azstarnet.com ®

Forget dinner and a show; try these Valentine's dates www.azstarnet.com ®:

Forget dinner and a show; try these Valentine's dates
By Gerald M. Gay
ggay@azstarnet.com
Tucson, Arizona Published: 01.25.2007

"You already make beautiful music together. Take a break and watch others make it with a trip to Z Mansion, 288 N. Church Ave., for some 'Hot Love,' the third installment of a series that looks at the sensual side of music. "

La voz y el estilo de Lisa Otey llegan a Málaga

http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/181027/voz/estilo/Lisa/

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Portada/Noticias Malaga

CONTRATOS JAZZ-BLUES

La voz y el estilo de Lisa Otey llegan a Málaga

E. I. 12.12.2006 - 01:41h

Dicen que es la cantante preferida de Tucson (Arizona), y la realidad es que su personal estilo –una mezcla entre Elvis, Billie Holiday y el hot jazz piano– es cada vez más apreciado en el mundo del jazz y el blues por su sofisticación y sensualidad.

Este amante de la música está atado al toque de la guitarra(Pezdoble).

Se ha hecho merecedora de muchos premios, incluyendo los Tammies.

Su voz sonará esta noche en el Centro Cultural Provincial acompañada por un contrabajo y una batería. Una oportunidad única.

* Centro Cultural Provincial. C/ Ollerías, s/n. A las 21.00 h. 1,5 €.

20minutos.es El primer periódico que no se vende

Lisa Otey's 'Hot Love' | www.tucsoncitizen.com (r)

Lisa Otey's 'Hot Love' www.tucsoncitizen.com ®

Published: 07.17.2006

Lisa Otey's 'Hot Love'

Audience participation big part of passion show

HEIDI ROWLEY
Tucson Citizen

Strawberries and cream with a hint of sweet seduction were just the pre-show over the weekend at Tucson singer Lisa Otey's cabaret show, "Hot Love."

Seven performers sang love songs while serenading, caressing and flirting with audience members.

Tucsonan Robert Weidensaul sat two rows back in the intimate table- and-chairs setting and was picked on several times by cast members.

They hugged him, rubbed his face or played with his hair during Sunday's show, attended by more than 70 people.

"I like interacting," he said with a smile afterward. "It was very enjoyable."

Regina Wills' solo, "The First Time I Saw Your Face," captured his heart, he said.

"This cast took an ordinary Sunday summer afternoon and turned it into something special," said Tucsonan Barbara Russek. "This was so sparkly."

Russek attended the show with three friends from Sierra Vista.

Her friends took part in the pre-show when cast members Jaime Walker and Zach Sparrow walked from table to table, feeding strawberries and whipped cream to willing parties.

"This is outstanding," said Lissa Staples before the show.

She said that she and her tablemates engaged in a candy fight with the free M&Ms that were on every table.

The table decorations also included Hershey's Kisses and rose petals.

"We wanted to make sure all their senses were filled," cast member Diane Van Deurzen said. "It's intimate and close, so they felt passion and love before the show even started."

The show included songs and poems, all encompassing the theme of love and passion.

Among the numbers: "It's Too Hot for Words," "Makin' Whoopee" and "Fever."

During the song "Hungry," audience members were again fed strawberries and cream by Todd Luethjohann, who was singing at the time.

Three more performances will be held next weekend.

Some of the poems were written by Van Deurzen and Wills.

"I wanted it to be love in all its diversity," Otey said. "I wanted everyone to feel all warm and cuddly and fuzzy."

Gary Syers and Patricia Thorson, who were celebrating her birthday, called the cabaret experience "a warm, loving place."

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2 Total Comments — See All Comments

1. Comment by alex c. (#4381) — July 17,2006 @ 1:48PM

The photo has me singing "Jenny Craig"

2. Comment by mstr e. (#6610) — July 17,2006 @ 3:22PM

some people have to much time and money to kill

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Pick of the Week - Diva Delight

Tucson Weekly Print Friendly: http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/cityweek/Content?oid=82104

PUBLISHED ON MAY 11, 2006: Pick of the Week Diva Delight By IRENE MESSINA Lisa Otey and the Desert Divas When Lisa Otey was a child, there was no question what her future career would be. At the age of 4, she was asked by her musician parents what instrument she would like to play. As Otey recalls, she wasn't asked if she wanted to play, but what she wanted to play. Years later, as a UA student studying with jazz pianist Jeff Haskell, Otey's roommate asked what her future plans were. When Otey replied that she wanted to play the piano, her roommate asked what she would do if it didn't work out. "I have to play," said Otey. "That's all I know how to do." Some 20 years later, Otey is still playing strong. With many CDs and awards under her belt, including several TAMMIES (including 1997 Musician of the Year), the 2000 Arizona Composer of the Year award and a 2001 Arizona Blues Hall of Fame induction, Otey shows no signs of slowing down. Her independent record label, Owl's Nest Productions, celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2004. About six years ago, Otey was asked by artistic director Susan Claassen to perform at Invisible Theatre's Sizzling Summer Sounds series. Claassen wanted to tribute favorite divas. Otey invited local female performers to join her, and Claassen named them the Desert Divas. Today's Divas are a different crew from the original lineup. They are: Hurricane Carla (Carla Brownlee), Anna Warr, Diane Van Deurzen, Regina "The Queen" Wills, Liz McMahon and Otey. (Member Kathleen Williamson moved to New York.) For Otey, the group is a wish come true. "I was wanting to do a show with all women. It gave me that opportunity to showcase that area. ... When I had the idea to do this, Anna and Carla were the first ones on my list. ... It's a great showcase for everyone. They get an opportunity to be seen in a large group as this. Every person can carry the show. It's a group of headliners." Hurricane Carla has been a member of Tony and the Torpedoes, Kings of Pleasure and the Carnivaleros (according to cdbaby.com). Besides wailing on her saxophone, Carla sings with "a classic '40s and '50s sound," says Otey. "She (produces) a powerful saxophone sound and has a voice like Peggy Lee." Deemed "The Goddess of Love," Anna Warr has been a staple of the Tucson music scene for the past 20 years. "I got to watch her grow as a performer," says Otey. "She has (the audience) in the palm of her hand. She has a voice like Etta James." Diane Van Deurzen has been helping Otey behind the scenes with the Divas for the past five years. After performing as a guest Diva, Van Deurzen officially joined the group last year. Otey and Van Deurzen have been singing together for the past six years at St. Francis in the Foothills. "I love singing with her," says Otey. "She has so much to offer." Regina "The Queen" Wills also joined the Divas last year after performing as a guest Diva. She was introduced to Otey by friends. "She kept her talent quiet. Her friends said she had to let it out. (When I first heard her), she was just amazing. It's great to see her shine," says Otey. Liz McMahon has left the group temporarily to star in Invisible Theatre's Cookin' With Gus. She'll be back with the Divas later this year. "We will miss her this time," says Otey. "We wish her a great run." The Desert Divas perform "a fun mixture of songs," explains Otey. "It's all about embracing the diva within. The songs are positive and affirming. We don't have a lot of songs about heartache." A performance is likely to include the group's original songs, plus popular songs with blues, pop, rock and R&B styles. The singers put their own influence into each song with diva-like interpretations. On their 2004 release, Viva la Diva!, there's a bluesy, soulful interpretation of '70s hit "Disco Inferno" that gets the audience hopping. "It's always a high-energy show," says Otey. "We range in age from 35 to 50. It empowers women in the audience. Women our age think you have to be 20-something to do this. Women tell us how empowering it is. They realize there is no reason they can't do what they want to do." Encouragement also extends to new singers. Otey likes to have special guest Divas perform, and oftentimes, one is a younger performer. Past performers have been Elise Ackermann, daughter of Gaslight Theatre's musical director Linda Ackermann, and a young dance group from India. Inspiring others seems to be something that Otey does naturally with her positive mindset. "In 20 years, if I thought I'd like to do something such as play at a bar, get invited to play at a festival or on a record ... it all happened. I know that if I put the thought out there, I know I can trust that the opportunity will come. You have to trust that things will be OK. When you put your dreams out there, they meet you half way." Lisa Otey and the Desert Divas will perform a "Diva-Day Celebration" concert at 7 p.m., Saturday, May 13, at Berger Performing Arts Center, 1200 W. Speedway Blvd. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20 at the door, $18 in advance, $15 for Tucson Jazz Society members, $10 for graduates and children 12 and younger. Tickets are available online at http://www.lisaotey.com/, by calling 370-5912, or at the door.

REVIEWS AROUND THE WORLD

 

REVIEWS AROUND THE WORLD "La cantant preferida de Tucson, Lisa Otey, canta amb un estil molt personal, tenyit d'Elvis, Billie Holiday i hot jazz piano. Aquesta cantant plena de talent ha estat anunciada arreu del món pel seu so sofisticat i sensual. El seu progressiu estil de blues ha guanyat molts premis, incloent el de Arizona Compositor de l'Any (2000), Arizona Blues Showdown Campionship (1998), Tammies Music de l'Any (1997) i, sovint, Millor Intèrpret de Tucson. Lisa Otey està esdevenint una estrella i el seu nom cada dia és més apreciat en el món del blues i el jazz. Nascuda a Baltimore, i filla de músics, va ser educada des de la infantesa en la música, escoltant i tocant tot tipus de música, de clàssica fins a pop. Als 17 anys es trasllada a Tucson per estudiar jazz. El seu estil acull influències ben diverses, incloent Chicago, Nova Orleans, Texas, West Coast i el jazz i el blues del sud-oest. Tant en les seves actuacions en solitari, com quan toca amb tota la banda, Lisa Otey aplega una gran quantitat de públic. En el seus treballs discogràfics Blame it on my Youth, el premiat Blue Angel, Kitten on the Keys i Gimme Some o yo'Sugar! s'aprecia l'ampli ventall del seu talent. Lisa Otey dóna un aire fresc als vells estàndards i introdueix la seva creativitat amb gran sentit de l'humor en els temes propis." (MADMA, Roses Jazz, Blues, Gospel Festival, Catalunya, SPAIN) Finger-snappin' time at the Yardbird Live jazz rules the stage far from the boy bands and mainstream circuit Todd Babiak, Edmonton Journal Thursday, March 07, 2002 The Yardbird Suite, 11 Tommy Banks Way Volunteer bartenders Leah Tolton and Luc Bouchard at the Yardbird Suite. Aggressiveness quotient: We don't give receipts! Snootiness factor: Handshakes and hugs Genre: Jazz   Jazz is a blend of individualism and compromise. Fifty years ago, there were no greater metaphors for American democracy than the Mississippi River and jazz. If the genre has not lost its charisma and soul since Chuck Berry and Elvis changed everything, jazz has lost its cultural centrality. For most of us, bop is little more than a curiosity. For everyone else, there is the Yardbird Suite. If you are sick of the boy bands, video screens, breast implants, second-hand smoke and neon booze advertisements of the mainstream nightclub scene, try some live jazz. The Yardbird Suite is the talented, pudgy kid with glasses peeking around the corner at all the drunken brutes of Whyte Avenue, wondering why they keep barfing in the garbage bins and punching each other in the face. "This is technically a private members' club," says house manager Danielle Burns. Like everyone else working at the Yardbird tonight, Burns is a volunteer, which makes it difficult to complain about the service. "But we welcome anyone who wants to come check us out." Burns says that everything about the Yardbird Suite is unique, but most peculiar is the smell inside. Microwaved popcorn replaces cigarette smoke as the dominant odor. This either says the Yardbird is the most progressive bar in the city or that jazz is in big, big trouble. Remember Dean Moriarty in On The Road, ripping his shirt off in the jazz clubs and howling about Charlie Parker, the wild god of the beat generation? Despite the fact that the Yardbird Suite was named after a Parker song, all the sweaty, smoky, improvisational madness has been replaced by the suburban scent of microwaved popcorn. The tables are close together, so it is easy to make new friends as you watch and listen. Even if you don't make friends, you are close enough to hear your neighbours' stomachs gurgling when Lisa Otey plays the quiet parts of My Funny Valentine. You can appreciate the exact tenor of their sniffles and coughs, and during the intermission you can hear about their plans to go for brunch at the High Level Diner if the husband's cystitis isn't acting up. Near the stage, a few tables are pushed together for Yardbird regulars, the enthusiasts. They have a bottle of gold-label Wolf Blass to share. A positive correlation between wine consumption and audience participation is evident in this zone, as random shouts of "woo," "Lord," "damn" and "smokin' " increase in volume and intensity as the evening progresses. If the average age at the Yardbird is 45, it's being pulled downward by a new generation of easy listeners. Julie Stinchcombe, 9, is here because she met bluesy pianist Lisa Otey at the Old Strathcona Farmer's Market. Stinchcombe is looking for inspiration, according to her dad. When I ask if she will play here at the Yardbird one day, Stinchcombe looks toward the stage and replies, "Yeah." The clean-breathing patrons of the Yardbird Suite move their heads from side to side, snap their fingers and sing along. Their animal-print shirts and black leather pants illuminated by candles and elegant blue lights, the hep cats shimmy in their seats and stand up occasionally for ovations and accolades. As Lisa Otey plays, her velvet shawl keeps falling off her shoulders. We can't stop looking at her, or laughing generously at her jokes. Most of her songs are about someone named Baby, and many of us know that person and nod our heads about leaving him, or her. When Otey leaves the stage for the intermission, a bearded man stands up and turns around, faces the crowd, wipes his brow and says, "Whoa. I need some popcorn." © Copyright 2002 Edmonton Journal Masterclass blueszangeres in Theater de Kloostertuin Op zaterdag 26 januari a.s. organiseert de muziekafdeling van Kunstencentrum het Klooster een masterclass door de beroemde Amerikaanse blueszangeres/pianiste Lisa Otey in Theater de Kloostertuin. De masterclass begint om 11.00 uur en duurt circa anderhalf uur. Lisa Otey, geboren in Baltimore, MD in 1967, groeide op op het platteland van Portland, OR. Haar familie bestond voornamelijk uit muzikanten die haar muzikale talenten van jongs af aan stimuleerden. Van klassiek tot pop en ook musical werd door haar beluisterd en gespeeld. Op 17-jarige leeftijd verhuisde ze naar Tucson, AZ om jazz te gaan studeren aan de University of Arizona. Ze speelde met vele lokale theatergroepen en muzikanten om zo haar eigen stijl te ontwikkelen. Een stijl die ze zelf omschrijft als een opwindende mix van Elvis en Billie Holliday aangevuld door stuwende barrelhouse- en hot jazz piano en blues. Lisa Otey is een echte "crowd-pleaser" en won vele prijzen, zoals 2001 Tammies Best Keyboards en 2000 Arizona Composer of the Year. Ook zijn er al diverse cd-opnames van haar op de markt. Van 22 tot en met 28 januari is zij op toernee door Nederland en België. Op 26 januari geeft ze tijdens de masterclass in Theater de Kloostertuin les aan een drietal zangleerlingen van Kunstencentrum het Klooster die dit jaar deelnemen aan de VSB fonds talentenklas van het kunstencentrum. Wilt u de masterclass van deze bijzondere zangeres/pianiste ook bijwonen, dan kunt u kaarten reserveren à € 7,- bij de receptie van Kunstencentrum het Klooster, telefoon 0348 - 423066 of e-mail info@kloosterwoerden.nl. "Finding good authentic blues in Tucson Arizona can be a great chore for the local blues lover. If you happen to catch Lisa Otey and her band belting out blues from her latest CD Hard Working' Woman you will be in blues heaven. Her classic brassy voice mixed with wonderfully composed piano, bass, guitar, and percussion blend into an authentic American Blues sound. The Band consists of Lisa Otey (piano, vocal), Steve Grams (bass), and Jon Westfall (drums)." (Blues, Brews, and Barbeques) "Lisa Otey's added vocals on tracks like "Memphis Afternoon" and the title track create the effect of two kites flying in harmony. Her piano playing on the title track gives a gentle reassurance to the song like a mother stroking your hair and whispering encouragement. Some very nice arranging here." (review of Eric Hansen's CD, Hero in the Dark,written by Paul Katona III, Music Supervisor, Borders Books & Music) Owl's Nest Productions ® of Tucson, Arizona