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

Lisa Otey is back - and busy

Lisa Otey is back - and busy
April 21, 2005 •• 189 words •• ID: MERLIN_2702178
$2.95 - Arizona Daily Star - NewsBank - Apr 21, 2005

Blues queen Lisa Otey has been all over the world - literally - in recent months, touring throughout Europe, the Netherlands and Dubai. You'd think she'd come home to Tucson, plop down on the couch and watch some really bad reality TV. Not a chance. Tucson's hardest-working musician is throwing her own welcome-home party with two concerts on Saturday. Early this year, Otey took a run through Germany with German-based label Ruf Records' ...

Lisa Otey celebrating CD release

Lisa Otey celebrating CD release
May 14, 2004 •• 218 words •• ID: MERLIN_2046252
$2.95 - Arizona Daily Star - NewsBank - May 14, 2004

Ten years ago, Tucson's true divas, Kathleen Williamson and Lisa Otey, decided to spread their creative wings and enter the wacky, wonderful and often frustrating world of recording arts and sciences. Thus was born Owl's Nest Productions, the pair's Tucson-based record label that boasts eight efforts, including a new Otey and the Desert Divas live disc, "Viva la Diva!" Otey will celebrate the CD's release and ...

Local Music Source

Listen to music from Lisa Otey's album "Hard Workin' Woman" Hard Workin' Woman (mp3) Hard Workin' Woman (RealAudio) Xena for Xmas (mp3) Xena for Xmas (RealAudio) I can see the new view (mp3) I can see the new view (RealAudio) Rockin' with Red (mp3) Rockin' with Red (RealAudio) Here's to Life (mp3) Here's to Life (RealAudio) For more information on Lisa Otey: Otey concocts blues, jazz, 'Green Eggs & Ham' CD Review: Lisa Otey's "Blue Angel," Owl's Nest Productions CD Review: Lisa Otey's "Blame It On My Youth," Owl's Nest Productions'

Hard work pays off for singer/songwriter A.J. FLICK The Tucson Citizen Dec. 13, 2001 What on Earth could Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony and Xena and Gabrielle have in common? They're all hardworking women, Lisa Otey and Candye Kane cheerfully sing on the title track of Otey's new CD, "Hard Workin' Woman." "I really liked the idea of putting Xena in there with Susan B. Anthony," says Otey, laughing, escaping a drizzly fall day and sipping an eggnog milkshake at Little Anthony's Diner last week. You might get the impression that Otey is somewhat of a Xena fanatic, having dropped the TV superhero's name in "Hard Workin' Woman" as well as "Xena for Xmas." And you'd be right. "When I'm in a particular situation, I think, 'What would Xena do?' " Otey says. "'How would Xena handle this?' It's the best TV show I've ever seen! It's the best in the history of television! It's got the best love story!" Otey got hooked on the "Xena: Warrior Princess" TV show when Gaslight Theatre, where she is musical director, launched a spoof of the adventure fantasy show. She scheduled her dinners around the show, only to find "Baywatch" in its place when the syndicated "Xena" was canceled. Otey was crushed and poured her emotions into her jazzy novelty tribute, "Xena for Xmas." "Santa, I want Xena for Christmas/I want to watch her go head over heels over Gabrielle every night./And Santa, would you talk to the network?/We need to know that the battle for good over evil will turn out all right." Even if "Xena" is never seen on television again, Otey will be all right, rest assured. She's riding a current wave of success with her music. This year, she performed at the Cognac Blues Passions Festival in France; the Roses Blues, Jazz & Gospel Festival in Spain; Rock Bend Folk Festival in Minnesota; and made her Canadian concert debut. In March, she will make her concert debut in Holland. In addition, she was named to the Arizona Blues Hall of Fame and appears on Kane's new CD, "The Toughest Girl Alive." Otey's music is played on more than 300 radio stations worldwide, as close as Phoenix and as far away as Australia. "I've got as much airplay as anyone on Alligator," she says, referring to the world's best-known blues record label. Yet should someone from Alligator or any other big label come calling, Otey wouldn't hesitate to switch from her own indie label, Owl's Nest Productions. "Absolutely!" she says, leaning forward. She sighs with the thought of having someone else handle all the business necessities that come with a busy career. "Every year gets more incredible than the one before," says Otey, who left the hand-to-mouth existence of a struggling musician behind eight years ago when Gaslight hired her for its year-round productions. "Just when I think it can't possibly get any better, it does." Otey's circle of contacts has widened each year, exposing her music to more and more people and getting her ever closer to the possibility that she may make the leap to a big music label. She met Kane about two years ago, when the buxom blues diva needed a local keyboardist for a concert at the Rialto Theatre. When they met, Otey knew that she had to write a duet. A subsequent tour in the Southwest playing with Kane solidified their relationship. Hence, "Hard Workin' Woman." Otey's new CD contains a who's who of local musicians. Of course, there's Otey's longtime friend/collaborator, fiddler Heather Hardy, on "Hard Workin' Woman," and the wistful "My Funny Valentine." Hurricane Carla Brownlee, Otey's co-musical director at Gaslight, lends her sax to "Tonight I'll Dream" and "Rockin' With Red." Otey's frequent partner in crime Kathleen Williamson co-wrote two songs, "Don't Make a Scene, Kathleen" and "I Can See the New View," a tribute to the victims of Sept. 11. Stefan George brought his dobro in on "Song for Eva," which Otey wrote about a homeless woman in Tucson. Sam Taylor plays guitar on "Don't Make a Scene" (in which the Invisible Theatre's Susan Claassen is the voice of St. Peter) and Ada Redd Austin lent her R&B vocals for "You Got a Friend Right Here." And, as usual, Otey called on her talented brother, David, to add his trombone to several cuts, including "Maybe We'll Be Lucky," "Rockin' With Red" and "Sittin' on the Back Porch." Otey usually pounds out a CD in short time, she says, but took longer putting this one together because of the chance to collaborate with Kane. Ten songs were in the bag when Otey realized she wanted two more, which became the Williamson collaborations. "I wanted to do something about Sept. 11," Otey says, "but I didn't want anything that sounded trite. So I said to Kathleen, 'You're from New York, you write something about it.' " Williamson came up with the hook from a report about a little girl who lives near Ground Zero in New York City, showing her dad the scene outside their window and saying, "I can see the new view." Otey admits to being a bit intimidated by the thought of putting her music to someone else's words. Otey gave Williamson the opportunity to offer suggestions on the resulting music, but Williamson was more than satisfied with the final song. Details: http://www.lisaotey.com/.

TUCSON CITIZEN CLASSICAL FOLK ROCK JAZZ TRADITIONAL

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Ladies Sing The Blues - Tucson Weekly

Tucson Weekly Print Friendly: http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/music/Content?oid=42131

PUBLISHED ON JANUARY 27, 2000: Ladies Sing The Blues Vocalists Mollie O'Brien And Lisa Otey Perform At The Berger Center. By ANGELA MCCORMICK-OWEN MOLLIE O'BRIEN IS originally from Wheeling, West Virginia, and it echoes in her voice, which is as clear and pure as mountain air. Various peregrinations, from New York to Denver, where she now resides, have also left their imprint. Her music reflects influences from each of these cities, resulting in a sophisticated blend of Americana and blues in a style that resonates with both power and ease. O'Brien appears Friday at the Berger Performing Arts Center for a show billed as "An Evening of Women and the Blues." She and her band will share the stage with local blues and jazz pianist/songstress Lisa Otey for an evening sure to delight fans of blues, jazz and American roots music alike. Touring in support of her latest release, Big Red Sun (Sugar Hill Records), O'Brien allows her voice full reign on gems like Memphis Minnie's "In My Girlish Days" and Lucinda Williams' "Big Red Sun Blues," and further unleashes it for a romp on Chuck Berry's "Brown-Eyed Handsome Man." Following her Tucson performance, O'Brien will head to Los Angeles for a couple of shows, but isn't in the habit of commiting to extended tours. Maintaining a balance between her music and motherhood, she says, "I usually go out for weekends rather than long tours. I have children, so I try to be home during the week." O'Brien's first introduction to music came with her childhood piano lessons, but the influences that would later inspire her own career didn't arrive until her teens. "I was in high school during the '60s folk boom," she says. "I heard a lot of Peter, Paul and Mary, Bob Dylan, the Beatles...I saw them all on shows like Ed Sullivan and listened to the records. From there I started playing coffee houses, folk masses, basically anyplace that I could." The formative music education O'Brien received with her early piano lessons is something she treasures. "I would be horrified if there was no music education in the schools today. I think that exposure to the arts is so important for kids." Five years have elapsed since O'Brien last graced a Tucson stage, and her enthusiastic local fans are sure to provide a warm welcome on her return. Among her devoted following are KXCI deejay Marty Cool, who's been sharing his love of her "Big Red Sun Blues"with his listeners in recent weeks; and there's no shortage of Tucson Blues Society members who adore her folk, jazz and blues stylings. "I'm looking forward to visiting Tucson," O'Brien relates. "I remember having a great breakfast there. I really liked the hall (Berger Performing Arts Center). You have beautiful weather, too. I look forward to that!" O'Brien is very comfortable with her mix of styles, and extends her musical diversity to her off-stage life as well. "Right now, I'm listening to Paul Simon at home," she relates. "I would pay big bucks to see Ibrahim Ferrer with the Buena Vista Social Club, and I'd love to go see Beck. I am really into Beck. I tried to take my kids to see Luscious Jackson, but we couldn't go because they are too young. But that would have been fun." Joining O'Brien are guitarist Nina Gerber and bass player Chris Engleman. An accomplished player, Gerber often accompanies Greg Brown, both on stage and in the studio, and was the guitarist for the late Kate Wolf. Gerber's lovely guitar work holds its own alongside O'Brien's voice. Opening the evening will be Tucson's own Lisa Otey, performing in support of her fourth CD, gimme some a yo' sugar!, released on her own Owl's Nest Productions label. Otey is currently receiving international airplay and accolades for her sultry, powerful voice, and her jazzy and occasionally raucous piano playing. A Tucsonan for 15 years, Otey landed in town as a teenager to study with UA prof and noted jazz pianist Jeff Haskell. She is currently the musical director for both the Gaslight Theatre and Project Pastime, a program for Catalina High School's special education department, in conjunction with the Invisible Theater. For the past six years, Otey has directed the music for Project Pastime's touring group, as well as the annual Me Inside of Me music show. After enduring an eight-week hiatus last year due to a polyp on her vocal cord, a fully recovered Otey is once again enjoying belting out the infamous jazz double-entendres her audience has come to expect. In her current crowd-pleaser, "Got My Modem Workin'," she gives a clever, technological nod to the Muddy Waters classic. "The loss of my voice last year was quite a spiritual experience for me," Otey says. "I chose not to undergo surgery and risk losing my voice for good, so I had to go for eight weeks without saying a word. Then I had six weeks of speech therapy. I am working with vocal coach Nancy Davis Booth to strengthen the middle part of my range, but all in all I am very lucky." Catch Mollie O'Brien and Lisa Otey at 8 p.m. Friday, January 28, at the Berger Performing Arts Center, 1200 W. Speedway Blvd. All seats are reserved. Tickets are $15, $13 for Tucson Blues Society and In Concert! members, and available at Hear's Music, Antigone Books and by phone at 327-4809.

Marvelous Malvina

Tucson Weekly Print Friendly: http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/music/Content?oid=41501

PUBLISHED ON AUGUST 26, 1999: Marvelous Malvina A Bevy Of Local Performers Fondly Remember Folk Inspiration Malvina Reynolds. By NANCY HAND MALVINA REYNOLDS " MUST be celebrated," says local musical mainstay Lisa Otey. "She's one of the great songwriters of our times, and her songs are still very relevant today." Otey is one of an impressive line-up of local musicians who will throw a birthday bash this Sunday, August 29, for the revered folk singer. Reynolds, who would've been 99 this month, was best known for songs like "Little Boxes" and "Turn Around," tunes widely recorded by such folk music greats as Pete Seeger, Joan Baez and Judy Collins. Together with Otey, local artists Eb Eberlein, Linda Lou Reed and Bruce Phillips, among others, will step up to the mike to perform some of Reynolds' songs. The event is co-sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Church and the Tucson Labor Chorus, and will include a screening of Love It Like a Fool, a 30-minute documentary about Reynolds made in 1976. "Malvina has a great sense of humor and a great way of presenting her ideas in songs," says Otey. Many of Reynolds' songs, like "Little Boxes," reflect her concern about what she perceived as a breakdown of community; but they do so with humor, and without losing hope. "When I look at people," said Reynolds in a 1971 workshop, "I think, 'How can they wipe you out? You're beautiful, intelligent, viable creatures who still have your finger on the old strength, the tribal strength. You still have language...You have feeling, you have poetry, you have music.' " Reverend Stanley Stefancic of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson knew Reynolds, who was also a Unitarian. "She used to come to the [church's] general assemblies," remembers Stefancic, "and she would sit down somewhere -- in the hotel lobby or the convention center -- and start playing, and we'd all sing. She was just a wonderful, spirited, extraordinary woman who wrote some great songs. The one that really moved me was one that came out in the '60s that talked about grass growing through concrete, because it expressed hope -- that in the midst of concrete, whether actual concrete or concrete opinions and ideas, there could be new life...there could be growth, there could be hope." That song, called "God Bless the Grass," will be among those performed by the Tucson Labor Chorus. A 100th anniversary compilation CD of Reynolds' work will be released next year, and a full length biography is being written by Ellen Stekert. Reynolds was also a folk philosopher of sorts, writing poems and essays in addition to the hundreds of songs she composed and performed from the 1940s through the '70s. She had a profound belief in the power of music and of language, and like any artist whose art raises social issues, she was sometimes criticized for her commitment. "If you have any faith in human intelligence, in human strength, in the human spirit," said Reynolds, "you have faith in the word. The word can be sung, or it can be said...But the word is part of your weaponry...to protect yourself, and make yourself and be yourself. And I'm going to sing the word, and I'm going to sing it the way I see it." Reynolds left some advice for those who would remember her after she was gone in her 1961 song "This World": "This old world is mean and cruel/But I still love it like a fool/Don't weep for me when I am gone/just keep this old world rolling on." The Malvina Reynolds tribute, featuring Lisa Otey, Eb Eberlein, Linda Lou Reed and Bruce Phillips, gathers on Sunday, August 29, at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 4831 E. 22nd St. The event begins with a vegetarian meal at 5:30 p.m., followed by the documentary Love it Like a Fool at 6:30 p.m., and the concert at 7 p.m. For meal reservations, call 623-1688.