Welcome

“You always get where you’re going, but the roads you take are definitely the less traveled ones.  Sometimes I felt like you were taking me over a cliff, but the landings were safe (if not soft) and boy, what a thrill on the way down!  Definitely singing without a safety net!”        

-Jack, a new fan to Lisa’s live show

TUNE  IN:  Denver gets the scoop on “Little Warrior!”
KUVO FM (89.1) in Denver
Friday, June 28, 2013.  1:30pm.
Don’t miss the debut of tracks from Lisa’s highly-anticipated album, scheduled for release in Fall 2013!
A conversation with the ever-engaging Arturo Gomez about her new release and shows at Dazzle Jazz Club.

TICKETS HERE!    A not-to-miss event!

Lisa in concert at
Denver at Dazzle Jazz!
Saturday, June 29th, 2013.
Listen to KUVO FM in Denver for a sneak preview of tracks!

♥ YOU are with me. YOU have made this happen.
It IS happening!   And it feels awesome!  ♥

TODAY, Lisa is filled with deep gratitude and excitement, knowing she will move forward to the completion of her new record “Little Warrior.” 

To view Lisa’s Video and learn about “Little Warrior” here www.igg.me/at/LittleWarrior

Thank you to all of you who have been rooting for Lisa and have worked together to get Lisa across the finish line– and how!

Together we are getting it done!  These are the Donors who have played a HUGE role in the “Little Warrior” Project:  These folks  delivered Lisa to the Finish Line and to her Target Goal:

It all started with …

 

CARAVAN  (released in 2010)  features 10 of Lisa’s fresh arrangements of standards, Brazilian, and contemporary selections  by such varied composers as Tizol & Ellington, Joni Mitchell, Baden Powell, Cole Porter and Billy Idol.

In addition, Caravan includes “From the Earth,” a new lyric version of Freddie Hubbard’s jazz-funk classic Red Clay.  Mr. Hubbard recorded the landmark Red Clay album 40 years ago, and Lisa was inspired to revisit its title track. She is grateful to have received Mr. Hubbard’s personal review and permission to release “From the Earth” – one of the last works approved by the late-great trumpeter himself.

 

Create your own Lisa Engelken Radio Station on Pandora.com. Lisa Engelken Radio Station!

Tune in to SIRIUS JAZZ CHANNEL to hear CARAVAN !

 

BOOKING & INFORMATION:  info@lisaengelken.com

 

New Videos:   YOUTUBE VIDEO from the folks at ZuZu Graphics in San Francisco.

 

NEWS FROM THE ROAD:

RECORDING of “LITTLE WARRIOR” is moving forward! Lisa is currently at work recording and composing tasty parts played by the best in Bay Area jazz.  Among the special guest artists appearing on “Little Warrior”  are Matt Heulitt (electric guitar), Carlos Oliveira (acoustic guitar), Rob Reich  (accordion); Evan Francis (flute), Joel Behrman (trumpet/trombone), Erik Jekabson (flugelhorn),  Mike Olmos (trumpet), and the backing vocals of Jennifer Lee, Christie Winn and Carey Williams.

Sold out with great sound at The Sound Room in Oakland, CA!   Lisa kicked off her indiegogo campaign to finish “Little Warrior” with a sellout show at the premiere jazz gallery, The Sound Room.  The show was particularly special as Lisa reunited pianist Frank Martin (Sting, Elton John, Airto Moreira & Flora Purim, Eyedentity, and on and on), and was joined by her favorite sidemen bassist Sam Bevan and drummer Matt Swindells.  The Quartet played selections from the new album and debuted a new arrangement of an Elvis Costello tune that Lisa hadarranged especially for the concert.

It’s hot out there!  Lisa took her songs on the road to Denver’s premiere jazz club Dazzle Jazz on Saturday, June 16th.  The shows were sold-out and featured renowned Denver musicians Eric Gunnison on piano; Eduardo “Bijoux” Barbosa on bass; John Lake on trumpet.  In Kansas City at the Blue Room on June 22nd, Lisa and her quintet, made up of San Francisco drummer Matt Swindells and Kansas City sidemen Roger Wilder (pno), Gerald Spaits (bass), and Stan Kessler (trpt).

February 25, 2012, Lisa debuted Part II of the Anima Project at the Red Poppy Art House.  The jam-packed house was excited to experience the new arrangements and Lisa herself was excited by the new spatial and sonic experience of vibraphone.  More exploration to come!

NEW ALBUM:  Work has begun on the NEW ALBUM:  the Valentines Day Recordings!  Lisa just finished 2 days of recording at the beautiful 25th Street Studios in Oakland, CA.  Dave Lichtenstein engineered the extraordinary creative and collaborative sessions with pianist Bill Cantos (Dori Caymmi, Phil Collins, Burt Bacharach, Herb Alpert and Lani Hall) and bandmates bassist Sam Bevan and drummer Matt Swindells.  The quartet recorded 11 new arrangements & originals by Lisa to be included on her new album “Anima Explorations.”

Lisa said she’d stay put, but ended up in Los Angeles for a few fine days in September, writing and recording two new tracks with engineer/composer Steve McCormick, producer Sandra Bishop and multi-instrumentalist Peter Fox.  The fab four collaborated and created in real time.  “Tuesday Blues,” part West-Coast jazz -part Angelo Badalamenti (David Lynch)  and “Your Dreams,” described by Bishop as “Radio Head meets Johnny Cash.”   The track “Your Dreams” will be included in the “Moonlight Project,”  conceived by author and photojournalist Seanie Blue and the aforementioned cohorts.  Stay tuned for more!

Lisa continues to write and and arrange new works for her new album “Anima Explorations.”  It’s the home stretch, folks:  finalizing arrangements and compiling the tunes that will make it into the studio.  Like Santa Clause, she i making the list and checking it twice.

Jardine’s Joint was jumping in Kansas City on Friday night, June 24th– a packed house delighted in seeing Lisa perform with Roger Wilder, pno; Gerald Spaits, bass; Matt Swindells, drums; and Stan Kessler, trmpt.

The week before, Lisa’s show at Dazzle Jazz in Denver was off the hook– Saturday, 6/18- two shows with a stellar band that included SF drummer Matt Swindells and  Denver’s finest: Al Hood, trumpet; Steve Denny, piano; and Ken Walker, bass.

Lisa just performed two exhilarating concerts debuting new music from her “Anima Exploration” project at ArtSpace 4500 (SF) and at the Jazzschool in Berkeley. The shows featured Lisa’s originals and new arrangements of tunes by such artists as George Harrison, Wayne Shorter, Abbey Lincoln & the Cars.

San Jose Jazz presented Lisa in April as part of the Wednesday Night Concert Series at the Fairmont. The jazz audience was warm and responsive and once again proved why San Jose is one of Lisa’s favorite cities to play.

Read more from Andrew Gilbert, San Jose Mercury News!

In March, Lisa opened the 2011 concert season with the debut of her originals and arrangements.  The house was literally packed- a warm audience filled with open hearts and minds:  another truly magical event  at the Red Poppy Art House!  Lisa is currently writing & developing new material for performance in 2011 entitled “Anima Explorations,” with plans to record in Fall 2011.

 

In February, Lisa traveled to Washington, DC to do an impromptu show and to edit concert footage of her two East Coast concert events last November in DC and New York City.  Special thanks to The Deej in Washington DC for a fabulous sold-out show at the Underground Theatre.  Never was there such a screaming, dancing, enthusiastic crowd in attendance at a jazz event!   And, thank you, Faunee WPFW Radio Host (89.3 FM, Washington, DC), for blessing the magical event with her powerful vibe and presence.  Lisa would like to thank Sandra Bishop, Seanie Blue, Riccardo and Matt Neufeld for the brilliant video and photography that they shot.

THANK YOU: SFJAZZ Organization for presenting Lisa’s powerhouse performance at SummerFest 2010 in Levi’ Plaza, San Francisco in October (A sultry photo by Caitlin Burke really captures the steam & vibe of the daytime concert.).

And….happy 2011 new year with gratitude to all of you who attended the sold-out concert events at ARTspace 4500 and Red Poppy Art House (SF), Denver’s Dazzle Jazz and the Jazzschool in Berkeley and the raucous performance that closed the 2010 Fillmore Jazz Festival!

 

[Check out the COOL Video from the Fillmore Jazz Fest, featuring a colorful collage of festival images shot on a sunny July 4th day-- and set to the music of the Lisa Engelken Band LIVE!]

CARAVAN reviewed:

Caravan, the title cut, is indeed a revamp of the harmonies and arrangements of Debussy and the British alt-pop band Radiohead.  Only Lisa E. could conspire to combine those two influences so effectively.  Add singer, composer and producer Lisa Engelken to that pantheon of great jazz artists.  Caravan will stand the test of time and is a harbinger of more great music to come.

-Eric Smith, Arts & Entertainment Editor,  BeyondChron.org

 

Directly support Lisa’s work by ordering Caravan here!

Create your own Lisa Engelken Radio Station!

CARAVAN is available for download at iTunes & cdbaby.com.

Caravan is also available in-store at Groove Yard Records, 5555 claremont avenue, oakland, ca.

 

 

CONCERT REVIEW:  CD Release Event in Denver, CO:

“…It’s not easy to stand out as a female jazz singer: singers are nearly as ubiquitous as Harleys at Sturgis. It takes a little something to stand out from the crowd. Like at Sturgis, bigger and louder won’t necessarily do the trick. It might take a little finesse, a little nuance, maybe a bit of panache. If you add all that together and mix in some genuine creativity, you may have found Lisa Engelken.

“Engelken veered across a wide emotional spectrum so broad it could serve as a case study for manic depression. From joy to sadness to nonchalance and numerous points in between, Engelken bared her soul on stage. She put it on the line in the context of jazz standards that she arranged for herself.

“Time and again, she came up with a fresh look at those old chestnuts. ‘Caravan’ was a highlight and a case in point. Her arrangement of that one started off slowly, almost like a tone poem. Eventually, the pace increased to a gentle swing in 3/4 time and finished with an extended jam in 7/4 time. Not exactly your father’s Ellington.”

Geoff Anderson, KUVO FM (Denver)

 

For radio appearances and archived interviews:  PRESS.

BOOKING & INFORMATION:  info@lisaengelken.com

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