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To call Lisa Fischer remarkable is a bit of an understatement as she is simply one of the most gifted, soulful vocalists performing in the world at this time. While she’s been previously known as a backing singer with legends like the Rolling Stones, Sting and Tina Turner, in the last couple of years she has emerged from the shadows as a solo artist to rave reviews.
A Minneapolis Star Tribune concert review praised: “Lisa Fischer is the most extraordinary vocalist you might experience in concert. She mesmerized, haunted and seduced with nuance, dynamics and remarkable inventiveness.” And reviewing her performances in the Oscar-winning documentary “20 Feet From Stardom,” the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph offered: “Watching this you wonder what possible travesty of justice has prevented Fischer from becoming as big a star as Aretha, Whitney, Beyonce, Adele – take your pick.”
Making her Hawaii debut March 24 in an exclusive Maui-only concert in Castle Theater at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, Fischer is feeling pretty amazed by all the adoration she’s been receiving.
“It was one of those things you could never plan in a million years,” says the two-time Grammy winner about her newfound success. “It’s overwhelming. I still have to pinch myself, it’s so insanely beautiful.”
The film “20 Feet From Stardom,” in which Fischer was one of the featured background singers, became a dramatic launching pad for her solo career. The director, Morgan Neville, has referred to her as “the soul of the movie,” and audiences have been packing her concerts ever since its release.
“The film gives people a sense of the familiar and it makes them feel comfortable,” she explains. “So that when they actually come, they feel like they know a little bit about you, and their hearts are so open and they walk away with hopefully a good feeling. That’s our goal.”
Helping her wow crowds is her exceptional backing trio, Grand Baton, led by Guadeloupe-born guitarist JC Maillard, which fuses African, Middle Eastern and Caribbean rhythms with rock and soul to completely reinvent familiar songs like the Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.”
Of course Fischer is rather familiar with Rolling Stones tunes, as she performed in concert with the group for around 25 years, right up until last year’s Zip Code Tour. During this time, her soloing on “Gimme Shelter” drove crowds wild.
“There are many nights when Lisa Fischer finds herself onstage in a sold-out arena or stadium, ruthlessly stealing the spotlight as she sings circles around the leader of what is reportedly the world’s greatest rock & roll band,” noted the LA Weekly.
Atlanta’s InTown reported: “The highlight of the night was backing vocalist Lisa Fischer taking center stage with Mick (Jagger) for ‘Gimme Shelter.’ “
Raleigh’s News & Observer said, ” ‘Gimme Shelter’ was dazzling, and backup singer Lisa Fischer absolutely killed it on her solo.”
“As the years go on, I realize how amazing they are and how unique the whole situation is,” she says. “A lot of groups don’t get the chance to stay together that long. They are still together and they’re strong and vibrant. They’re inspirational.”
So what’s it like hanging out with those famous English chaps?
“Charlie (Watts) is just so beautiful and unique, and so classy, funny and mischievous. Ronnie (Wood) is a beautiful child-like soul, an amazing guitarist and an amazing artist as well. Keith (Richards) is a growling tiger, teddy bear. He’s the heartbeat of the group to me. He’s happy when the band is happy, and he just loves to play. And Mick is just a burst of energy. He’s like a panther pouncing, and you never know where he’s going to land. He’s such a free spirit on stage,” she says.
Fischer was invited to audition for Jagger after his publicist had seen her perform with Luther Vandross at Madison Square Garden.
“It was a little nerve wracking,” she reveals. “In 1988, he was on a solo tour as the Stones hadn’t gotten back together at that point. I brought in my cassette tape and he put it in a boom box and he’s listening. Then he’s, ‘Sing along with it.’ So I’m singing along with it, and he starts dancing around me. I’m like, what is he doing? He was just trying to vibe me and seeing what it feels like to be on stage, so I kept singing. I found him so magical. And then when the Stones got back together, they just decided to keep me on.”
Besides touring and recording with the rock gods, she’s also been working with Rolling Stones’ saxophonist Tim Ries, who has released a couple of jazz albums interpreting songs by the legendary British rockers.
“The Rolling Stones Project” includes the Stones on some tracks, along with Fischer, who sings lead on a jazzy version of “Honky Tonk Woman,” backed by Richards, Watts and Stones’ bassist Darryl Jones. She’s also featured on a unique cover of “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” which includes flamenco dancer Sara Baras’ foot beats.
“Tim Ries is such a great player, and he loves flamenco and fado music,” she explains. “He came up with the idea of having her dance and us record while she was dancing. She was standing on a wooden platform just killing it. It was magical. It was a brilliant idea to video it.” (It’s on YouTube)
Her most recent Stones assignment saw her join Richards to sing “Gimme Shelter” at New York’s Apollo Theater in November.
(Part Two of a Lisa Fischer profile will run in next week’s Maui Beat, including her thoughts on working with Sting, recording with Yo Yo Ma, and paying tribute to Bob Marley and Laura Nyro.)
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On March 8, Mick Fleetwood celebrated the opening of his new basement venue at Fleetwood’s on Front St. in Lahaina with a concert featuring his blues band and a brief set by the teen Beatles cover band the Mockers.
“When we came here, this is what I fell in love with,” Fleetwood announced about the basement expansion to his three-level restaurant. Introducing the Mockers he added, “This is almost like the Cavern” (where the Beatles started). “You are part of a dream of mine to open up down here.”
The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band later roared into action fronted by brilliant guitarist Rick Vito, aided by Maui stalwarts bassist Lenny Castellanos and keyboardist Mark Johnstone.
Talking the next day, Fleetwood Mac’s legendary drummer was feeling excited about the new addition to his Lahaina property, but a little sad that his mother was not able to experience it. “My mum had been down there way back, and she called it Club Keller (after his boyhood family barn where he would play). She would have been thrilled. It’s full of possibilities to do stuff with different events on a fairly regular basis.”
With walls lined with rock artifact photos, memorabilia and Fleetwood’s art prints, the basement has a comfortable capacity of around 260. As far as a name, he might link with his wine label and call it Mick Fleetwood’s Private Cellar, or Club Keller in memory of his mother, “Though no one will know what the hell that’s about.”
It opened on the day that news of Beatles’ producer Sir George Martin’s death circulated.
“I love that we had the young chaps who worship the Beatles,” he continues. “It was sort of prophetic they were playing Beatles songs. They were part of an important night.”
Fleetwood had first met Martin when the Beatles were recording “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer.” “His wisdom was knowing what was unfolding with their talent,” he notes. “He knew when to let go and let them develop.”
The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band will head to Australia to headline the Byron Bay Bluesfest on March 25 and 26, and then head to New Zealand, where Fleetwood will stay on to record with Neil Finn of Crowded House fame.
“I met him years ago in London and we hooked up when the Mac finished the tour in New Zealand,” Fleetwood says. “He said he was going to be doing an album and I said, ‘Why don’t I come down and play drums?’ I don’t think he thought I was serious.”
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The Maui Pops Orchestra returns to the Castle Theater at 3 p.m. Sunday for a Spring Pops concert featuring internationally acclaimed pianist Ian Parker, who will perform Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1.
The first half of the concert will feature “Scheherazade,” the symphonic poem by Rimsky-Korsakov, based on “One Thousand and One Nights.” Guest concertmaster Andrew Sords will perform the violin solo that depicts Scheherazade.
* Tickets are $15, $30, $40 and $50 (plus applicable fees), and are half-price for students 18 and younger (excluding the $15 seats). For more information, visit the box office, call 242-7469 or visit www.mauiarts.org.