ALIZON: Press

CD REVIEWS: Alizon’s first solo effort looks at love in many genres...

Alizon Lissance is best known to area music fans as the keyboard wizard for The Love Dogs, Boston’s premier band for swing and R&B. Before she started her 12-year stint with the canines, Lissance was also a founding member of the late, lamented Girls Night Out, Beantown’s 1970s all-female rock ’n’ soul band. This is her first solo effort, and it encompasses songs recorded with a variety of combos, dating from 1991 to the present.

The basic lyrical theme running through all 12 Lissance originals is love and the difficulty of finding one you can believe in, but the musical styles vary tremendously. Most of this album is far afield from the Love Dogs’ style of lighthearted, incessantly swinging R&B. The major revelation for longtime Love Dogs fans will be Alizon’s vocals, which show a range and power not normally needed with the Dogs.

The album opens with the title cut, a bluesy pop number where Alizon successfully navigates something close to rock, blues and New Orleans style boogie with aplomb - watch out Marcia Ball. The next tune is ‘‘Truth-Lie,’’ a torchy ballad about veracity in relationships, which rides a majestic piano melody and really highlights Lissance’s superb vocal chops.

You almost wish folks like Celine Dion could do songs with this much realism, not to mention this command of nuance.

Barrelhouse piano and a wailing harmonica solo from Little Annie Raines propel ‘‘Broken in Two,’’ a song of heartbreak, delivered with joyful gusto, at a breakneck pace. ‘‘Only Time Will Tell’’ is a smoldering jazz ballad, unearthing yet another shade of Lissance’s vocal prowess. Four songs into the CD she’s done R&B, power pop balladry, rollicking roadhouse piano, and now smoky jazz - clearly Lissance is mistress of many styles.

The tune on this album closest to the Love Dogs work is ‘‘Lost and Found,’’ a swinging bit of R&B with a dollop of humor, as the singer gleefully takes it over the top to good effect. ‘‘The World You Keep Inside’’ is one of the most compelling/mystifying tunes, lyrically dealing with the hazards of loving someone who remains remote, yet riding a peppy Latin melody that might be samba or bossa nova, enhanced by Barbara London’s flute skittering over it all.

Lissance returns to the smoky jazz mode for ‘‘Icy Blue Heart,’’ which liner notes tell us she wrote about the Pamela Smart murder case, and here London’s flute provides deft accents to the sultry, yet chilling tale. The pop ballad ‘‘Baby Don’t Be Blue’’ is a bit too generic, and a bit too long. But the 1991 tune ‘‘It’ll Be Alright,’’ with Girls Night Out pal Myanna on saxophone exchanging lines with Alizon on organ, is a delightful jazzy pop song of validation.

The CD ends with the solo piano ballad ‘‘Nobody Believes Me,’’ a minimalist jazz tune about a harrowing relationship, where the pain and world weariness in her vocal is stunning.

The very versatility of this album might make it hard to promote, and nearly impossible to categorize. But savvy music fans will enjoy this compilation of the many sides of a very familiar face.

Lissance and her quartet, Alizonia, play the Sitting Bull in Maynard July 27. She plays in a duo with bassist Greg Holt on July 31 at the Village Forge Tavern in Concord. But if you want to see her with the Love Dogs, swing by the Sea Note in Hull Saturday night, and you won’t be disappointed.

This CD had been sitting on my desk for several weeks after a colleague lent it to me. Then by sheer coincidence I ran into the artist last week at Del Vaudo’s in Nashua, New Hampshire. I remembered the name Alizon because it is an unusual spelling of Alison. Lissance was performing with her band of 12 years, The Love Dogs.

By the time the show was over, I knew I had to dig up her CD and write this review. Not only is she a highly competent pianist and a naturally talented, fine tuned vocalist, she has a striking stage presence that commands attention.

Her CD release is actually a compilation of songs she had recorded between the early 1990s and the last few years. So we have Lissance at various stages of her lengthy and successful career.

Opening with her title track, Lissance lays down some fine up-tempo boogie-woogie piano and she let’s it ride over an edgy guitar riff. Her vocals are raspy and rangy, and she belts out this tune with conviction and passion. It’s a tough mama song, and Lissance never lets go of the attitude here.

The next 11 songs offer more of this lady’s piano and singing talents. Some of the songs have a pop ballad sensibility that opens more avenues for Lissance to travel, but her voice is better suited to her blues and honky tonk style delivery.

"Truth-Lie" plays out like a power ballad from the 1980s. There is nothing wrong with this piece, but I found myself waiting for Lissance to get back to the blues.

"Broken In Two" wets my appetite with a feisty harmonica and a shuffling backbeat. Then Lissance follows suit in style with a quick vocal approach to her lyrics that reminds me of rockabilly from the 1950s. A touch of Jerry Lee Lewis infects her piano, and that makes this song complete as I wonder if Lissance also plays with her feet.

Lissance segues into a jazzy cocktail lounge approach on "Only Time Will Tell," a breezy number with the pianist serving up a seductive, smoky vocal that makes me think of people hanging around a piano bar while they drown their sorrows in alcohol. Lissance captures that forlorn desperation as she sings about a poor relationship that she hopes will get better. Again, her rangy voice captures my ears, as she will briefly hold a note before finishing a verse.

Lissance is at her sexist when she uses her honky tonk drawl on these slow, moody, soulful numbers. "Lost and Found" is a slow blues that tickles the ear withtenor sax work from Gordon Beadle, the horn becoming a brassy embellishment to Lissance’sorgan work. "Icy Blue Heart" is another piece that benefits from a guest
musician.

BarbaraLondon’s dancing flute notes provide an enticing melody that flows alongside Lissance’s organ swirls.

The singer makes an emotional pitch to someone on "Baby Don’t Be Blue," another of her tunes that sounds like an 80s’ power ballad. The song works well on its own, but I find it incongruent amongst the blues-roots material that makes up most of this compilation. Lissance has put together many of her best songs. She may have gotten more mileage, though, if she let her style gel into one consistent vehicle.

This gal is much more credible as a blues chanteuse than a female version of Elton John with her poppy material. She closes the CD with a song called

"Nobody Believes Me," and I hope the irony was not lost on Lissance, since that is how some people feel when an artist genre hops through one CD. However, "So What About You" is a compilation, and that somewhat excuses this.

This disc also features a video of Lissance and her band playing the title track next to an old, abandoned railroad. One old train even lies on its side while another upright one looks rusty. The backdrop is useful to showcase the fiery guitar and banging keyboard work. Lissance is a tightly wound fireball of energy let loose at the microphone. Her talents should not be missed.

Alizon Lissance has been a part of the Boston music scene for many years, singing and playing her trademark style of barrelhouse honky tonk piano with acts like Girls' Night Out, The Love Dogs, Alizonia and others. On "So What About You" Alizon steps out from her role as bandmember and fronts an all-star cast of friends and musicians that include folks like Steven Paul Perry on guiar, Andrew Mazzone on bass, Joe Donnelly on drums, Myanna Pontoppidan on saxophone, Gail Nickse on vocals, Wendy Sobel on vocals and guitar, Annie Raines on harmonica, Ed Spargo on bass, Ed Scheer on drums, Jesse Williams on bass, Sax Beadle on saxophone, Didi Stewart on vocals, and Barbara London on flute, to deliver twelve well-penned originals.
Alizon's strengths lie in the honky tonk aspects of her piano work and she attests to those attributes in song highlights like "Broken in Two", "Face the Facts" and "Lost and Found". However, that's not to say that she can't wax blue with the best of them. Just give the sultry "Only Time Will Tell," or the jazzy, bebop sentiments of "Icy Blue Heart" a spin and you'll see that Alizon has so much more to offer than just barroom banter. The pop balladry reminiscent of Elton John is also evident in her songs "Truth-Lie" and "Mystery" giving Lissance a well rounded resume.
Playing throughout New England with some of the finest musicians on the scene, Alizon Lissance's new album, So What About You is another fitting chapter in her long and successful career. Well done.

While working on this issue Friday evening, I have been listening to the new album, "SO WHAT ABOUT YOU," by Boston rock veteran ALIZON LISSANCE. Don't you love her name? I know I do. The way I remember it, it was about 25 years ago the first time I heard Lissance on record. Since then, I have enjoyed everything I've heard by her. The really odd thing, though, is that it seems to me that this may be her debut album. I hope she didn't feel she had to rush into it. Lissance gives off an outstanding though short howl, and she is best on the bluesiest numbers. Yep, she's a member of The Love Dogs alright. There are a number of great cuts. But my favorites by far are the opening/title track, "So What About You," (which could in some way account for the fact that it is the opening/title track) and the next to last cut, "It'll Be Alright." If you need my suggestion as to where to look for a single, there you have it. There are a number of nice touches, not just the howl. For one thing, Annie Raines has a couple Sonny Terry moments on harmonica. And there's more. I am honored that one of the songs was actually written about me. Do you know about this? It's called "Icy Blue Heart." I can't recall whether it was Maria or JoEllen who suggested it. But either way, it was one of my friends. A number of my favorite Boston-area musicians are on here. There is actually one person on this album who I had once heard was dead. Trust me on this, I am REALLY glad to be listening to that guy. Another really nice touch is the artwork. In the early years of this decade - what in heck is this decade called anyway? - artwork was most often badly neglected. There is a lot to like here. There is the cute-as-can-be little girl who is right under where the disc goes. Then there is the picture on the back which is highly suggestive that Lissance may be a total music junkie. It could be right. I think another example of especially strong art work is the disc's label; but since it's in my player, I'm in no position to look. If you go to an Alizonia concert, demand that she play "Icy Blue Heart" or either of my favorites.

This week I was able to spend some time with your record. It is fabulous. I really enjoy your songwriting, the variety of material, the time-span of the different recording sessions, and the styles of material that seem related to those periods. As each great tune concludes, I find myself looking forward to the next surprise. I love when a song takes me somewhere…with your opening tracks done in 1991, for some reason I found myself transported back to where I was then and how I was feeling, and the music I was involved with at that time, etc. To these ears, no matter what style/genre of tune appears on this record, you have a wonderful gift of being able to 'play the bag' yet still sound like YOU. You’re able to really get inside the music and serve those songs beautifully. You're aptly sympathetic to the material and you have an identifiable style throughout. That is a tremendous achievement. Personally, I’ve always tried to be a chameleon and immerse myself in different styles, and figure out what it is that makes them work. I’m still trying to determine if that is really an asset or not. Some people specialize and become monster players, though limited to one bag. I’m not sure if there is a right way to go, but recordings like yours show that it IS possible to know different styles and perform them equally well while still leaving your own thumbprint.
Anyhow, thank you so much for sharing these wonderful songs, and for sharing your love and respect for different styles. Your passion and conviction is unambiguous. “Nobody Believes Me” - - I do. That’s about as a good a song as I’ve ever heard… it’s right up there with all the greats…Joni Mitchell, Joan Armatrading, Patty Griffin…that tune is on the caliber of anything Joni did on her ‘Blue’ record. It’s first-class.