Presented by Adelaide
Cabaret Festival
Reviewed 7 June 2019
Ms Lisa Fischer returns to take her well deserved place front and centre in the Dunstan Playhouse at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival.
We’ve probably all heard her many times without realising it as she was a backing singer on recordings and tours for the Rolling Stones, Tina Turner and the late Luther Vandross. She is a Grammy winning artist and came to prominence in her own right following the 2013 Oscar winning documentary Twenty Feet from Stardom which looked at the lives of female backing singers.
Lisa Fischer and the band Grand Baton gave a stellar performance last night. The musical arrangements are sophisticated covering a wide range of genres. I especially enjoyed Ms Fischer’s rendition of Sting’s Fragile. She sang a fabulous version of the classic Fever as she climbed down from the stage to mingle with the audience seated at the cabaret tables at the front of the theatre while having fun with some of the male members of the audience.
Her vocal range is truly incredible with the power and emotion in her voice melding brilliantly with the jazz/rock fusion music of Grand Baton. Led by her musical director and arranger, JC Maillard, the band also shows the Caribbean influences from his home on Guadeloupe. Bassist Aidan Carroll and percussionist Thierry Arpino round out the trio but the sound produced is incredible for only three musicians which we get to appreciate as each member of the band is given the spotlight on different songs.
Speaking of spotlights, the lighting design and the timing of changes was very poor. At times Ms Fischer was singing in the dark and at others the lights were far too bright. A sad distraction from a brilliant performance.
Reviewed by Jan Kershaw
Rating out of 5: 5 Stunning
Venue: Dunstan Playhouse
Season: Sat, 8 Jun 2019 2:00 and 6:00PM
Duration: 70 mins
Tickets: $89.90, $79.90, Conc $74.90
Bookings: https://www.adelaidecabaretfestival.com.au/events/ms-lisa-fischer-with-grand-baton/
https://www.adelaidecabaretfestival.com.au
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