AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2025 | 11 World.” It gracefully unfolds with a diverse blend of ballads and breezy, funky tracks that emphasize Lisa’s impressive guitar work. She’s a versatile player who leans heavily on melody. Her vocals on songs such as “Chocolates in Heaven” and “Fire” re ect her diverse in uences in R&B and jazz—there are hints of vocalists as disparate as Minnie Riperton, Corinne Bailey Rae or Neneh Cherry in her voice, but she remains thoroughly original. “As a guitar player, I started out playing strictly classical acoustic guitar and got a great foundation,” Lisa said. “I then went on to study jazz in school. I did listen to Pat Metheny and George Benson, two of the great guitarists who are such melodic players. And I loved to listen to horn players, particularly Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Kirk Whalum and Sonny Rollins, too. “ at’s why I like to play long notes on the guitar. Even though the guitar isn’t an instrument meant for long notes, unless you have a lot of distortion, that’s how I hear. And melody has always been extremely important for me.” Lisa has been singing since she was young, but didn’t take it seriously until her teens, when she got to demonstrate her vocal prowess by accident. “I didn’t sing publicly until I was 16, when someone entered me into a school talent contest,” she recalled. “He did it behind my back. He had heard me singing in the music room and told me we should do a duet, which I didn’t want to do. But he applied for us anyway, and we won with me singing ‘My Endless Love.’ I was quite shy, so that was a big thing for me, and it gave me a lot of con dence.” She developed as a vocalist through school and listening to many of the singers she was exposed to earlier in her life. “Natalie Cole and Nancy Wilson were my favorites, and I learned from listening to them,” she said. “I did some classical training in high school and jazz training in university. My major was guitar in university, but I also studied vocals.” While Lisa was born in South Africa, she grew up in New Zealand, where she went to school. She said her music re ects her roots, and her childhood and young adult homelands are still part of her soul. “I moved to New Zealand at 7 years old. On a deep level, the nature of New Zealand is re ected in my music. When I was growing up, it was very peaceful and promoted being kind and loving. I remember the teachers being so loving and supportive, and I feel I carry that with me. “It’s about good people, which I feel is a part of me, but musically, I feel I represent more of my South African heritage sonically with rhythm. I love rhythm.” Even though her initial exposure to South Africa was brief, Lisa has visited the country frequently and absorbed its rich culture and traditions. “I have some memories of my childhood, but my family would go back to visit my grandparents, and my mom would make sure we stayed for a solid amount of time—like a whole month—so I remember South Africa quite well,” she said. “You can’t help but be in uenced by it.” e guitarist eventually put together a band to support her own music once she got to a university in New Zealand. ey ended up putting out an EP called So Sweet and traveling the world, including a residency in a Wyndham hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, gigs in France and a long tenure on cruise ships, where she honed her stage chops and randomly met saxophone great Kirk Whalum. “He had heard my band perform and asked me for my contact information. And understand, I’ve always been a huge fan of his. He said, ‘We have to do something together someday.’ I wasn’t sure if he meant it,” Lisa said. “One day, months later, I woke up and I had an email from him. He said, ‘I’m doing this new record and would love you to play on it. You can record a guitar solo in New Zealand and send it over to me.’” Her band was on hiatus, so Lisa offered to fly to the States and cut the track with Whalum. “He asked me when I was coming, but I had no idea—I had no plans—so I chose a random month. And he said, ‘Oh, no, I’m afraid that’s a bit late,’ and he told me when he could do it. I said, ‘Oh, I can do it then, no worries.’ He always laughs about that story. I would have dropped everything to work with Kirk.” She traveled to Memphis, Tennessee, and recorded the guitar solo Whalum had requested and “Get Your Wings Up” from Whalum’s 2019 album, Humanité. publicly until I was 16, when someone school talent contest,” she recalled. y back. He had heard me singing and told me we should do a duet, to do. But he applied for us with me singing ‘My Endless ‘My Endless shy, so that was a big thing for lot of con dence.” a vocalist through school many of the singers she was her life. Nancy Wilson were learned from listening did some classical school and jazz training in was guitar in university, vocals.” born in South Africa, she grew where she went to school. She re ects her roots, her roots, and young adult part of her soul. her soul. Zealand at deep level, the Zealand is re ected I was growing peaceful and kind and loving. teachers being so supportive, and I feel I his. He said, ‘We have to do something together someday.’ everything to work with work with Kirk.” “I had to get past that resistance and keep going by chipping away song by song to get where I’m going.” continued on page 12 Photo: Airic Lewis
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