12 | SMOOTH JAZZ NEWS Since then, she has performed with Whalum, appeared on his Epic Cool album, and moved to the United States. Another major musical break came while she was visiting Los Angeles a er recording with Whalum. She said she was acclimating to America and trying to shake o some culture shock when a man approached her at a musical jam session with an invitation. “Out of the blue, he asked, ‘What are you doing tomorrow? I need to introduce you to someone,’” she recounted with bemusement. “And I went with it. I wasn’t thinking, ‘Who is this strange man wanting to hang out?’ So, we went to George Brown’s studio. Of course, he passed away last year, but he was the main man who wrote all the great Kool & the Gang songs. It was insane when I got to work with the band. It didn’t feel real. I ended up recording on six or seven songs over a few hours. It was magic.” (She appears on Kool & the Gang’s People Just Wanna Have Fun.) Lisa is already working on her next album. She’s ercely protective of her music and career, and is working without a manager a er her last one recommended that she record with an established producer on Silver Lining instead of agreeing to let her do it herself. She insisted that she’s learned many lessons in the music business, but one takes priority. “If you want to get somewhere, you have to do it yourself. Some people are lucky to have a good team around them or have met a manager they connect with, but I realize that you have to invest in yourself because there’s so much music out there that no one is looking for an amazing guitar player or a singer because of the saturation. ere are so many musicians to choose from. You have to put yourself out there to stand out. “If you don’t, nothing is going to happen. And you have to remember that if someone tells you that you can’t do something, you either believe it to your detriment or put it aside. I had to get past that resistance and keep going by chipping away song by song to get where I’m going. And the journey continues.” Lisa is completely wrapped up in her career at this point, but she nds peace of mind by getting back to the essence of life and reminding herself of her humanity. She’s an avid biker around her home and along the gorgeous beaches of the Southern California coast. “I love going outside, and everyone should try this sometime: I like to ground my feet to the grass or the sand or the ocean. We have a lot of energy in our bodies, and even touching trees can balance our bodies. They can pull out all that static energy, so when I’m feeling off-balance emotionally or just not right— say, overwhelmed—I try to get outside and in touch with the environment. I just breathe and be in that moment and process. It can be very healing.” For more information on Lisa, including her complete tour schedule, visit www.andrealisa.com. AUG. 3 Andréa Lisa’s Birthday Bash with special guests Spaghettini, Seal Beach, California https://spaghettini.com AUG. 17 South Coast Winery Resort & Spa’s Rhythm on the Vine Jazz Concert Series South Coast Winery Resort & Spa, Temecula, California www.southcoastwinery.com 951-696-0184 OCT. 11 Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival Catalina Casino, Avalon, California www.jazztrax.com continued from page 11 ON TOUR Photo: Airic Lewis
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