Lisa Fischer

Overview

After forty years of singing back-up for stars such as Chaka Khan, the Rolling Stones and Tina Turner, and a Grammy earned from her appearance in 2013 cinematic hit Twenty Feet from Stardom, Lisa Fischer is coming to Wellington with her inventive new band Grand Baton.

After a brief stint as a solo artist in the early 1990s, when her single "How Can I Ease the Pain" from her album So Intense reached number one on R&B charts and a 1992 Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, she returned to being a backup singer because she "enjoyed it more." Now she's back, stronger than ever and reaching new heights of international renown.

Her band, Grand Baton, are the perfect match for Fischer on this tour. Their fusion of African, Middle Eastern and Caribbean influences with genres of psychedelic soul and progressive rock creates a flexible and free collaboration between the two. "Collectively they bring amazing musicianship, hearts and souls and most importantly a sense of playfulness," she says. "It's a dream to be sonically surrounded with this kind of sensitivity and care."

Catch them at the Wellington Jazz Festival, playing at the Opera House on the 12th June.