An American Lebanese singer-songwriter best known for her vocals on the theme song, "A Place In Time" from Paramount's The 4400 and "Dreams and Ashes" from Lifetimes Odd Girl Out, Smallville, and Charmed. She was the voice for Ally Sheedy and Charisma Carpenter on the TV show Strange Frequency starring Roger Daltrey in 2001 singing a vocal recorded duet with Sebastian Bach from Skid Row.
Her first EP, "The Great Plan Vol. I is a pop/rock album and her first works as a solo artist. Her second album, The Great Plan Vol. II, represents a singular vision, one that is not bound by any stylistic handcuffs as Abizaid veers from acoustic pop to modern rock and even slight touches of Americana.
The soulful, rootsy "Win Win Situation" is Abizaid at her most confident and accessible. Ludvig Girdland's violin on "Win Win Situation" gives the song added texture and atmosphere. The ethereal "Facing the Lion" is about as far from giddy TV tuneage as Abizaid gets as she settles into a mood-spinning, incandescent groove.
Abizaid's flute playing provides some of these songs a sort of late '60s/early '70s vibe although none of it is dated. There are countless vocalists who go through anonymous TV gigs but Abizaid separates herself with a voice slices above the mainstream and an adventurous spirit which makes her album unpredictable and mesmerizing.
The Great Plan Vol. II is the result of Abizaid’s lifelong passion for melodies and vocal harmonies, which she has been perfecting since she moved to the United States at the age of nine, singing with her four older sisters. After studying flute and piano with private instructors, she attended the Catholic University of America to learn about drama and music. Since then she has acquired a number of accomplishments for TV soundtrack work, the biggest being the main song for the science-fiction series The 4400.
Her first exposure to music was Middle Eastern combined with the American influences in the late 70's of Alice Cooper, Elton John, Crosby, Stills and Nash and The Beatles. Abizaid has maintained a musical career as a solo artist in Los Angeles and has been a big supporter of women in music.
There are countless vocalists who go through anonymous TV gigs but Abizaid separates herself with a voice that slices above the mainstream, full of adventurous spirit, which makes her albums unpredictable and mesmerizing. Her flute playing provides her songs a late '60s/early '70s vibe, without sounding dated.
Abizaid is also a member of the SGI Nichiren Buddhism community and is dedicated to inspiring peace for people around the world through her music. She has a lifelong passion for melodies and vocal harmonies and has sang with Taylor Mills (singer for Brian Wilson), Jennifer Stills (daughter of Steven Stills) and Kathleen Bird York (Oscar nominated for "In The Deep"-Crash). Abizaid has also performed with musicians such as Eric Dover (guitarist for Alice Cooper), Ron Dziubla (guitarist/saxaphonist for Ricki Martin), Brian Head (drummer for Foreigner), Mike Mennell (bassist for Tom Jones).
YouTube Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljhY10LR4N8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QntkASZ8dJI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Eij1qKFQ0I&feature=related
REVIEWS:
"I'd like to thank Amanda Abizaid for making TV more memorable this summer." -Adam Buckman- NY Post
" The Great Plan Vol. II should be of interest to completists of The 4400 but also to anybody yearning for some well-crafted and emotionally resonant pop/rock as well” - Adam Harrington, Whisperin & Hollerin (UK)
“Abizaid decides to take the road not taken, leaving behind the blandness of TV soundtracks for a personal and intimate album that you could watch the stars with”
- Kyrby Raine, Shotgun Reviews
Abizaid’s brand new 2010 release, “This Life” is an alternative pop/rock americana album.
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