In the daunting world of girl singers, San Francisco Bay Area-born, tall, blonde and beautiful Lulee Fisher is something special. From her earliest childhood days when she put on "shows" to amuse her family and friends, her fascination with the world of entertainment, and her love of entertaining, was clear. As a young girl, she was trained in the music of classical opera. She also performed as a soloist with church and school choirs and in stage musicals, when opportunities arose. Her passion for jazz began through the influence of her aunt, Ramona Crowell, who was a friend of the great Dizzy Gillespie, among others, and she gave Lulee, at an early age, the opportunity to attend performances of many of the jazz legends.
Later on, as a young woman with a yen for traveling, she stopped in Honolulu on her way to join a friend in Afghanistan, fell in love with Hawaii and remained to enroll at the University of Honolulu, where she studied for a degree in architecture. In time, however, she realized that her greatest interest was in the field of entertainment, and she switched her major to music and drama. Eventually, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in Hollywood, where she became involved in the film business, first as an actress and singer and, finally, in producing. Still, her devotion to jazz and her role in it remained strong and dominated in her goal setting. Whether on location in Europe, or Australia, or Canada, she would seek out jazz clubs, sit in with the musicians and take available gigs.
Today, she continues to be, as she says, "seriously and totally committed to jazz music." Her smooth and pleasing contralto voice has a good range (nearly four octaves) and intonation, and has been honed under the tutelage of singing great, Sue Raney. Her earlier days as an actress have given her the background to effectively interpret lyrics, dramatic and otherwise, and her good sense of rhythm bodes her well in her handling of upbeat songs.
In regard to her singing, she states, "It has something to do with what I want to share with my audience. I want to share more intimate feelings. I want to take people into my arms with my voice and hold them close. My singing is about my personal relationship to life, music, philosophy and people. I think the most important thing about jazz, besides the music itself, is the feeling. It is out of feeling that music comes. So, for me, jazz rings true when it is connected to feeling, and my wanting to share what I feel, or another person feels. There's such a deep, emotional impact to so many jazz songs, and that's what I really want to go for."
So now please share with Ms. Lulee Fisher her interpretations of the songs which she has selected for this, her first CD, "In Love Again." It is an excellent presentation of standard and current hits, ranging from ballads and blues to bossa nova and humor, all splendidly sung with the backing of some of the West Coast's finest musicians.
Bob Agnew
L.A. Jazz Scene
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