Lisa Hearns

Lisa Hearns is an acclaimed jazz musician who has performed at legendary venues and festivals in Boston, New York City, and throughout New England. She has been a guest vocalist with the great Les Paul at the Iridium, and can be seen in clubs in Greenwich Village, Staten Island, Brooklyn, and the New York tri-state area.

The daughter of two music professors, Hearns grew up in Massachusetts and is a graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. She formed and led her own group, playing in New York City for several years and traveling throughout New England, performing together until 2001. She returned to New York City in September 2001 to continue her singing career. She has several professional recordings including the album “Give Yourself Freely” for which she wrote eight of the ten tracks. She is an accomplished composer, singer, and pianist.

Hearns is a newly appointed Trustee of Berklee College of Music, the President of the Berklee NY Alumni Chapter, and a member of Manhattan Association of Cabaret. She is an experienced voice and piano teacher, currently serving the communities of Staten Island, Summit, Chatham, Madison and Morristown, New Jersey.

Bringing a contemporary edge to jazz and blues classics, Hearns is known for her range and versatility. Critics have touted her vocals as “undeniably ghost-like - hers is a voice from the past with a respect for the establishment, yet she still finds a way to make it ballsy, fresh and distinct.”

"That girl can sing!" ~ John Lee Hooker

"Hearns is evocative of Nina Simone on one song, Maria Muldaur on the next, and Ruth Brown on another."
~ James Montgomery
Blues Artist and Host of Radio Show
"Backstage With the Blues"

"Lisa will always be welcomed on my stage. She's a pro with a refreshing style of her own."
~ Jerry Vivino
Saxophonist, Vocalist

Management:
Lisa Hearns Productions
1434 Richmond Road PMB 123
Staten Island, NY 10304

Booking Inquiries:
(917) 756-3273

For more information on Lisa and upcoming performances visit her website at: LINK

Visit the Berklee Alumni website at: LINK

Q: Tell us about your act, music style, and brief history, including band members and what instruments they play.
A: Lisa Hearns has been performing jazz and blues classics for over a decade, and has shared the stage with some of the best musicians and performers of jazz and blues in New York and New England. Currently, her jazz band features Kelly Friesen on upright bass, Joe Tranchina on piano and keyboards, and Taro Okomoto on drums.

Q:What have been some important gigs or venues you've played?
A: From festivals, where she has wowed audiences numbering in the thousands, to small clubs in New England and New York where she has shared the stage with such jazz greats as guitarist Les Paul, and well known saxophonist Jerry Vivino (Conan O'Brien's Max Weinberg 7 Band) Hearns' performances are always fresh and exciting. Hearns opened for grammy award winning instrumentalist Chris Botti on September 8, 2006.

Q:What are the names and release dates of your previous recordings?
A: Give Yourself Freely, Kwantefyable Records - 1999 - features Hearns blues band, Telifaro.

Q: What are you working on now?
A: With her home base in New York, Hearns continues to perform in the New York tri-state area, and in New England. She is currently working on a new jazz album, to be released in early 2007.

Q: What kind of people or opportunities are you hoping to find on Berkleemusic?
A: Hearns has extensive experience in studio recording, having recorded her own original 1999 release titled "Give Yourself Freely", along with a jazz standards demo CD, as well as commercial jingles and children's musical education materials. Hearns is open to recording in various genres, and would welcome hearing about new opportunities presented by other music professionals.

“When I read Berklee’s mission statement: ‘To educate, train and develop students to excel in music as a career,’ I realized that I had an incredible institution behind me, that truly wanted me to succeed,” says Hearns. “Berklee is very proud of our alumni and we want them to know how valued they are as members of the community. Serving as a board member, I hope to inspire more alumni to truly come together in support of each other and of the college.”

Says Berklee College of Music President Roger Brown: “Lisa Hearns is committed to helping Berklee connect even more strongly with our largest alumni concentration anywhere in the world -- New York City. She brings a sensitivity to alumni and to student needs, and also has great ideas for how Berklee can take advantage of its proximity to the vital New York music and arts scenes.”

Hearns grew up in a musical family and although she studied classical piano throughout her childhood, she didn’t become serious about music as a career until she discovered jazz and blues – especially the music of B.B. King, Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, and Albert Collins. She formed and led groups in New York City and then enrolled at Berklee, from where she graduated in 1996 with a degree in professional music.

As president of the college’s largest alumni chapter, Hearns leads a group of volunteers to create social, professional, and performance opportunities that include speaker panels, showcases, and the Berklee Jazz Masters Jam. She contributes news to Berklee’s alumni magazine, Berklee Today, and keeps more than 1,000 registered alumni informed of performance and job opportunities. One of her popular programming efforts is the New York Alumni Songwriters Forum, which features various guest artists and experts from the music industry like songwriter Eve Nelson ‘86, Man Made Music sonic branding and production company founder Joel Beckerman, and music publisher Barbara Jordan.

Hearns is a member of the Manhattan Association of Cabaret, and served on the board of the New England Blues Society for several years while she was in Boston. Hearns has a number of professional recordings to her credit, including a CD of contemporary blues and r&b, Give Yourself Freely, for which she wrote eight of the 10 tracks. She performs blues and jazz at clubs in Greenwich Village, Staten Island, Brooklyn, and throughout the New York tri-state area.

Berklee College of Music was founded on the revolutionary principle that the best way to prepare students for careers in music is through the study and practice of contemporary music. For over 60 years, the college has evolved to reflect the state of the art of music and the music business. With over a dozen performance and nonperformance majors, a diverse and talented student body representing over 70 countries, and a music industry "who's who" of alumni, Berklee is the world's premier learning lab for the music of today – and tomorrow.

 
June 24, 2006
The Lisa Hearns Jazz Trio returns to the Staten Island Hotel.
 
June 16, 2006
Lisa Hearns and Pot Luck Blues return to the Perking Latte Cafe.
 
May 27, 2006
Lisa Hearns and Pot Luck Blues return to the Perking Latte Cafe