“Blues is the absolute root of so many styles of music, from Rock to Jazz to Soul to Heavy Metal's roots in England with Black Sabbath. It's like the base of a big tree, branching out in all directions. So many of the great artists of Electric Blues have left us, and I don't want that great music to die with them.”

Lisa Mann: The Great Women In Blues

Lisa Mann’s new live album “The Great Women in Blues” encapsulates this excitement and makes it available to listeners worldwide on May 2025. An electrifying tribute to legendary women in Blues music, recorded live for the Groove Now concert series in Basel Switzerland. Since 2010, Patrick Kaiser has handselected premier Blues artists to perform at the world renowned Groove Now concert series, held in Switzerland. He invited two-time Blues Music Award winning bassist/ vocalist Lisa Mann and legendary BMA winning drummer Jimi Bott to put together a Pacific Northwest supergroup to perform in the 2023 series. Two brilliant guitarists with distinct musical voices, Ben Rice and Jason “JT” Thomas, were added to the mix, as well as Portland’s own “Boss of the B3”, organist Louis “King Louie” Pain. With the stellar team assembled, Lisa Mann’s Northwestern All-Stars was born. Patrick asked for a tribute to the great women of Blues music to be among the three nights of shows booked at historic music hall Atlantis Basel. Hence, another voice would need to be added- a voice that represented the depth and history of the art form. When Lisa shared videos of Oakland-based Terrie Odabi, he fell in love with her authentic, unforgettable voice. With the multiple BMA-nominated, internationally acclaimed Odabi on board, the magic formula was complete. The resulting live album presented here was painstakingly mixed by drummer Jimi Bott at his studio, Roseleaf Recording. He expertly navigated the perils of a live environment, while retaining the raw energy of these spectacular performances.

(Lisa Mann / Photo by Miri Stibevka)

The album begins with Odabi’s a cappella “Wade in the Water,” a meaningful sermon about the origin of Blues music. It then launches into the Etta James classic “I Sing the Blues,” also delivered by Odabi, and featuring the gritty power of guitarists Rice and Thomas. Then Mann does an uncanny rendition of Dinah Washington’s take on “I Don’t Hurt Anymore,” featuring the masterful “King Louie” Pain on organ. The rest of the album features songs originally sung by Mavis Staples, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Koko Taylor, Ruth Brown, Big Mama Thornton, Etta James and Big Maybelle. The entire album is undergirded with the undeniable strength of Jimi Bott on drums, bringing his 40 years of experience playing with artists such as Rod Piazza and The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Lisa Mann’s multiple award garnering bass playing rumbles throughout, seamlessly blending with Bott’s commanding style. The final participant in this live adventure is the audience itself, engaging with an intensity atypical of audiences on the Continent.

Interview by Michael Limnios                 Archive: Lisa Mann, 2012 & 2020 interview

Special Thanks: Lisa Mann & Frank Roszak Promotions

How do you think that you have grown as an artist since you first started making music? What has remained the same about your music-making process?

When I first started recording my original music, I wasn't focused on making a complete album, I was more interested in just getting the various songs I had written into recorded form. But when I consulted with a wonderful woman named Lisa Lepine (who has since passed), she urged me to put together a cohesive album of music when I went into the recording process. I had made two eclectic albums that were on limited release, but I combined the most blues-based songs into one album, the self-titled Lisa Mann. After that I made sure I had a real album of songs, rather than just a collection of them, before I went into the studio. That part has remained the same since, and I am ever grateful for her advice.

What moment changed your music life the most? What´s been the highlights in your life and career so far?

I don't think I can point to a single moment. The main thing is the switch from being a side-person for many years to being a front-woman. I had played bass guitar and sang in other people's bands since I was 19 years old. But in the mid 2000's, I started writing my own songs, mostly in the Blues and old school R&B vein, and began committing them to recorded form. Soon after, I began fronting my own band live, and started touring as well.

Highlights include performing on the main stage at Waterfront Blues Festival, and getting married on stage at that festival! That has got to be the biggest highlight of all. I've also toured the UK, thanks to my friend Dudley Ross, and got to perform at the legendary Half Moon in Putney, in London. Bo Diddley, John Mayall and even The Who had played that stage, and U2 had their first sold out show there. And I must say performing in Basel, Switzerland for the shows that included the evening that was recorded for this new live album, was a big highlight. The organizers were very gracious and rolled out the red carpet for us. The Atlantis is a wonderful venue with excellent food and ambiance, and the city itself is beautiful and overflowing with history.

”I have a great number of influences, and I listen to all kinds of music- Blues, Rock & Roll, 60's R&B, even Heavy Metal, Country and Classical. I just love music, period. When I am writing a Contemporary Blues album, I know that it falls under a broad umbrella, so I can throw lots of bits and pieces into the stew.” (The Northwestern All-Stars: Jimi Bott, Jason ‘JT’ Thomas, Ben Rice, Terrie Odabi, Lisa Mann, and Louis Pain; The Great Women in Blues, Basel Switzerland 2023 / Photo by Rapha El)

Currently you’ve one release with Jimi Bott. How did that relationship come about? Do you have any interesting stories about the making of the new album?

I have known Jimi for many years, we met around the time I met my husband, bassist Allen Markel. Allen and Jimi have both worked with guitarist Kevin Selfe over many years, but way back when, we just hung out in the Portland Blues bars and jammed on our nights off. Duff's Garage was one legendary juke joint in Portland, and was a meeting place for many musicians.

Jimi is known for his supergroups, like The Mannish Boys or The Proven Ones, and he and I were asked to put together a group of ringers for the Groove Now Blues Weeks festival in Basel, Switzerland. Both he and I had performed for the festival in different incarnations, and Groove Now's artistic director Patrick Kaiser had plans for us. Patrick asked me to brainstorm about bringing another female vocalist into the mix, and knowing his taste for authentic blues, I knew that he would love Terrie Odabi. She and I met and performed together a few years ago at the Blues Music Awards when we were both nominated for BMAs.

We asked guitar slinger Ben Rice to join us in Basel, he is well known for playing resonator and cigar box guitar as well as electric. And we brought my main man Jason "JT" Thomas to play guitar as well. His cool, slinky style blends well with Ben's fat, warm tone, and they've played together for years. To complete the band, we added Louis "King Louie" Pain on organ, he is known in Portland as the "Boss of the B3" and it shows.

We did three nights, featuring original music from Terrie, Ben Rice and myself for two of them, and one night was dedicated to paying tribute to legendary women blues artists. That's the show that was recorded and was the basis for the album, The Great Women in Blues. One fun story, when we played "Let the Juke Joint Jump," Terrie was teasing our European audience for not being loud and crazy, as American audiences often are. Her ribbing got the rest of us laughing on stage, as she took her time riling them up and finally getting them to thunderously sing along. That exchange is captured on the album, and I can't help but giggle every time I hear it. By the end of the song, they were eating out of her hand, and they were cheering for her... it was a great moment!

“As for the role of a poet in today's society, I think poets feed back the zeitgeist of a generation to the people in any given society. It's like taking the temperature, or looking in a mirror.“

(Lisa Mann, The Great Women in Blues, Basel Switzerland / Photo by Nicholas Frey)

What does it mean to be a female artist in a Man’s World as James Brown says? What is the status of women in music?

I try not to even think about it any more, but it does come up when looking at festival bookings or at radio playlists. Too often we women do have to work harder to be seen and heard, especially my black women friends. But for the most part, I don't think much about it. I just play my bass, sing my songs, record my records and do my thing.

Your work is known for creatively reimagining blues/rock tradition. How do you balance respect for the roots with experimentation?

I have a great number of influences, and I listen to all kinds of music- Blues, Rock & Roll, 60's R&B, even Heavy Metal, Country and Classical. I just love music, period. When I am writing a Contemporary Blues album, I know that it falls under a broad umbrella, so I can throw lots of bits and pieces into the stew. But of course Blues is at the heart of it all, and I am always aware of the origins of that music, being from the African American tradition. That's why I chose Terrie's a cappella performance of "Wade in the Water," along with "Swing Low Sweet Chariot," at the very beginning of the album, in which she explains the importance of this origin. Of course the Blues morphed into a celebratory style of music, with songs about love, or love gone wrong, or just about partying and dancing all night long. But why wouldn't a people who had been through such hardship want to express the joys of life through music? When white artists like myself get to perform Blues and experience its joys and pains for ourselves, it is a privilege and an honor that we should respect.

You’ve worked in many different settings, from clubs and studios to open air festivals. How do you navigate between these different worlds?

The bottom line for me is to be respectful to the people working in those settings, and understand what their jobs entail. When you're in a nightclub, your point of contact might be the club manager, or even the bartender. It's good to keep in mind that you're not the only person they've got to deal with that night. You have to make sure that you and your bandmates get their needs met without being too demanding of a very busy person. The same thing goes for festivals, because people are constantly coming and going and the stage manager and sound crew might already be hungry, angry, and tired by the time your band is about to play. It's also important at festivals or multiple bill shows to respect the other artists involved.

When going into the studio, the same courtesy applies, but also it's important to come prepared. And if you have something you're unsure of, try to communicate what you're looking for and not waste their time. I am blessed to have worked with the same engineer for many years, Kevin Hahn at Opal Studio, who recorded, mixed and mastered most of my albums. For this live album, though, we took the raw recordings to Jimi Bott's Roseleaf Recording, he's not only a drummer but a talented audio engineer as well. The live recording had a lot of issues, as they always do, and he skillfully ironed them out. It was a pleasure working with him and experiencing his very different way of working than Kevin's. I think it's important to meet people in the industry, live or in studio, where they are. Don't think "but this is the way I always do it" because everyone has their own way of doing things.

”Highlights include performing on the main stage at Waterfront Blues Festival, and getting married on stage at that festival! That has got to be the biggest highlight of all.” (Lisa Mann, The Great Women in Blues, Basel Switzerland 2023 / Photo by Nicholas Frey)

Why is it important to we preserve and spread the blues? What is the role of a poet in today’s society?

Blues is the absolute root of so many styles of music, from Rock to Jazz to Soul to Heavy Metal's roots in England with Black Sabbath. It's like the base of a big tree, branching out in all directions. So many of the great artists of Electric Blues have left us, and I don't want that great music to die with them. I'm glad many black women artists like Terrie are filling the void left by the loss of the likes of Etta James and Ruth Brown. And I am glad young artists like Ben Rice are around to keep traditional styles of Blues guitar alive into the future as well.

As for the role of a poet in today's society, I think poets feed back the zeitgeist of a generation to the people in any given society. It's like taking the temperature, or looking in a mirror.

What are you doing to keep your music relevant today, to develop it and present it to the new generation?

I've had a few busy years with home life and had to step back from music until recently. I was caring for my mother-in-law Joan, the sweetest lady you'd ever know, for several years until she passed away at age 88. Now that she's gone I'm putting my nurturing energies into this album and making sure it reaches as many ears as possible. I have worked many years playing the bass guitar and singing, and it was a magical experience to play live with this particular group of people, each of them bringing their many years of performance. Of course a live recording isn't perfect, but that's part of the charm of it all. It reflects where each artist is at a particular moment in time, and how we work with other musicians in the unpredictable live environment. These may be cover songs, but they are as unique as any snowflake that ever fell from the sky. It's this spontaneity that makes this music relevant, and it's the freshness of the performance that makes it something that sounds new to listeners both young and old.

Lisa Mann Music - Home

(Lisa Mann / Photo by Nicholas Frey)