Lady Bianca is a Soulful, Blues, Gospel vocalist and piano player. Bianca has performed with such greats as Legendary John Lee Hooker, Taj Mahal,Van Morrison, Sly and the Family Stone, and Frank Zappa.
Bianca’s latest CD titled “A Women Never Forgets” has recently been released and is now available in Stores across the United States for purchase.
Lady Bianca is no stranger to the Bay Area music scene located near San Francisco, California where she makes her home in Oakland, California.
Northern California is a place that the Blues has been very much alive over the years. Many great bands have come out of the Bay area such as Carlos Santana, Buddy Miles, Bonnie Raitt, Jerry Garcia along with many Blues, Rock, Punk, and Gospel groups many in which were recognized by the late legendary music promoter Bill Graham.
Lady Bianca gained her status across the United States as a musician at an early age, is recognized as a leading performer in the Northern California region, and throughout parts of Europe as well.
Peggy: Bianca it’s great to hear your voice again and connect with you since our last interview back in Northern California at a Blues Concert in Richmond, California. Let’s talk about your latest CD release titled “A Women Never Forgets”. Can you tell me what is behind the title of your latest CD release just now hitting the market across the United States?
Bianca: Well the title of my latest CD “A Women Never Forgets” is about how we as women in general normally don’t forget how men treat women.
Peggy: Interesting title and yet so true in many aspects of men and women relationships to one another. So Bianca when did you go into the Recording Studio on this latest CD release?
Bianca: Well it was in April of 2008 and the initial release is February of 2009.
Peggy: Where did you record your recent CD release, and did you have any Musicians sit in on the set with you during the initial recording to help produce it ?
Bianca: The CD recording took place in San Rafael, California. My husband Stanley Lippitt co-produced the recording with me. Stanley is the President of Magic-O Records and Stay Free Productions which is out of our Studio in Oakland, California. Stanley has been the owner since 1978.
Peggy: I see your going on tour to perform in Madison Square Garden in New York. Have you performed in Madison Square Garden before, as this is a place well-known for people like Bob Dylan who got his break when John Lee Hooker introduced him for the first time up on stage to the public?
Bianca: This will be my first time performing in Madison Square Garden with Van Morrison as a background singer. Van Morrison calls it a (BV) meaning a background vocalist.
Peggy: On one of our earlier conversations recently Bianca you mentioned to me that you performed with Van Morrison in Southern California. I know that you were his former background Vocalist for many years, and then you branched out on your own as a solo artist. Can you tell me after all these years how it came about that you and Van Morrison got back together to perform on stage?
Bianca: Yes, my husband Stanley has a friend in England named Mark, who I received an email from, and invited me to get in touch with Van Morrison’s production company. The production company of Van called me to perform at the Hollywood Bowl with him. It was a pleasant experience.
Peggy: So what was it like getting back on stage with Van Morrison performing after all these years as his former backup vocalist?
Bianca: It was just like old times going back to sing with Van Morrison.
Peggy: How many years had it been since you last performed with Van Morrison on stage?
Bianca: It was back in 1983 and recently performing with him this last November of 2008. It was a huge crowd, and the shows were sold out within two days.
Peggy: What type of musician is Van Morrison like to perform with on stage?
Bianca: Van Morrison is a kind of spur of the moment artist. Van is always spontaneous on stage.
Peggy: What song did you perform together with Van on stage?
Bianca: One of his great hit songs titled “Gloria” which was also covered by Patti Smith, Jim Morrison of the Doors, and it is one of his most requested songs when he is performing live on stage.
Peggy: How many years did you perform on stage with Van Morrison as a backup vocalist?
Bianca: It was about four years after I left Frank Zappa.
Peggy: Tell me about Frank Zappa and how many years you performed with him, as I know Frank Zappa is a one of a kind entertainer that is an incredible, creative Genius as is Van Morrison. Bianca you have performed with some of the greatest musicians in the world which speaks volumes about you as a performer to have shared the stage with them as musicians.
Bianca: I performed for about one full year with Frank Zappa.
Peggy: What was it like with Zappa performing?
Bianca: Performing with Frank Zappa was an amazing experience. Some of the things Zappa did back then as an entertainer a musician would not be able to do these days on stage as they did back then. All you have to do is look at some of the old video footage to know what I am talking about.
Peggy: Frank Zappa was in his own mind always creating magic; he at times was mis-understood as a genius, and creator as an artist.
Bianca: I was able to gain something, and loose something which was very beneficial to the building of my career. I learned that Frank Zappa was very influential as he allowed me to grow as a performer and a business person in the music industry. Frank handled his business incredible. Just observing him you can learn a lot.
Peggy: It is also known that you performed with the well-known group Sly and the Family Stone. What was that like?
Bianca: Performing with Sly Stone for that year and a half was like building blocks you have to learn from all these experiences. I found all of them a welcoming experience.
Peggy: On your touring schedule I see you will be performing in Bali at the Bali Festival coming up. Have you performed in Bali before?
Bianca: This will be my first time performing in Bali. It will be more of a Gospel concert and may be quite a spiritual experience.
Peggy: Where do you suppose the Blues Industry is headed as far as in this era of 2009, especially with places to hear music like myspace.com, and many other resources off the world wide web where people can experience a wide range of music from around the world, which has allowed musicians to reach an audience like it never has before due to the web?
I also want to reflect back in the early 1980’s when musicians like BB King, John Lee Hooker, Charlie Musslewhite, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimmy Vaughn, Bonnie Raitt, ZZ Top, George Thorogood, Los Lobos, and Elvin Bishop helped to bring the Blues music back to the fore-front of the leading music industry. Do you find that same kind of raw talent out there today with the newer generation of musicians?
Bianca: I think the World Wide Web and places like myspace.com has affected me in a positive way. The web is a way for millions of people globally to hear music they may never have heard elsewhere from around the world. I believe it is headed to more musicians uploading their music on-line for listeners from around the world, which will create less touring, and more of an on-line audience. This also allows the listeners to purchase music on demand from musician’s websites.
As for the Blues Music there is a foundation that was planted by many of these Blues musicians you mentioned and others before them. It is time for newer musicians to write their own material and songs about the blues. The musicians today need to step up, create new blood songs, take new avenues, go back to the basics on how to create, and sing the music. Some musicians are not singing as some are just out making a quick dollar.
The Art of music has become in some cases depleted as you don’t hear often in Blues their original music. It is music that has been created by Blues legends before them who paved the way.
Peggy: Is there a Blues musician that stands out to you that rightly created their own sound in the later generation?
Bianca: Yes, Robert Cray is a good example of a blues musician creating his own sound and original music as a performer. A Musician needs to come up more with their own identity, and if you’re going to perform cover music that someone else has already created at least make it make sense as I have found as a musician song lyrics are very important.
Peggy: Which female Blues singer today really stands out to you in the music industry?
Bianca: Well there are many great female blues artists out there today. But Etta James is really the one that stands in a league out on her own. Etta James sings with such deep passion that she just tears your heart out. I am still waiting to hear a female blues artists sing like an Etta James.
Peggy: What is it like now performing in the Northern California Bay area where Blues was once hopping with excitement?
Bianca: There are not as many Clubs now compared to before to perform Blues in the Bay area. This is the reason I have been on the road mostly performing, where it is still much alive in such places as in the Midwest, Chicago, Montana, and Utah where there is a huge fan base. The Bay area is kind of dry right now. Chicago a City known for Music and the Blues is still happening. My Fan base is still in New York, and in the South of Atlanta, Georgia which still has a good cultivating old sound of music happening.
Peggy: What has happened in the music Industry with the Blues Audience now that lots of the music is Indie music? Do you find that most of the Blues Musicians in the United States are having to book outside the United States to Europe such as Ireland, England, and in places like Japan which have huge followings of the blues music?
Bianca: I am noticing that yes its true. Most blues musicians are able to perform their craft in places like Europe. This is really disappointing because the United States has a great cultural sound of music. Blues is being downloaded on the web, and so there is a huge fan base for it on the web here in the United States.
It is great because when I go to radio shows my music goes to Russia now for them to hear my blues music, and on U-Tube. It gives the listener, viewer a sense on how I look, what I sound like, and so it is a great thing to have on the web happening. The web is here to stay so therefore the transition of the web has been great.
Peggy: On your latest CD there is a song titled “He Just Do Me So Good”. When I heard this song of yours on the initial release it contains a soulful vocal sound while you’re performing on piano. Who were your inspirations in music?
Bianca: People like Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and Classical greats such as Van Beethoven, Johann Sebastian Bach are an inspiration to me.
Peggy: Many people have no idea that you are a protégé of Classical Piano music. Tell me your experience in Classical music?
Bianca: Classic piano I did play at one time as I liked the sound of Bach, Beethoven, took their energy, and put it into my piano performance. I studied classical vocal and a little bit of piano. I went to a Conservatory School in San Francisco, California in the late to early 1970’s right after graduating from High School as I was going to be an Opera singer.
Peggy: In most cases musicians of Classical music, Opera have studied theory to some degree, educated, trained as a performer even if they are gifted, and play by ear.
Bianca: Yes, I spoke three languages while taking Classical training in Opera. I speak German, French and Italian. You have to study these languages if you’re going to be an Opera singer.
Peggy: When did you branch away from Classical music and decide not to be an Opera singer?
Bianca: I decided not to become an Opera singer because I am hard headed, and they told me I needed to change. I have a drive as a driven person being more of a leader then a follower.
As a musician I have my own concepts, ideas, and ways of performing. In Opera they tell you how it has to be performed in most cases.
Peggy: It is amazing that you went from Classical Piano and Opera as a musician straight into performing blues music.
Bianca: When performing Classical music such as Johann Sebastian Bach his key signatures if you remove, and change or rearrange his notes they are really the blues. The same applies to classical music. Musicians in particular are changing classical music key signatures sounding Jazzier today.
Peggy: What’s in your future?
Bianca: More blues, more blues, and more blues. I think that I would like to start touring more, go to Italy, and different parts of Europe. I want to try to speak Italian again as a language as it is beautiful. I know Italian, German and French. I actually named my son Beethoven because I still love the classics.
Peggy: Tell me about the song titled “Da, Da Day The Happy Song”.
Bianca: The Song Da, Da Day the Happy Song on the latest CD was written by my one year old granddaughter Esperanza as she would sing while riding in the car with me “Da, Da Day”, so me and Stanley made it into a song. We gave her half the credit on the writing.
My son Oshmin Oden performs on Bass and his wife Vanessa does a Poetic Monologue in Spanish and English. My grandson Noah was in the studio while we where mixing the CD and his dancing told us he approved of the sound. Noah already at age 1 ½ years of age performs on Piano.
My son Beethoven is an actor in New York, he is in his 20’s, really into performing on stage classical Shakespeare, and his Profile is listed under Hotthovan.myspace.com
Peggy: Sounds like your whole family has taken after you Bianca. What a talented family.
Bianca: Yes they are.
Peggy: Bianca I want to take this time to Thank you for this interview, wish you much success on your latest CD release “A Women Never Forgets” which is out on the market on CD Baby.com, Amazon.com, and available in MP3 form.
Band Website: http://www.ladybianca.com
MySpace URL: http://www.myspace.com/musicofladybianca
CD Baby: http://cdbaby.com/cd/ladybianca2
Promotion: http://www.myspace.com/peggyconley - Blog Spot featuring Lady Bianca.
