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Lisa Mills Gig Review - BB Skone
June 27th, 2007
LISA MILLS AND THE REVELATORS, TENBY RUGBY CLUB –THURSDAY 21ST JUNE Review by BB Skone 
The second Tenby Blues Festival preview gig of 2007 took place on Thursday 21st June at Tenby Rugby Club – home of the festival’s renowned FBM acoustic stage. A packed club witnessed a performance by Mississippi blues woman Lisa Mills that was stunning in its passion, intensity and sheer exuberance. On stage only minutes after arriving in Tenby for the first show of her current European tour and still suffering from jet lag, Lisa delivered a tour de force of blues, gospel, soul and old fashioned R’n’B that lasted nigh on two hours and left the audience clamouring for more as they rose spontaneously to give her a thoroughly deserved standing ovation. Not for nothing has Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant sung her praises (not literally of course!) after employing Lisa as a support act – she is a phenomenal musician and singer. Lisa has been compared favourably to the late Janis Joplin but I’m going to stick my critical neck out here and say Lisa is much better than that blues shouter whose voice often became a little ragged when struggling to find that essential blues or soul feeling in the melody. No such problem for Lisa has she seemingly effortlessly delivered a slew of covers by greats such as Etta James, Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin and even Otis Redding. No one in the club could fail to be moved by the power and emotion of her delivery. She’s a fine guitar picker too and has a warm and entertaining stage presence laced with a down home Southern wit not out of place in Pembrokeshire’s own rural south. Lisa also treated us to some of her own songs, and whilst not always of the same calibre of the classics she covered they nevertheless had a melodic and lyrical sensibility to be treasured. Particularly moving was her tribute to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Two hours passed in no time at all, it was that enjoyable. I’ve rarely seen an artists’ CDs shift so rapidly post-performance. And if you think I’m being too effusive, check her out for yourself on her current tour. I defy you not to be moved by her music
- BB Skone


Lisa Mills - 16 Jun 2006, 9.00pm
Review
When Red Kite Records supremo Martin Levan added Lisa Mills's track, 'The Richest One', to the Live at the Talbot' CD at the eleventh hour, he unwittingly set the gem in the crown, for many ... Lisa's fearless soul performance stood out like a diamond, for its raw quality and authority. So it was an especial pleasure to welcome back this resilient and charming woman ... This time, not even a bass player - but any doubts about her ability to lay on a riveting show were dispelled in no time. Seated comfortably stage centre, the Mobile, Alabama diva radiates a unique brand of authoritative informality, involving us all in the nuts and bolts of her gig. Lisa's guitar playing is reassuringly functional, sometimes surprisingly lyrical, always true to its roots in Southern Soul, blues and gospel. It's the voice you come to hear, though - moving from a whisper of vulnerability to a harshly defiant rasp, coupled to masterful on-off-mike technique, and with a scary range, the comparisons to Bonnie Raitt, Joplin, and Etta James aren't too far astray, but to these ears it's that mighty seventies gospel/soul exponent Bonnie Bramlett she most resembles. Add to that real writing skills, and Lisa's a force to be reckoned with: a generous set of 20 or more songs yielded self-penned gems like 'I'm Changing', 'I Ain't Your Baby No More' (perfect for Delbert McClinton!), 'The Truth', and 'I Should Know Better' that deserve to be heard more, not only from their writer but covered by others, and her knowing knack for making other people's songs her own was demonstrated by witty remakes of Mose Allison's 'Your Mind Is On Vacation', a showstopping a cappella 'Natural Woman', and Lonnie Mack's stoned-munchies ode 'Oriole Cookie Blues'. In a burst of disarming spontaneity, she elected to follow her 'depression song' 'My Happy Song' with a mobile phone call to her Mom back in the States - miraculously she managed to get a clear signal from the Talbot's stage, and we were all cordially introduced to her delighted parent - an unexpected privilege!
We're all big Lisa Mills supporters here at HQ, we have to admit - we're convinced that the world deserves to be alerted to this fine artist, whose road to where she's at hasn't always been the easiest ride ... her charm and robust spirit impress all who encounter her, and maybe with the support of a sympathetic record label and a good producer, Lisa's hard work could really start to pay off.
- Talbot
Despite the massive competition – World Cup Final and Wimbledon Men’s Final – another bumper crowd turned out at Oswestry Music Live 2006. With storm clouds looming from midday, it was touch and go whether last year’s attendance would be repeated – it was. Once again it proved to be a great day out for all ages. Thankfully for the organisers, only intermittent light showers fell, posing no problems for the crowd’s enjoyment of the top class entertainment. The main stage hosted both established and up -and -coming performers, beginning with stalwarts The Gatecrashers and their pulsating set, featuring a stunning cover The Who’s Substitute, setting the tone for the rest of the day.
Back for a second year, American Lisa Mills, accompanied again by BTPB bassist Ian Jennings, left the crowd stunned with her achingly beautiful blues vocals. Her deft finger work, playing a recently purchased 1947 Epiphone Arctop guitar was the icing on the cake for a lady who is a match for compatriot Bonnie Raitt any day - Elly Roberts
Highly-rated Alabama blues balladeer Lisa Mills, aided on upright bass by pint-sized Ian Jennings of The Big Town Playboys, brought glamour and sensuality. The flame-haired beauty brought gasps from the crowd with gut-wrenching deliveries and vocal gymnastics. Having debuted at Glastonbury last year, she returned for a second dose of OML as part of her five week UK tour, promoting her excellent CD, I'm Changing, recorded in LA. Doing covers and originals, Sunshine is a cert for BBC Radio 2 playlists. She can be seen at the Trowbridge and Gloucester blues festivals - Costa Blanca News (Spain)
Discography
"Blues and Ballads" 1999
"Live at Trader's" 2000
"Gotcha" 2002
"I'm Changing" 2005
"By Invitation Only" 2006
*guest artist on "Roll the Dice" by the Big Town Playboys (UK) along with Andy Fairweather Low, Jools Holland, Robert Plant and Jeff Beck
*single, "The Richest One", featured on "Live at the Talbot" 2004 UK
*radio airplay in Spain, Scotland, UK, and US (Mobile, AL)
*Listed as number 3 in top 100 Blues Acts on MySpace for Alabama
*tracks are available for listening at www.myspace.com/lisamillsmusic
Photos
Bio
Robert Plant
“You should all check her out, she has a wonderful voice.”
Dr. John
“Girl, you keep on doin’ whatcha doin!”
Growing up in and around Hattiesburg, Mississippi Lisa began singing in the church that her great-grandparents actually built. Outside of church, Lisa was influenced by the sounds of Elvis, Brenda Lee, Jeannie C. Riley and others through her mother’s record collection. Her dad provided classic country, honky tonk, gospel infused elements to her background with his guitar playing and singing. These earliest influences can still be felt in the very raw, honest , emotive, “southerness” of her vocal delivery and style.
These very qualities are captured on her first CD, “Blues and Ballads“, which features Lisa playing live solo in a little club in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Sam Andrew of Big Brother and the Holding Company (Janis Joplin) heard a copy of the CD and immediately invited Lisa to sing with the band. She toured as their main singer for three years throughout the US, Canada and Europe. While on tour in England with BBHC in 2001 she was heard by Robert Plant and his sound engineer, Roy Williams.
Williams afforded Lisa the opportunity to share the stage and studio with Robert Plant, Jeff Beck, Jools Holland, Andy Fairweather Low, and others; setting in motion her regular touring overseas as a solo artist. Lisa has appeared at many major festivals, including Europe’s largest outdoor festival, The Glastonbury where she received a standing ovation and a rare encore request from her set in the Acoustic Tent.
At the Gloucester Blues Festival, U.K she was a special guest artist of Mike Sanchez and his Rhythm Review, along with Andy Fairweather Low. In Bergen, Norway she opened for Delbert Mclinton at The Ole Blues Festival and Dr. John at the Wolverhampton Civic Center. She was also handpicked by the promoters of BayFest 2006 to open for Michael Bolton to perform in front an audience of thousands in Mobile, Alabama.
Although her latest CD, "Invitation Only" has only been released in it's pre-production form, it's been receiving rave reviews: Wade Wellborn of Currents Magazine writes, "These dynamic and inspiring performances help prove that Lisa Mills is the real deal; no studio tricks needed, no airbrushing required. “By Invitation Only“, is a wonderful listen - soothing, bluesy, rocking, and sexy.
I’m Changing”, Lisa's previous CD, was received in the highest regards upon it’s
release in June 2005. Lawrence Specker of the Mobile Press Register writes, “ nothing sounds borrowed. I haven‘t heard an album this year by an artist who asserted his or her individuality more fearlessly….In an era dominated by claustrophobic marketing genres, an album like this is a rare treat.”
Lisa is currently prepraring for her upcoming Summer tour of the UK and Europe.
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