Karisa

Karisa is a truly gifted singer and songwriter with a style which is both enchantingly melodic and intensely rhythmic. Her compositions are frequently injected with a latin undercurrent that propels them in unexpected directions as Karisa's voice soars playfully from note to note. People sometimes compare Karisa to India Arie or Norah Jones, and those comparisons do provide a helpful point of reference. But Karisa is a refreshingly unique talent with a style all her own.

Most of Karisa's shows are acoustic performances which don't include me, but for her debut CD, Karisa wanted a full band backing her up, so obviously I was delighted when she asked me to provide the drum tracks. The band also performed with Karisa at her CD release show at the Wealthy Street Theater in front of a sell-out crowd, and on a number of occasions thereafter.

Right now, you're listening to one of Karisa's tunes -- in fact, it's a rough mix of the CD's title track, Little Girl. You can download it by right-clicking on the link below and choosing "save as." The complete CD will obviously be available at all of Karisa's live performances as well as several local record shops. For further details, email Karisa or visit her website.

download song (right click, save as)

another great Karisa tune, recorded live (right click,save as)

Karisa Wins Jammie Awards

February 12, 2008 - Karisa Wilson and her back-up band were scheduled to perform three songs during the Jammie Awards Ceremony at the Wealthy Street Theater. Before the evening was over, they'd be invited back on stage to perform several more songs as the winners of the so-called "Big Jammie," the final award of the evening given to the best local CD of the past year.

Dozens of artists competed for Jammie Awards in various categories from folk to rock to jazz. Each winner qualified for the grand prize of the "Big Jammie" for CD of the year. Earlier in the evening, Karisa won the award for the best debut CD from a new artist, which also made her a finalist for the Big Jammie.

Karisa was accompanied by Lou Musa on lead guitar, Mark Lundell on bass, Eddie Eicher on drums, and Rob Mulligan on latin percussion. All of these musicians also performed on Karisa's CD with the exception of Mark.

Even though WYCE is a local community station, it is nationally recognized as one of the leading progressive broadcasters, featuring an eclectic mix of music that distinguishes it from most commercial stations. Each year, the programmers and radio personalities at WYCE vote on the best national and local recordings released during the past year. The winners receive the coveted Jammie Awards.