Liz Mc Comb - One of The Last Soul Gospel Diva
A child prodigy from the age of 3, Liz McComb shared the stage and the bill on European tours with Gospel stars like the great Bessie Griffin, Mahalia Jackson's rival, and Soul and Rhythm & Blues stars like Ray Charles, James Brown, BB King and John Lee Hooker.
A living link between the new generations of Rap & Funk and those who fought for the civil rights of the black community, she was 11 at the time of the March on Washington and 16 when Martin Luther King was assassinated.
This true stage and vocal phenomenon premiered her 11thAlbum, “Merry Christmas” with two concerts in the heart of the St Germain des Prés district, at the Eglise St Sulpice on December 8 & 9, 2017 in Paris in front of her packed audience. What the press had to say.
Europe discovered Liz McComb, who was to Gospel what Dee Dee Bridgewater & Dianne Reeves were to Jazz, or Jessie Norman & Barbara Hendricks to Classical.
Thanks to her voice and her breathtaking mastery of singing, she has already been able to multiply her stage experience beyond Gospel:
Music for the ballet « An American Evening » created at the Opera de Lyon, for choreographer Bill T Jones for the 50th anniversary of the UN & around the world.
Credits for Gérard Mordillat's film « En compagnie d’Antonin Artaud » starring Sami Frey.
Opening for Pope John Paul II at the JMJ in Longchamp , in front of a million pilgrims.
Only American artist invited by the Palestinian Authority to celebrate the last Christmas of the Millennium.
Other “classical houses” have also been seduced by Liz McComb's voice and authenticity. With the Orchestre de l'Opéra de Nice, then the National Orchestra of Lyon and the Orchestre de Lorraine, she has performed previously unpublished versions of the « great classics » of American music, and most recently premiered her Symphonic Spiritual Suite to close the 18th Opéra en Plein Air.
Gospel is a wonderful music invented by the uprooted poor in the American ghettos, yet it's one of the richest; that's probably why it's been so plundered.
Liz McComb performs all forms of Gospel, from simple singing accompanied by percussion, or a single instrument, as in her first live CD « Rock my Soul », or at the Palais des Sports, or with a harp ensemble,
... to the “quartet style” that dominated since before the Second World War: at Sainte Clotilde, the Vienne Jazz Festival, The Ulis or the Victoires du Jazz.
... to choral singing, as recorded at the Téléthon and les Invalides.
She even created World Gospel, adopting the Gwoka of Guadeloupe for her album Soul, Peace & Love: Remember Me & By the Rivers of Babylon, and she also passes on her know-how to younger generations during unforgettable masterclasses.
On her 10th album « Brassland » , she substituted the rigor and sumptuousness of brass sections for choirs, adding to her rural gospel the great soul experiments that made black American music the most popular of modern times.
Her Christmas Album (the 11th) received the highest rating (4*) from Down Beat
Liz takes us through all the states of the human condition: moving and sometimes painful, exalted but serene, ardent but sensual, often suave and always playful... Above all, Liz is moving and generous, with her voice, her piano playing and her absolute physical commitment.
You'll never leave her concerts unscathed!
A living link between the new generations of Rap & Funk and those who fought for the civil rights of the black community, she was 11 at the time of the March on Washington and 16 when Martin Luther King was assassinated.
This true stage and vocal phenomenon premiered her 11thAlbum, “Merry Christmas” with two concerts in the heart of the St Germain des Prés district, at the Eglise St Sulpice on December 8 & 9, 2017 in Paris in front of her packed audience. What the press had to say.
Europe discovered Liz McComb, who was to Gospel what Dee Dee Bridgewater & Dianne Reeves were to Jazz, or Jessie Norman & Barbara Hendricks to Classical.
Thanks to her voice and her breathtaking mastery of singing, she has already been able to multiply her stage experience beyond Gospel:
Music for the ballet « An American Evening » created at the Opera de Lyon, for choreographer Bill T Jones for the 50th anniversary of the UN & around the world.
Credits for Gérard Mordillat's film « En compagnie d’Antonin Artaud » starring Sami Frey.
Opening for Pope John Paul II at the JMJ in Longchamp , in front of a million pilgrims.
Only American artist invited by the Palestinian Authority to celebrate the last Christmas of the Millennium.
Other “classical houses” have also been seduced by Liz McComb's voice and authenticity. With the Orchestre de l'Opéra de Nice, then the National Orchestra of Lyon and the Orchestre de Lorraine, she has performed previously unpublished versions of the « great classics » of American music, and most recently premiered her Symphonic Spiritual Suite to close the 18th Opéra en Plein Air.
Gospel is a wonderful music invented by the uprooted poor in the American ghettos, yet it's one of the richest; that's probably why it's been so plundered.
Liz McComb performs all forms of Gospel, from simple singing accompanied by percussion, or a single instrument, as in her first live CD « Rock my Soul », or at the Palais des Sports, or with a harp ensemble,
... to the “quartet style” that dominated since before the Second World War: at Sainte Clotilde, the Vienne Jazz Festival, The Ulis or the Victoires du Jazz.
... to choral singing, as recorded at the Téléthon and les Invalides.
She even created World Gospel, adopting the Gwoka of Guadeloupe for her album Soul, Peace & Love: Remember Me & By the Rivers of Babylon, and she also passes on her know-how to younger generations during unforgettable masterclasses.
On her 10th album « Brassland » , she substituted the rigor and sumptuousness of brass sections for choirs, adding to her rural gospel the great soul experiments that made black American music the most popular of modern times.
Her Christmas Album (the 11th) received the highest rating (4*) from Down Beat
Liz takes us through all the states of the human condition: moving and sometimes painful, exalted but serene, ardent but sensual, often suave and always playful... Above all, Liz is moving and generous, with her voice, her piano playing and her absolute physical commitment.
You'll never leave her concerts unscathed!