B and L Music: Press

Local band brings an eclectic mix of musical styles to Tolland

TOLLAND—The historic Tolland Green will become a Saturday night destination when the SophistiCats String Band plays at the Arts Center of Tolland, March 18, from 7-9:30 p.m. The band will play a cool blend of jazz standards, rockabilly, blues and original material.
The renovated antique building, once the town hall, will be set up as a café with little tables and chairs; refreshments will be available. “The band is excellent, very appealing—we’ve had them play here before,” said Pat Scholz, Arts of Tolland board member. Typical favorites include “Summertime,” “Don’t Get Around Much Any More,” “All of Me,” “Is You or Is You Ain’t My Baby,” “Oh, Boy!” and many more.
The four SophistiCats, who have been playing together for about a year and a half, include Lorraine and Bill Liswell of Ashford, and Kevin Gallagher and Mark Zechel, both of Hartford. “We all have day jobs,” said lead vocalist Lorraine Liswell. “But we’ve all been playing music professionally since we were teenagers. We have a lot of experience between us.”
Lorraine and husband Bill, who plays guitar, arranges and records their music, have worked together in bands with various forms of instrumentation, including drums and electric bass, since 1988. But this band is Lorraine’s favorite. “It’s all strings and has an especially melodic sound,” she said.
Mark Zechel, a member of the Hartford Symphony, plays upright bass, an acoustic instrument. Its giant presence lends the band a mellow warmth that compliments Lorraine’s velvety vocals and gives the instrumental passages a traditional flavor. “Mark is a classical musician, but he loves country,” said Lorraine. “And now he’s learning to love jazz.”
Mark, who went to undergraduate music school at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, and earned an M.A. in bass performance at the State University of New York at Stonybrook, Long Island, played guitar and trumpet, as well as bass, in his youth. “I’ve been in a number of bands. This one is certainly the most diverse,” said Mark. “We play everything from country to show tunes, and Lorraine has a fine voice for them all.”
“I’ve never been in a jazz band before, so I jumped at this opportunity. It gives me a chance to use the bow on the bass fiddle: it’s great to be able to bring it in,” said Zechel. “And Bill Liswell knows more about various musical styles than anyone I’ve met.”
Kevin Gallagher, plays mandolin, guitar and, principally, Dobro, an extra resonant guitar made of wood and metal and played with a slide. It was his newpaper ad for musicians in the fall of 2004 that initially attracted the Liswells and inspired them to start a new band after a year off. He brings years of experience playing rock, folk, country, and jazz to the group.
“Recently,” said Lorraine, “I’ve started writing original songs. I’ll think about a certain style and see if I can write a song in that style. I carry a little tape recorder around with me all the time.”
“The band has liked my songs, so they’re becoming a big focus for us. I write the music and lyrics, and Bill and Kevin orchestrate. It’s a thrill after so many years performing to be doing something new, to be creating,” said Lorraine.
“We have a recording studio, of sorts, in our basement. It’s a painstaking process, laying down first the rhythm track, then the instrumentals, and finally the vocals. Bill is a masterful mixer and spends hours trying to get each number just right,” she added.
The next step for the band would be making a CD in a professional studio. Meanwhile, they enjoy their Connecticut gigs, playing summer concerts on greens all around the state, at weddings and private parties.

EAST HAMPTON - Dark clouds threatening rain didn't stop the people from turning out for the third performance in th Gazebo Music Series. The weather broke in time for a special musical event. Connecticut's own SophistiCats took the small gazebo stage on the East Hampton green last week and ran a thirty song mega set to a very receptive audience. The band provides a mixed bag of selections as well as musical styles including jazz, rock, swing, rock-a-billy, and blues. The four-member group consists of Lorraine Liswell, vocalist, Bill Liswell, lead and rhythm guitar, Bob Turner, bass, and Garry Lapidus on drums. Originally the group started as a duet, and performed that way for twelve years, featuring the husband/wife team of Bill and Lorraine. About a year ago Bob and Garry came on board, and as a result, the group has benefited and blossomed into a well-rounded musical group. With the addition of Lorraine's alto jazz vocals in the front, the SopistiCats offer up a tasty musical feast to their fans. The dynamics of the group as well as their arrangements are wonderful, and as an observer it was nice to see the band pulling as a team. No heroes, no superstars. This group is talented and wise enough to know when less is more. The SophistiCats are a polished, poised, and confident band, and as they performed, their genuine good-time attitude spilled over from the stage to the audience. Their musical selections were peppered with compromise between group members, as these seasoned players knew how to fall back, when to be loud, and when to feature their wonderful vocalist or fellow musician. As an entertainment reviewer, I felt the group tackled some very complex musical selections, including: Twisted, The One Who Really Loves You, All Blues, Crazy, Impressions, and my personal favorite, Ooh Baby, Baby.

Originally from East Hampton, vocalist Lorraine Ceder Liswell gave more than a great performance, it was an outstanding homecoming for her, and her band members as well. The SophistiCats are a class act, and provide a little something for everyone's taste.