Isis (horn-rock band)
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| Isis | |
|---|---|
| Founded: | 1972 |
| Disbanded: | 1980 |
| Genre: | Horn-rock |
| Band members on "Isis", 1974 | |
| Guitars / vocals: | Carol MacDonald |
| Drums: | Ginger Bianco |
| Guitar: | Suzi Ghezzi |
| Bass / vocals: | Stella Bass |
| Percussion / Congas / bongos: | Nydia "Liberty" Mata |
| Trumpet / Horn / Vocals: | Lauren Draper |
| Trombone / Vocals: | Lolly Bienenfield |
| Tenor saxophone: | Jeanie Fineberg |
| Band members on "Breaking Through", 1977 | |
| Guitars / Vocals: | Carol MacDonald |
| Keyboard: | Margo Lewis |
| Guitar: | Suzi Ghezzi |
| Guitar: | Faith Fusillo |
| Drums / Vibraphone: | Vivian Stoll |
| Bass: | Barbara Albacate Cobb |
| Guitar / Saxophone: | Lynx |
Isis was an all-female horn-rock band from New York. They took their name from the Egyptian goddess and were pioneers in the 1970s.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] The first two albums
Isis are formed in 1972 by Carol MacDonald (vocals/guitar), Ginger Bianco (ne Panabianco; drums) and Susan Ghezzi (guitar); former members of 1960s female rock band Goldie & The Gingerbreads. They recruit Stella Bass (vocals/bass), Nydia 'Liberty' Mata (percussion) and a horn-section consisting of Jeanie Fineberg (sax/vocals), Lauren Draper (trumpet/vocals) and Lolly Bienenfeld (trumbone/vocals).
They take their original songs to the New York club circuit and manage to build up a live-reputation; quite a challenge in the male-dominated music world. In 1973 Isis become the fifth all-female band to sign to a major (Buddah Records) and in the fall of 1974 they release their self-titled debut album. It is produced by George "Shadow" Morton and draws comparisons to Chicago, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Earth Wind & Fire and Santana. Even British bands such as Black Sabbath, Yes and Jethro Tull get a mention.
The Janis Joplin-alike Carol MacDonald sings seven out of nine songs; Stella Bass lends her soulful voice to April Fool (later visualised by a tribute to super-heroines like Wonder Woman and She-Hulk) and Do The Football. The album sleeve portrays the bandmembers in metallic bodypaint.
In spite of all the positive noises, Isis don't reach a mainstream-audience; the main reasons are all-female bands being treated as a novelty act and Carol MacDonald's outspoken homosexuality (She Loves Me for example).
And even a long list of support slots (KISS, Aerosmith, The Beach Boys and California all-female band Fanny) does not guarantee a busy schedule; hence MacDonald's advice "to work in other places as well". In some cases this means that new members have to be sought; Susan Ghezzi (graphic designer trainee) and Lauren Draper are replaced by Renate Ferrer and Ellen Seeling. But the band also welcome two extra faces; Edith Dankowitz (sax/vocals) and former Gingerbread Margo Lewis (keys).
This line-up records the follow-up album with producer/songwriter Allen Toussaint for a september 1975 release. Ain't No Backing Up Now relies on soul-, funk- and disco-influences and features a guest-appearance by guitarist June Millington, fresh from the break-up of Fanny. Bobbie & Maria (another song to deal with a lesbian relationship) and the title-track (on which MacDonald shares the lead with Bass) are released as a double A-side single, but disappointing sales and the lesbian image ensure that the band lose their contract.
[edit] Breaking Through and breaking up
By 1976 this line-up (gradually) falls apart; bandmembers either feel tagged or just want to pursue other projects. Carol MacDonald, Margo Lewis and Ellen Seeling continue with Faith Fusillo (vocals/guitar) and siblings Benita and Anne Lacatutta (bass and drums). The latter two are soon to be replaced with Barbara 'Abacate' Coib and Vivian Stoll. By this time Seeling made way for Lynx (sax/guitar).
The now six-piece Isis sign to United Artists and release their third album in 1977. Breaking Through, produced by Len Barry, is a departure from the two predecessors (Get Crazy aside) despite bearing strong tunes. The guest-appearances by Nydia Mata, Ellen Seeling, Lolly Bienenfeld, Lauren Draper and Jeanie Fineberg suggest that work on the album had already started when they were still in the band.
Breaking Through (named after a line in One Woman) once again fails to live up to its title, but the ladies soldier on for a while till they call it quits in 1980. Carol MacDonald looks back on a band with "73 members in seven years time".
[edit] Solo projects
The majority of the ex-Isis-members are still making music, and often they're involved in a variety of projects. This section mainly chronicles the all-female bands that they're playing in.
- Nydia Mata, already a fulltime member of Laura Nyro's band before Isis, continues with Ginger Bianco, Jeanie Fineberg and Ellen Seeling in salsa-band Latin Fever. In March 1981 (Women's History Month) she forms the Afro-Cuban group Retumba; they still perform but Mata has meanwhile left.
- Jeanie Fineberg and Ellen Seeling become jazz-musicians; they reunite with Mata and MacDonald for the 1986 debut album of Deuce. In 1989 Fineberg and Seeling move to California where they're now leading the Montclaire Women's Big Band.
- Stella Bass moves to Atlanta, Georgia; she forms her own band (surrounded male musicians) and releases a 2007 gospel-album.
[edit] Isis 2001: the Second Coming
On November 13, 1997 Carol MacDonald and Ginger Bianco (who spent years not making music) participate in a one-off Goldie & the Gingerbreads-reunion; thirty years after the break-up and 22 years after their last Isis-performance together. Early 1998 they accept an Outstanding Contribution Award.
Eventually MacDonald and Bianco decide to form a new Isis with Lolly Bienenfeld (now playing with Jazz Diva) as third core-members. The new members are Denny Cole (guitar), Bonnie Parker (bass), Pam Fleming (trumpet), Laura Dryer (sax) and Paula Jeanine (percussion).
This line-up debuts on January 26, 2001 at the New York Bottom Line headlining a female musicians' night. Plans for a new album however don't materialise.
The original members and their replacements gather at a Women in Music jam; it turns out to be one of the last highlights in the band's history as health reasons force Carol MacDonald to quit. She dies on March 12, 2007, the day of the annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony. Six months later, on September 20, Ginger Bianco is given the Women Breaking Barriers Award by the GLBT Historical Society.
[edit] Discography
- Isis (1974), Buddah Records
- Ain't No Backin' Up Now (1975), Buddah Records
- Breaking Through (1977), United Artists
[edit] External links
- itsaboutmusic.com, Audio samples of all Isis recordings
- Isis, Band history at answers.com
- This article incorporates information from the equivalent article on the Dutch Wikipedia.
