Isis (horn-rock band)

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Isis
Genres Horn-rock
Years active 1972 – 1980
Former members
Carol MacDonald, Ginger Bianco, Suzi Ghezzi, Stella Bass, Nydia "Liberty" Mata, Lauren Draper, Lolly Bienenfield, Jeanie Fineberg, Margo Lewis, Faith Fusillo, Vivian Stoll, Barbara Cobb, Laurie Frink, 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 advancement of professional women in rock music in the 1970s.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] The first two albums

Isis was formed in 1972 by Carol MacDonald (vocals/guitar) and Ginger Bianco (nee Panabianco; drums), former members of 1960s female rock band Goldie & The Gingerbreads. They recruit Susan Ghezzi (guitar), Stella Bass (vocals/bass), Nydia 'Liberty' Mata (percussion) and a horn-section featuring Jeanie Fineberg (sax/vocals), Lauren Draper (trumpet/vocals) and Lolly Bienenfield (trumbone/vocals).

Isis takes their original songs and sound to the New York club circuit and manage to build a strong following; quite a challenge in the male-dominated music world of the time. In 1973 Isis became the fifth all-female band to sign to a major label (Buddah Records) and in the fall of 1974 they released 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 album reaches Billboard's Top 100 chart.

The Janis Joplin-like Carol MacDonald sings seven out of nine songs, mostly written by MacDonald and Bianco; Stella Bass lends her soulful voice to "April Fool" (which was later visualised by a tribute to super-heroines like Wonder Woman and She-Hulk) and "Do The Football." The album-cover -- a photgraph of the bandmembers in nothing but metallic bodypaint -- created a sensation.

Despite receiving positive reviews for the album and live appearances, Isis failed to reach a mainstream-audiences due, in large part, to society's inability to accept a group of female musicians playing rock/jazz fusion in a male dominated world, during a time when female bands and female musicians were considered "novelty acts." The group also suffered in a commercial way due to Carol MacDonald's unwillingness to deny her homosexuality. In fact "She Loves Me" is one of the debut album's most tender ballads.

As time went on, the group gained momentum and scored support slots with the biggest acts of the day, including KISS, Aerosmith, The Beach Boys, and Leonard Skynard, among others. Ever evolving, the group expanded and re-formed often. In 1974, Susan Ghezzi (guitar) was replaced by Renata Ferrer and Lauren Draper was replaced by U of Indiana grad, Ellen Seeling. The band also added Edith Dankowitz (sax/vocals) and former Gingerbreads organist, Margo Lewis (B-3).

In 1975, this "incarnation" of Isis recorded the group's follow-up album "Ain't No Backin' Up Now," with legendary producer/songwriter Allen Toussaint at his studio in New Orleans, having just completed "Lady Marmalade" with LaBelle (Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendrix and Sarah Dash).Ain't No Backing Up Now relies on soul, funk and discoinfluences and features a guest-appearance by guitarist June Millington, fresh from the break-up of Fanny.

[edit] Breaking Through and breaking up

Without commercial success, it was difficult to keep the group together. Equally challenging was finding qualified female musicians to join the band. By 1976, the core line up was Carol MacDonald, Margo Lewis, Jeanie Feinberg, Ellen Seeling and new members Faith Fusillo (vocals/guitar), Barbara Cobb (bass), Vivian Stoll (drums)and Lynx (sax/guitar/vocals).

In 1977, the band signed with its second label, United Artists, and released their third album "Breaking Through," produced by Len Barry. Frustrated by the inability to turn great reviews into commercial success, the LP is a departure from its two previous releases and is geared specifically to the commercial market. The recording garners great reviews, but again, given the time and the circumstances, the group fails to reach acceptance in a world dominated by male bands and musicians. Alumni members Nydia Mata, Ellen Seeling, Lolly Bienenfield, Lauren Draper and Jeanie Fineberg, as well as newcomer, Laurie Frink, also appear on the album and tour to support the release throughout the USA and the Caribbean. The group opens for chart topping BT Express and Dr. Buzzards Savannah Band on the west coast swing, and Debby Harry on the east coast dates. After the touring to support "Breaking Through," the group takes up residence at Greenwich Village landmark "Trudy Hellers" on 6th Avenue and 9th Street, where they play nightly to packed houses. Unfortunately, the rest of the country wsa not as forward-thinking as Greenwich Village and NYC at the end of the 70s and the group ultimately disbanded. However, they, and those who can before them, laid the ground-work for the shift in the overall acceptance of women as professional musicians and inspired the generations that followed.

[edit] Solo projects

The majority of the ex-Isis-members are still working in the music field, and are often involved in a variety of projects.

  • Nydia Mata, already a fulltime member of Laura Nyro's band before Isis, played with Ginger Bianco, Jeanie Fineberg and Ellen Seeling in the salsa-band, Latin Fever. In March 1981 (Women's History Month) she formed the Afro-Cuban group Retumba.
  • Jeanie Fineberg and Ellen Seeling form the jazz band, Deuce. Mata and MacDonald join them for Deuce's self titled, debut release in 1986. In 1989 Fineberg and Seeling moved to California where they're led the Montclaire Women's Big Band.
  • Stella Bass moved to Atlanta, Georgia; she formed her own band (surrounded male musicians) and releases a 2007 gospel-album.
  • Laurie Frink is one of NYC's most sought after session players, having recorded and toured with numerous artists including Jerry Mulligan and Laurie Anderson.
  • Margo Lewis opens a talent agency, Talent Consultants International, Ltd., in NYC in 1983. Through the years, it's clients have included Bo Diddley, Wilson Pickett, Asia, The Zombies, Carl Palmer, Belinda Carlisle, among others.
  • Faith Fusillo joined Lews in 1983 and became business manager to Bo Diddley in 1992. Since his passing on June 2, 2008, Lewis and Fusillo manage the Estate of Bo Diddley through their company, Talent Source.

[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 Bienenfield (now playing with Jazz Diva) as third core-member. 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

[edit] External links


This article incorporates information from the equivalent article on the Dutch Wikipedia.
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