Artist description RETROACID SOUL. Imagine Aretha meets Janis, Etta James, a touch of Desiree, Sarah Vaughn, & Erica Badu. Elements of cool jazz and earthy gospel meet with inspiring reggae flavors, &, of course, everything Pat does is deeply rooted in the Blues. The quality of musicianship is celestial, and the comraderie comes through in the sound. The songs are about love, life and soul-you will find your own life's "theme song" in her music.

Music Style blues, reggae, gospel, jazz, retrosoul/groove, cross culture reality based sweetness.

Musical Influences aretha, ella, ray charles, joni mitchell, louie armstrong, ronnie spector, bob marley, etta james

Similar Artists aretha, brand new heavies, cassandra wilson, janis joplin, ella fitzgerald, dianne reeves, etta james,ray charles,desiree

Artist History For those of us who like our music peppered with more than a dash of jazz, blues, funk and soul, Pat Cisarano is certainly a find. Pat is a veteran of the New York scene known for keeping Bleecker Street secrets just long enough for them ripen and explode. At a recent (12/2000) NARAS (Grammy) awards show, Tony Bennett told a crowd of 2000 industry professionals, "My friend Pat Cisarano is the greatest white blues singer on the planet". Wow! And with performances in Switzerland, Argentina, Spain, Norway, Holland, England & Finland, in addition to her busy USA gig schedule under her belt, much of it with her musical partner, legendary bluesman Bill Sims Jr., she is well on the way to planetary recognition! After the terrible attack on the WTC, Pat was asked by Nile Rodgers to join the nation’s top recording stars for the re-recording of the legendary song, We Are Family, to benefit the victims of the disaster, and to appear in the documentary of the session, directed by Spike Lee. Born and raised in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, Pat’s earliest musical influences sprang from the juke box in her family’s Italian restaurant & the streets around her. Before setting her sights on a musical career, Pat was a student at New York’s School of Visual Arts majoring in fine arts. After leaving New York City she moved to the town of Woodstock in New York, where she became involved with her first band. Back in NYC, she studied acting for several years at John Strasberg’s Real Stage and was a founding member of Geraldine Page’s repertory company, the Mirror Theater, while doing everything to survive from driving a yellow cab in Manhattan (for 3 years!), to working for the Hare Krishna’s as a street vendor, and everything in between. She landed a principal role in Skyline (1st place winner Madrid Film Festival), a film from renowned Spanish director Fernando Colomo. She also appeared in Colomo’s miniseries for Spanish TV, Las Chicas. She went to Madrid to perform at famed jazz club Café Popular, & appeared on the most successful "Late Night" TV variety show in Spain, La Noche se Mueve , hosted by famed El Wayoming. Pat has been described as a "Janis Joplin Style Chanteuse" (NY Post"), with "the bluesy style that put Aretha on the map way back when" (NY Native). Wif Stenger of the New York Press compared her favorably to Ernestine Anderson. "At her gigs expect to hear anything from melt-the-ice- in- your-jack-and-coke funk to shed-a-tear-with-me blues, to grab-yo-honey-and-squeeze soul, to smooth and sweet reggae." When Pat covers the classics "she insinuates herself into each songs emotional core so even the most familiar song seems her own", and her originals, i.e., the exquisite ballad "Sugar Melts in the Rain" or the uplifting "True Love" are so instantaneously memorable they seem to be standards "The blues escape Pat’s body and embrace those around her" (L’Expresse,Switzerland). pat cisarano When Tony Bennett took some time out from his busy schedule to check Pat out at a New York music venue, he was so taken by her talent that he later called her up stage with him at the Blue Note to perform "Let the Good Times Roll " with his band, the Ralph Sharon Trio. Twice. He later told Mike Shane of Newsday, "Pat is the real deal". At the 94 Woodstock Festival, Pat performed "Muddy Water Blues" with Paul Rogers (Free, Bad Company) and Slash (Guns N Roses). She received the Shure Microphone Best Female Vocalist award, and was chosen for the NYC R&B compilation Third Rail Screamin’, (Rave On), as well as the national compilation In Your Ear. She went on to record her first solo CD, True Love for Rave-On Records. She contributed a song which she wrote and performed for the Polydor Japan compilation Flowers of the World. One of her songs was included in the compilation CD produced for the NY High Schools, Listen. Learn, & Groove. Pat has been prominently featured on Bob Porter’s National Public Radio show Portraits in Blue. He called her "the best voice on the NY blues scene", and "this lady is a great songwriter". She contributed music to the PBS American Playhouse, American Love Story, (named by Time Mag, the NY Times & several top publications one of the top 10 TV shows of 1999-remember 1999?), & 2 of her songs were chosen for the the soundtrack CD (PBS Warner), along with tunes from Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Smoky Robinson, & the Temptations. She co-wrote the theme song for the series, scored by the legendary Marcus Miller. Pat is a founding member of the American Acoustic Roots Orchestra with recording artist & Obie Award winner (5/2001) Bill Sims Jr, with whom she founded the American Acoustic Roots Orchestra. She also appeared as a guest soloist along with Jimmy McGriff on the new CD from trumpeter Kenny Rampton, who’s been in McGriff’s band for 8 years. Songs from her new CD "ah" have been chosen for the film Angela on German TV, & in the feature film Fast Food, Fast Women, both by Israeli filmmaker Avram Ludwig, which premiered at Cannes in the summer of 2000. Pat’s new CD of 13 original songs is entitled "Ah". "Ah" is the name of the first letter of the Tibetan alphabet, which symbolizes (among other things). all the sounds of the universe. The symbol for this letter is depicted on the cover of the new CD, and it is said to bring good grace to all that look at it, as Pat’s music will bring the same to all who listen! For those of us who like our music peppered with more than a dash of jazz, blues, funk and soul, Pat Cisarano is certainly a find. Pat is a veteran of the New York scene known for keeping Bleecker Street secrets just long enough for them ripen and explode. At a recent (12/2000) NARAS (Grammy) awards show, Tony Bennett told a crowd of 2000 industry professionals, "My friend Pat Cisarano is the greatest white blues singer on the planet". Wow! And with performances in Switzerland, Argentina, Spain, Norway, Holland, England & Finland, in addition to her busy USA gig schedule under her belt, much of it with her musical partner, legendary bluesman Bill Sims Jr., she is well on the way to planetary recognition! After the terrible attack on the WTC, Pat was asked by Nile Rodgers to join the nation’s top recording stars for the re-recording of the legendary song, We Are Family, to benefit the victims of the disaster, and to appear in the documentary of the session, directed by Spike Lee. Born and raised in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, Pat’s earliest musical influences sprang from the juke box in her family’s Italian restaurant & the streets around her. Before setting her sights on a musical career, Pat was a student at New York’s School of Visual Arts majoring in fine arts. After leaving New York City she moved to the town of Woodstock in New York, where she became involved with her first band. Back in NYC, she studied acting for several years at John Strasberg’s Real Stage and was a founding member of Geraldine Page’s repertory company, the Mirror Theater, while doing everything to survive from driving a yellow cab in Manhattan (for 3 years!), to working for the Hare Krishna’s as a street vendor, and everything in between. She landed a principal role in Skyline (1st place winner Madrid Film Festival), a film from renowned Spanish director Fernando Colomo. She also appeared in Colomo’s miniseries for Spanish TV, Las Chicas. She went to Madrid to perform at famed jazz club Café Popular, & appeared on the most successful "Late Night" TV variety show in Spain, La Noche se Mueve , hosted by famed El Wayoming. Pat has been described as a "Janis Joplin Style Chanteuse" (NY Post"), with "the bluesy style that put Aretha on the map way back when" (NY Native). Wif Stenger of the New York Press compared her favorably to Ernestine Anderson. "At her gigs expect to hear anything from melt-the-ice- in- your-jack-and-coke funk to shed-a-tear-with-me blues, to grab-yo-honey-and-squeeze soul, to smooth and sweet reggae." When Pat covers the classics "she insinuates herself into each songs emotional core so even the most familiar song seems her own", and her originals, i.e., the exquisite ballad "Sugar Melts in the Rain" or the uplifting "True Love" are so instantaneously memorable they seem to be standards "The blues escape Pat’s body and embrace those around her" (L’Expresse,Switzerland). pat cisarano When Tony Bennett took some time out from his busy schedule to check Pat out at a New York music venue, he was so taken by her talent that he later called her up stage with him at the Blue Note to perform "Let the Good Times Roll " with his band, the Ralph Sharon Trio. Twice. He later told Mike Shane of Newsday, "Pat is the real deal". At the 94 Woodstock Festival, Pat performed "Muddy Water Blues" with Paul Rogers (Free, Bad Company) and Slash (Guns N Roses). She received the Shure Microphone Best Female Vocalist award, and was chosen for the NYC R&B compilation Third Rail Screamin’, (Rave On), as well as the national compilation In Your Ear. She went on to record her first solo CD, True Love for Rave-On Records. She contributed a song which she wrote and performed for the Polydor Japan compilation Flowers of the World. One of her songs was included in the compilation CD produced for the NY High Schools, Listen. Learn, & Groove. Pat has been prominently featured on Bob Porter’s National Public Radio show Portraits in Blue. He called her "the best voice on the NY blues scene", and "this lady is a great songwriter". She contributed music to the PBS American Playhouse, American Love Story, (named by Time Mag, the NY Times & several top publications one of the top 10 TV shows of 1999-remember 1999?), & 2 of her songs were chosen for the the soundtrack CD (PBS Warner), along with tunes from Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Smoky Robinson, & the Temptations. She co-wrote the theme song for the series, scored by the legendary Marcus Miller. Pat is a founding member of the American Acoustic Roots Orchestra with recording artist & Obie Award winner (5/2001) Bill Sims Jr, with whom she founded the American Acoustic Roots Orchestra. She also appeared as a guest soloist along with Jimmy McGriff on the new CD from trumpeter Kenny Rampton, who’s been in McGriff’s band for 8 years. Songs from her new CD "ah" have been chosen for the film Angela on German TV, & in the feature film Fast Food, Fast Women, both by Israeli filmmaker Avram Ludwig, which premiered at Cannes in the summer of 2000. Pat’s new CD of 13 original songs is entitled "Ah". "Ah" is the name of the first letter of the Tibetan alphabet, which symbolizes (among other things). all the sounds of the universe. The symbol for this letter is depicted on the cover of the new CD, and it is said to bring good grace to all that look at it, as Pat’s music will bring the same to all who listen!

Group Members Pat co-founded the American Roots Orchestra with her musical soul mate Bill Sims Jr. She considers herself fortunate to be a part of a musical family which includes Trumpeter Kenny Rampton, keyboardists George Laks, Dan Petty, Peter Adams, and Brian Mitchell (accordian, too). Tony Mason on drums, Clark Gayton on T-bone, sousaphone and tuba. George Mitchell, Booker King, & Steve Logan on bass, Donny McCaslin & Marty Kersich on sax, and many more wonderful artists and friends.

Instruments electric & acoustic guitars, electric and acoustic bass, drums, percussion, grand piano, hammond b3, fender rhodes, chromatic harmonica, trombone, trumpet, sax, reggae dj, choir

Albums third rail screamin-raveon records (NYC R&B compilation), true love-raveon records(solo cd), flowers of the world-polydor,japan (compilation), American Love Story-PBS Warner(soundtrack cd), pat cisarano , Listen,Learn & Groove(compilation) Female Musician FM Radio Series, Kenny Rampton Solo Project (with Jimmy McGriff) guest vocalist

Press Reviews About Pat Cisarano and "AH" 1/2001By: Lou Ricco for Lilith?s Child Website Magazine www.lilithchild.comThe name of the CD really describes the artist and her work. Pat Cisarano grew up in NYC singing along on the jukebox with greats like Aretha Franklin and has been compared to Janis Joplin in her sound. You may ask yourself what do these two very different divas have in common? Well, mix them together and you have an idea of the sound that Pat puts out in her new CD "AH".This CD is a mix of soul, jazz, funk, reggae and blues. It takes a pretty serious singer to accomplish a total melding of all these genres, but Pat does it with ease and style. Her voice is light and sweet (just how i like my coffee) with an air, or shall i say a whirlwind, of attitude. Most of the serious issues are addressed in her music... lost love, sweet sugar love, angry love, and "grab your honey" love. To me, any kind of love is fun to sing about, and that she does.While most people expect blues/jazz music to take the typical turns, Pat takes us on a journey not to be easily forgotten. To get into the groove of Pat's music, one must listen to the words. Whimsical lyrics along with the feeling that she is sitting next to you actually giving you advice on a relationship through her songs makes me want to add her to my listening list. She's "been there" and "done that" as it states in her music, and i like that.Her choice of background music casts shadow and light on her lyrics also. For instance, in her song "so glad you're finally gone", i hear a light, upbeat jazz/ska backdrop with a trombone and acoustic guitar and a rastafarian "doin his thang", but the words include "dont come back, cause now im doing ok, a prayer unspoken has finally broken open the spell"...total contrast to the music itself. In the last song on the CD, "i promise you peace", pat wows us with her soloistic style in a slow "praise god" sort of way with a choir in back of her to provide us with that church groove that many tv evangelists provide for us at 3 am when we cant sleep. its a "feel good" song, fun to listen to and easy to relate to.Being a musician myself, i feel that people limit themselves and label their styles. Pat shows that whatever you are feeling there are words to describe it and different styles of music to highlight it; no matter how far away on the spectrum they may bepat makes it gel. A definite CD to add to your collection, "AH" makes you sit back and breathe a sigh of relief from the everyday. KURT DAVIS, NY POST Pat Cisarano is exciting in uptempo blues and jazz. It’s nice to hear someone who can actually sing the blues instead of just shouting them, not that this veteran of the N.Y. blues circuit can’t growl and holler if the moment calls for it. Let’s give a warm welcome to this cool lady and her hot band. I don't like it when someone gives a musician a title in the media who is of significant other status, or is personally promoting the performer. Sort of a journalistic conflict of interest. I would rather see labels bestowed by nonpartisan observers. Using that criteria, this writer will now crown the 'Best Female Blues Vocalist on Long Island'. Myself, and many other industry insiders had never heard this persons' work until the last couple of months, but the response, 'oh wow' has been fairly uniform after hearing it. Although she is from Brooklyn, which is still geographically part of LI, (and the title of NYC's Best has already been handed out by the aforementioned process). The title of Long Island's Best Blues Singer may even be too limiting, as this artist also composes, arranges and performs to the highest standards. She masterfully combines Blues with Soul, Gospel and Reggae and adds equal portions of charm, grace, spirituality and tremendous stage presence to her work. The title of Best Female Blues on Long Island in the Empire State of New York goes to∑. Pat Cisarano. Anybody who attended her performance last Sunday at the Riverhead Blues Festival would agree. Backed by the magnificent Riverhead Building Supply Gospel Choir, Cisarano's vocals were enough to move body, soul and spirit. Honey Piazza, who along with husband Rod and the Mighty Flyers, wowed the crowd herself with her keyboard pyrotechnics commented to me backstage after Ms Cisarano and the RBS Gospel Choir closing number "I Promise You Peace". "I've done about 5,000 Blues Festivals during my career and I have never heard anything that beautiful before." Amen. BACKYARD BLUES (Long Island Blues Society Newsletter) 7/2000 Pat Cisarano-AH Picking up a thread of jazz, a strand of world music, and a big hank of gospel, Pat Cisarano has woven a fabric of song, tossed it into a deep vat of blues and presented us with as fine a musical tapestry as you are likely to ever hear. Accapella voices, full horn sections, street corner choruses, and drum circles are all represented. Running through the whole clothe is the ribbon of truth. The thirteen pieces here cover the spectrum of roots music. The tales told are one person’s story, but everybody’s experience. She just does a much better job of telling it. Maybe one third of the songs are blues as we would normally think of them, however when Cisarano is wailing, she is pouring out emotions. The skill with which she moves from style to style is amazing. Starting with the gospel chorus of "Preluce" move on to the gentle ska of "Love Save the Day". Speaking of ska, isten to the bouncing blues as closure is reached on a relation that should have been, but ultimately wasn’t. Look past the jivey "somebody Talk to My baby" and hear the despair. Etta James herself never told a story better. Feel the pain of "Sugar Melts in the Rain". Find solace and bolster up your faith in "I Promise You Peace". Finally I get to my favorite piece on this CD, "Carried Away". Reminiscent of a younger Aretha Franklin, this recounting a chance meeting with the past stacks up against unfulfilled dreams, a still glowing ember of hope, and finally reluctant acceptance of what just wasn’t meant to be. I have played this song everyday for the last two months. Get this CD and find out why.

Location Brooklyn, New York - USA

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