ELEMENTS OF LIFE / LISA FISCHER - SOAR

Louie Vega, the DJ masterworker and Masters at Work supremo, didn't record a solo full-length until nearly 20 years after his debut as a producer. (Granted, Nuyorican Soul was close to a solo album, and he also produced all of When the Night Is Over, his 1991 collaboration with Marc Anthony.) Accordingly, Vega packed 2004's Elements of Life with varying sounds, including collaborations with friends(Blaze, Ursula Rucker), a tribute to his uncle (salsero legend Hector Lavoe), and a host of fusion experiments -- Spanish Harlem by way of Puerto Rico by way of Africa -- involving musicians he's met during his long studio career. As on Nuyorican Soul, Vega begins by illustrating what a talented modern producer can do to brighten an underappreciated standard without wrecking the effect of the original; instead of Rotary Connection's "I Am the Black Gold of the Sun" Vega reworks the Chakachas' "Jungle Fever," the original ranking as a full-blush sexual escapade on the same order as Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" or Musique's "(Push, Push) In the Bush." His two tracks with Blaze might disappoint listeners expecting a miracle from this meeting of two garage legends; here, as on the majority of the record, the production has the same high sheen of Nuyorican Soul, but lacks the dynamic performances and concentrated compositions. Vocalists Raúl Midón and Anané contribute very little of interest, and Vega's touch is too smooth for the live band he invites into the studio. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

Lisa Fischer (born December 1, 1958) is an American Grammy Award winning R&B singer best known for her beautiful image, impressive vocal range and talents that reach high up to the whistle register, and her 1991 hit single "How Can I Ease the Pain". She has released 5 singles to date and all of them have been Top 40 R&B hits. Fischer was born in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City. Before pursuing a solo career, she accompanied R&B singer Luther Vandross as a backup singer on several of his tours & albums until his death, in addition to providing backing vocals for artists including Melba Moore and Billy Ocean. She has worked with several other famous singers, both as a session vocalist and a backup singer. Musicians she has supported include Chaka Khan, Tina Turner and Roberta Flack. In 1983, under the stage name Xēna, Fischer released a freestyle single, "On the Upside", that met with moderate success. In 1984, a club track she recorded entitled "Only Love (Shadows)" was briefly featured in the motion picture Beat Street and was later released in 1995 as part of the Hot Productions' The Best Of Criminal Records compilation. Her career peaked with the 1991 release of "How Can I Ease the Pain" from her solo album So Intense, which won her a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 1992. The album So Intense spawned three Top 20 R&B hits and peaked at #5 on The Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. Also it peaked at #100 on the Billboard 200 chart. Fischer also provided stirring vocals on the power ballad "Colors of Love" which was featured on the soundtrack album for the film Made in America. She is currently a session singer and songwriter and has toured as a backup vocalist with the Rolling Stones for the past 21 years. She worked as a backup vocalist during the same period of time for Luther Vandross for 22 years before his death, having to juggle her time between his concert tours and those of the Rolling Stones, with whom she has a growing audience as she plays the foil to Mick Jagger onstage more and more frequently. She also toured with Tina Turner for her Twenty Four Seven Tour. The tour was the top grossing of 2000 worldwide. She continues to sing backup for Tina Turner & The Rolling Stones as well as write songs for herself and upcoming artists. Lisa was just recently featured in April's Issue of Jet Magazine's "Where Are They Now?" column. Lisa hopes to record a new album soon. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.