The Liza Colby Sound at the Bowery Electric

Liza Colby

Liza Colby grew up in a musical family in Avon, Connecticut. Her parents perform as the Colbys. Her father, John Colby, is a Grammy and Emmy Award winning producer and composer of hundreds of television and film scores and was the music director and band leader for the late Clarence Clemons. Her mother, Beverly Rohlehr, sang in several jazz bands and was the only woman ever to sing in the a cappella group the Persuasions. Liza originally studied to become a corporate event planner, but then decided she needed to try music. She relocated to New York City, began singing hooks on rap tracks, and finally joined forces with comic Denis Leary's band, the Enablers: guitarist Adam Roth, his brother, drummer Charles "C.P." Roth, and bassist Alec Morton. They became the Liza Colby Sound in 2009. The band's second and most recent EP is 2013's Live.

In one of her frequent engagements at the Bowery Electric tonight, the Liza Colby Sound combined the soulful dynamics of Tina Turner with the rock intensity of the Who. Wearing nothing but a black leotard-style one piece, golden high heel shoes and jewelry, the very lean Colby accentuated her sex appeal, several times squatting wide-kneed to the ground while holding her microphone at her crotch. While this commanded eyeful attention, her commanding mega-watt vocals penetrated the ears and the heart. Performing a dozen original songs, Colby and her classic-rock-sounding band generated both fist pumping from the males and butt shaking from the females in the audience.

The Liza Colby Sound returns to the Bowery Electric on April 30, opening for the Bluebonnets. In the meantime, visit the Liza Colby Sound at www.thelizacolbysound.com.