The legendary pianist Cecil Taylor passed away almost a year ago, on April 5, 2018.

To honor him, I released this new single: a poem to the accompaniment of brilliant pianist Scott R. Looney. Engineering is by my longtime…

Cecil Taylor, copyright Lenny Bernstein I met Cecil as a rather young girl—he was a friend of my parents and a visitor to my home. He asked me, the then-classical-piano-student, to play Beethoven for him, but I…

I was a pretty bad singer for a long time after I found the guts to start officially singing.
How did I stand it? 
How did I tolerate the torment of trying to sound good, of knowing I had failed,…

A True American Original
            In my booklet notes for Lisa B’s second full-length album, Center of the Rhyme (2003), which comprised her striking original compositions and collaborations, I described the Oakland-based singer-poet as “a rugged individualist of the jazz…

As I'm starting to prepare to release my new recording project ("I Get A Kick: Cole Porter Reimagined" from the Jazzed Media label in January 2018 -- lots more on that to come!), of course a few doubts and…

Wayne Shorter 
(photo copyright Lenny Bernstein, jazzjonesphotos.com) The recently launched website Jazz Jones Photos is the place to go for compelling live jazz performance photography.

The site showcases the work of photographer Lenny Bernstein. Check out dynamic shots of…

I am thrilled to have poems included in the 20th and 21st issues of Caliban Online, especially since editor Larry Smith has believed in my work since publishing it in the original print version of Caliban (see an earlier …

So, who’s setting the tone of your holiday season? And how’s that working out for you?



It’s a cliché that we in the developed world are bombarded with messages saying that our winter celebrations should involve consumption and commodities.…

Tonight's the last night of the year to light Hanukkah candles! 

http://lisabmusic.blogspot.com/2011/12/new-slide-show-style-video-of-my-cover.html

Enjoy my version, accompanied by the brilliant late guitarist Andre Bush, of Matisyahu's inspiring song "Miracle." (And I made this video for it myself.)  

May you find…

Thanks to John Coltrane on his birthday. May his music inspire us always!

"Trane's Ride" is a poem I composed in the imagined voice of the great saxophone player and composer John Coltrane. (At the start of…

More than 30 years ago, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (it used to be called juvenile diabetes; I wasn't a juvenile when I got it, though). It's been a challenge and a teacher.
Here's some of what…

co-taught by 





Daria 
& 
   Lisa B     

We have two workshops coming up

Confidence, Communication, and Creativity
for Singers and Other Performers
Sun. 9/13/15 - Piedmont Piano, Oakland 

&




The Complete Singer: Spiritual, Technical, and Practical Tools to Help You Realize…